Between the RHONY restaurant drama and #Cheesegate, the premiere episode of The Real Housewives of New York City season 14 was a surprisingly food-focused hour of reality TV. But it was the former argument that got fans talking on social media.
The first episode of the new RHONY—which premiered on Bravo on Sunday, July 16 at 9pm Eastern and is available for streaming on Peacock—introduced Housewives viewers to a fresh crop of New Yorkers, swapping out series veterans like Ramona Singer, Dorinda Medley and LuAnn Luann de Lesseps (don't worry, you'll be able to catch up with them on season 5 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip) for newcomers Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Dana Lichy, Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank and Brynn Whitfield.
The new gals seem cool (and strangely cheese-obsessed), but a mini-feud between Brynn and Erin over a certain unnamed New York City restaurant—which the production team bleeped out like a swear every time its name was uttered—fired things up. And fans think they've figured out exactly which NYC spot it is...
All about that RHONY restaurant drama in season 14:
Early on in the episode, Erin reveals that there's already tension between her and Brynn due to a planned dinner with the group a few weeks earlier. Erin was tasked with finding a restaurant reservation for the ladies: "It was a huge group, nothing was available. And it was last minute, so I picked [bleep]," she explained.
However, when it came time for the group dinner, Brynn and Sai had ditched the women to go to another restaurant because, as Brynn revealed, she "wouldn't be caught dead" at [bleep].
"They posted on Instagram that they were at Casa Cipriani," Erin continued. "It was hurtful, like I think it's a very obnoxious thing to do...I'm still a little bit salty about that night."
She added: "I would go with anyone to a local bar and be happy. I don't need to go to like a chic place all the time. I don't care."
At Jenna Lyons' black-khaki-and-gold party, Erin and Brynn set eyes on each other for the first time since the dreaded restaurant night. "These are cool, they're like a weapon," Jessel tells Erin, admiring her bold bandles. "Well, I may have to f**k up a bitch tonight," Erin jokes in response.
"I haven't seen her since that night...two days later, she posted pictures of that night at Casa Cipriani...which wasn't cool of you either, by the way," Erin tells the group, singling out Sai, who tells her "I didn't want to go to [bleep,] I'm not going to lie to you" before apologizing.
When Brynn arrives, she confessed to Jenna: "I'm scared...I'm in trouble. Bless me Father for I have sinned," adding in a confessional: "I don't think Erin will commit any sort of crime or homicide in Jenna Lyons' home."
Erin pulls Brynn aside to discuss the slight in private, during which Brynn realizes "It's not about the restaurant, it's not about the reservation, it's about wanting to spend time together." The twosome makes up because, as Erin says, "it's hard to stay mad at Brynn."
Though the air is cleared, the women do decide to have a little fun with the rest of the group, dramatically stomping back out into the room and pretending to still be feuding, much to their amusement.
Fans speculate about that bleeped-out RHONY restaurant:
Though the name of the NYC restaurant was bleeped out, fans picked up that it was definitely a single-syllable spot, based on the speed of the bleep. Though some viewers called out flashy Asian bistro Tao as the potential venue, the majority of RHONY fans believe the restaurant is Catch, the seafood restaurant from Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio. Seeing as how Colicchio is part of the Bravo family, maybe the bleep-out was out of respect for the TV personality? Here's what fans are saying:
What’s the restaurant name they are bleeping out?! Lol #RHONYJuly 17, 2023
Catch!July 17, 2023
#rhony are they talking about Tao?July 17, 2023
The restaurant being Catch was not on my bingo card #RHONYJuly 17, 2023
Catch catching strays on the new #rhony pic.twitter.com/i2EKTadtJzJuly 17, 2023
I think the restaurant they keep bleeping is Tao #RHONYJuly 17, 2023
Thoughts on the #RHONY reboot premiere: MEH. Hard to connect to these women without proper introductions while immediately getting thrust into drama over a cheese comment that was never made and a restaurant whose name kept getting bleeped out (Catch). Not terrible, not great.July 17, 2023
Btw the restaurant they kept bleeping out was most likely Catch... which is very 2012. Sorry lol #RHONYJuly 17, 2023
I love how everybody on Housewives Twitter is playing detective trying to figure out the bleeped out restaurant 🧐 I’m obsessed 😂 #RHONYJuly 17, 2023
Wait. Is the restaurant name they bleeping ‘catch’ ?!?! #RHONY 😂July 17, 2023
I think we found the answer! It’s definitely not Catch, but it definitely started with a C…so Craft it is 😂 #RHONY https://t.co/Czgip7ypdFJuly 17, 2023
I’m just assuming they’re talking about Tao #rhonyJuly 17, 2023
But the real question is why did Bravo have to bleep out Catch? Lol everyone knows it is very 2012. #RHONYJuly 17, 2023
Are they bleeping Catch or Craft?! #RHONYJuly 17, 2023
I’d skip a night out at Catch for Casa Cipriani as well 🤣 #RHONYJuly 17, 2023
I love that they bleeped out the name of the restaurant. It's like a mystery. Like who bit Beyonce. #RHONYJuly 17, 2023
