Hell's Kitchen U.S. Season 2

[duckduck]

If you go to the Foodnetwork Challenge info page, it has Keegan Gerhard listed as the MC again instead of Leibfried. I didn't see him in the last challenge I watched. I'm glad. Leibfried messed with the competitions too much when he was doing the pastry stuff. Yelling at people in Hell's Kitchen is one thing. Bugging the hell out of someone who's trying to put together a delicate sugar shoppiece is another. It was a bad fit. I have noticed that we're seeing a whole lot more of Scott and Mary Ann on HK than we did last season.

[McDermitt]

Although I admire the contribution of Gordon Ramsay to the culinary circus, some things make me wonder when "reality TV" becomes involved.

During his buccaneering early career in the kitchen, White provided ample fodder for the tabloids when he was regularly reported as ejecting patrons from his restaurants if he took offence at their comments (most memorably ejecting the restaurant critic AA Gill and his lunch date Joan Collins when White took umbrage at his wearing bicycle clips in Harveys).

link

Then I recall seeing Ramsay on BBC America doing the same thing...

By 1996, the restaurant had been awarded two Michelin stars. After a dispute with the management he left Aubergine in 1998 to open his own eponymous restaurant, in Chelsea. The restaurant gained three Michelin stars in 2001, making Ramsay the first Scot to achieve that feat. It was here that he famously ejected food critic A. A. Gill (along with his dining companion Joan Collins). After this incident A. A. Gill stated that "Ramsay is a wonderful chef, just a really second-rate human being".

link

I'm not sure, but was this on boiling pionts?

Is it just by chance that the same situation that occurred at Harveys should repeat itself at Aubergine when the "cameras just happened to be rolling"

Just Curious.

[Kayakado]

Here's the info on the sous chefs and everyone else.

http://www.fox.com/hellskitchen/bios/

Scott

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Occupation: Sous Chef

Working as a teenager in the New England-style Inns of Long Island, NY, Scott Leibfried discovered his calling early in life, quickly leading him to culinary studies at the prestigious Johnson and Wales Culinary School. Following an internship with the school’s own restaurants, he began his career as Sous Chef in private clubs throughout the Boston area. A colleague introduced him to the lifestyle of Martha’s Vineyard, where he remained for five years, working in-season at both the casual and fine dining establishments David Ryan’s and Lattanzi’s, and traveling and expanding his craft during the off-season.

After relocating to the West Coast, Leibfried continued his career as a private chef in Los Angeles. He then accepted a position with The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, alternating between Dining Room Chef and Banquet Chef for four years. Recently, Leibfried held the position of Executive Chef for Napa Valley Grille in Los Angeles. A regular at many of L.A.’s farmers markets and a frequent traveler to the California wine country, Liebfried is noted for cuisine that evokes the picturesque Napa Valley.

Edited June 30, 2006 by Kayakado (log)

[Kayakado]

Does anyone know if this is the Micahel Wray who won the first HK? The contestant was from Colorado.

Michael Wray, director of restaurant and culinary administration at Metropolitan State College in Denver. (Nation's Restaurant News (9/12/05)

[johnsmith45678]

Does anyone know if this is the Micahel Wray who won the first HK?  The contestant was from Colorado.

Michael Wray, director of restaurant and culinary administration at Metropolitan State College in Denver. (Nation's Restaurant News (9/12/05)

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Looks like a different guy.

[lucylou95816]

Does anyone know if this is the Micahel Wray who won the first HK?  The contestant was from Colorado.

Michael Wray, director of restaurant and culinary administration at Metropolitan State College in Denver. (Nation's Restaurant News (9/12/05)

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Looks like a different guy.

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Here is the guy that won last year and what he is up to.......Hells Kitchen 1

[johnsmith45678]

Does anyone know if this is the Micahel Wray who won the first HK?  The contestant was from Colorado.

Michael Wray, director of restaurant and culinary administration at Metropolitan State College in Denver. (Nation's Restaurant News (9/12/05)

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Looks like a different guy.

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Here is the guy that won last year and what he is up to.......Hells Kitchen 1

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Yep. Here's what someone wrote at Wikipedia:

    * Winner Michael Wray went to the UK to learn under Ramsay, and is now back in Los Angeles. While he hopes to eventually open a restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada at either the The Palms or the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, it is more work than he expected. In the meantime, he has started a custom chefs knives company. [1]. He claims that he received "a chunk of cash and US$75,000 in restaurant equipment" for winning. [2]

    * Runner-up Ralph opened his own restaurant in Sag Harbor, New York, called Fat Ralph's Deli.

So, Michael DID go work under GR - I hadn't heard that.

[brooklyncook]

Anybody familiar with Mary Ann's school, or places she's worked? I've never heard of any (which doesn't discount them any).

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ICE is on West 23rd Street in Manhattan; it was formerly Peter Kump's Cooking School.

[Brad K.]

Does anyone know if this is the Micahel Wray who won the first HK?  The contestant was from Colorado.

