Have You Met Hell’s Kitchen’s Chef Bev Lazo?

Chef Bev Lazo of Hell's Kitchen season 12

While season 12 of Hell’s Kitchen may have come to a close, we didn’t waste the opportunity to chat with one of this season’s liveliest contestants, Chef Bev Lazo-Gonzalez.

Based in Whittier, CA, Bev was the only food truck chef (a very cut-throat business, as we all know), to compete on this season. With her laid-back and cheerful personality, it was easy to hear her smiling through the phone as she recounted some of her experiences on the show and the time she got to spend with Chef Ramsay.

As an only child in the 80s, Bev didn’t have brothers and sisters to play with growing up and she liked watching chefs, like Julia Childs, cook on TV. Being fascinated with cooking, she started making food for her friends at an early age. The first culinary delight Bev mastered was pizza dough, she worked on it and worked on it and made various kinds of pizzas which she, “would wrap in foil and then hop on her cruiser to deliver to her friends.” Lucky friends! Wonder if any of them took a walk down memory lane while watching her make her creative pie during the pizza challenge this season.

Bev’s tactic going into Hell’s Kitchen was to strike like a ninja; to very quietly come out of nowhere when nobody expected it, and she did just that for the first 7 episodes. Before leaving Whittier for the show tapings she said, “The best