Michael Wray, director of restaurant and culinary administration at Metropolitan State College in Denver. (Nation's Restaurant News (9/12/05)

←

Looks like a different guy.

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Here is the guy that won last year and what he is up to.......Hells Kitchen 1

←

Yep. Here's what someone wrote at Wikipedia:

    * Winner Michael Wray went to the UK to learn under Ramsay, and is now back in Los Angeles. While he hopes to eventually open a restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada at either the The Palms or the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, it is more work than he expected. In the meantime, he has started a custom chefs knives company. [1]. He claims that he received "a chunk of cash and US$75,000 in restaurant equipment" for winning. [2]

    * Runner-up Ralph opened his own restaurant in Sag Harbor, New York, called Fat Ralph's Deli.

So, Michael DID go work under GR - I hadn't heard that.

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Actually Ralph from last season owns a deli, not a restaurant (hence the name Fat Ralph's Deli) - and he opened it well before HK was on the air.

[hungryCAT]

I hated to see Rachel go, but she certainly did screw up her station.

Sara's day will come.

[AzianBrewer]

Do you know ANYBODY in real life who swears every single sentence?  I don't.

My 13 year old son and I watch this together for the sheer horror of it.  I have to admit, sometimes I want to clap my hands over his eyes.

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Welcome to the Jungle!!!

[Joisey]

Jesus I wanted to just stamp my feet...how many times can you screw up Beef Wellington? Someone needs to smack that dopey bastard Keith, too.

[SiseFromm]

So is there anybody on the show that might actually be a good chef? We're down to six contestants now and not a single one of them by my count would be capable of running a large-format Vegas kitchen. Anybody remaining would be in trouble immediately after taking that role. The final result of all of this? The "winner" will hold an honorary "Chef" title at the new joint which will actually be overseen diligently by the actual Chef. Fox, Gordon Ramsey, the Hotel, and the Restaurant will get their photo-ops and media pieces then the winner will slip quietly away never to be seen or heard from again.

[Joisey]

If Heather stopped crying everytime something bad happened and was a little more assertive, I'd give her a shot. That whole little subplot with her and Rachel just skeeved me, too.

[dvs]

If Heather stopped crying everytime something bad happened and was a little more assertive, I'd give her a shot.  That whole little subplot with her and Rachel just skeeved me, too.

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i was only half watching & missed that... what happened?

[Ling]

^The show made it seem as if there was a bit of an attraction there.

[Joisey]

Oh, Rachel and Heather had a little flirtation going on. Heather actually initiated it, which surprised me.

[howard88]

When I compare HK to most of the sitcoms or dramas or t.v. fare

in general, this show is really good viewing. It moves right along

with Gordon as the guru, catalyst to sting and praise as the wannabe

chefs perform.

Last nite's episode was interesting, exciting watching. Gordon has the ability to communicate using expletives, put downs and sparingly preaise what

it is he is after in quality food prep and presentation.

It seems the players are "getting" what it is G.R. is after and it seems

they indeed are developing as the show evolves.

I am definetly a Gordon fan and I think he is a talented, multifaceted

chef who indeed knows how to get those all important t.v.ratings. He knows just how to push the buttons necessary to

seperate those who can do from those who thougt they could, but cannot.

I am looking forward to more from Heather, Sara's tricks and I think Keith might be the dark horse winner of this slugfest.

[johnsmith45678]

I'm kinda rooting for Garrett.

As for photo ops, or just about any other public situation - HOLD YOUR FARTS! Jeez, WTF?

I watched The F Word after HK, and enjoyed it much more. But the crew of ladies he had on this time did far worse than those on HK - they kept burning SCRAMBLED EGGS.

[johnsmith45678]

Michael Wray, first-season winner of "Hell's Kitchen," has disappeared like a wisp of flour. On her gossip website, Janet Charlton reports the Fox network asked the former chef from Fort Collins to help promote the second season. Wray was asked to entertain a large group of media types, creating a menu and preparing it. Later that night, Wray was to prepare the same meal for everyone at a banquet. Wray asked if he would be compensated, Charlton wrote. Fox officials said, "We'll get back to you." Days later they e-mailed, telling Wray "We won't need your services."

Link

And I found the original article at Charlton's site - interesting picture of Wray. ;P

[Claudia Greco]

I have said it before but I stand behind it.

While I think that Hell's Kitchen is edited to make Ramsay seem even more mencing and hot tempered then he is. BUT if you look at the people he is dealing on this show or Kitchen Nightmares and when they don't do things properly or put half assed effort into it-sorry but they deserve what they get.

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I actually asked Tony Bourdain about the old-school screaming chef syndrome at his last public appearance in NYC. The most telling thing he said (and he specifically referred to Gordon, a friend of his), was that "Gordon is actually a cupcake. What you see (on Boiling Point) is GORDON DOING GORDON TEN YEARS AGO" and that anyone who got a bollocking had it coming. ("You notice none of THOSE guys are running 3-star restaurants in the UK.") (Truth be told, Gordon is famous for setting up restaurants for his best chefs to run - he is very loyal that way. And, aside from Marcus Waring who is his exec chef at Petrus, he also created a restaurant for one of the two sous chefs he was seen screaming at and abusing - I believe it is (or will be) in Scotland. So, Tony was half-right - his UK crew might have deserved the "bollockings" they got, but one or two DID go on to run 3-star restaurants (albeit, Gordon's!))

Apparently, the Kitchen Nightmares Gordon is the "baseline" Gordon. As for the Hell's Kitchen cooks, AB only said THOSE people deserved being screamed at.

My own thinking is that you have to factor in the truth-in-editing factor in TV "reality" shows. Not only do I suspect Gordon is doing Gordon for the camera, but the editing itself is designed to heighten the tension, craziness, stress, abuse - etc., etc.

I'm not defending Gordon, by any means. I remember how he trashed an Australian food critic just because of her name, hassled her from the stage, and threw her out of a dinner - and then savaged a few other food professionals (writers, TV chefs, etc.) just within a four-day run between Brisbane and New Zealand. He was nowhere near a kitchen, and not surrounded by any under-achieving subourdinates. (Although, that, too, might have been manufactured for TV, too - as part of Gordon's football hoodlum persona.)

So I believe that, yes, he sometimes certainly exude all the charm of a rabid pit bull even in situations in which it is totally uncalled for, I also believe what we are seeing a TV Gordon, to a degree. He can be awfully tender to the poor cooks and restuarant owners on the brink of losing their lives' savings and their dreams, even when they are almost as clueless as the Hell's Kitchen "beauty pageant" contestants.

So . . . anyone out there NOT willing to have a pint with Gordo if the opportunity arose? (!!)

[bobby29]

I'm kinda rooting for Garrett.

As for photo ops, or just about any other public situation - HOLD YOUR FARTS! Jeez, WTF?

I watched The F Word after HK, and enjoyed it much more. But the crew of ladies he had on this time did far worse than those on HK - they kept burning SCRAMBLED EGGS.

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How are you getting the "F Word" in the U.S.?

[FistFullaRoux]

Garrett has the personality to become an exec. Not much in the way of experience, but his stint in the pokey would only make him more intimidating to the kitchen staff. Although, according to much of what I read, many "real" kitchen staff have records of thier own.

Garrett has that "fixing to snap" look about him. Ramsey shouts and lets it out. I haven't seen Garrett come unglued yet. That would be interesting. I wouldn't want to be around when it happens. That may be his secret weapon. Everyone looks at him and thinks of the prison thing.

I could see Garrett more as (call me strange) an instructor at a culinary school. Get his degree, and let him oversee the newbies. I'd find that all kinds of amusing to watch. Big ol' dopey Keith at his side as sous. That actually has the makings of a decent movie, maybe.

All of this to say, that I think that either Heather or Garrett, short of a complete meltdown on their part, look like they are going pretty far. But if I had to pick a winner right now, I'd say Keith.

[Joisey]

--I'd find that all kinds of amusing to watch. Big ol' dopey Keith at his side as sous. That actually has the makings of a decent movie, maybe.--

Yeah, a bad remake of "Of Mice And Men".

Having worked my way through both the "Boiling Points" and "The True Gordon Ramsay", the thing that gets me the most is how much the guy whines when he's "bollocking" someone. I've worked with guys who just spew venom when they yell, Gordon has this almost mincing quality that is annoying and endearing at the same time.

Edited July 14, 2006 by Joisey (log)

[brooklyncook]

So is there anybody on the show that might actually be a good chef? We're down to six contestants now and not a single one of them by my count would be capable of running a large-format Vegas kitchen.

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Agreed.

Of the six left:

Virginia: potential, but she seems way too preoccupied with other things. Rather than dwell on Sara in the vocal sense, she ought to put more of her concentration into thinking about her and how to stay a step ahead of her.

Sara: I'm waiting for Gordon to catch her in the act. Way too sneaky/sly; I can't see anyone wanting to work with her or for her after this show.

Maribel: sorry, no. The weepy/homesick ones are not going to hack it in a high-volume kitchen.

Keith: after seeing him purposely let his pants hang because "that's how I rock it in Jersey" -- what? Nope. His "Baby Huey" routine is old. He might have moved fast last Monday, but he should have been consistent with it from Day One.

Garrett: potential, as long as he keeps his attitude in check. The chauvinism in earlier episodes is not going to get him any praise from the women he ends up working with.

Heather: potential, but she strikes me as needing to grow up a bit more. She's got some good leadership skills, but she's got a ways to go.

So if it came down to picking between Virginia, Garrett or Heather, I'd probably say Heather is my #1 choice, followed by Garrett and then Virginia. If Heather ultimately wins, I think that'd be the humbling situation Garrett needs to truly be a better chef.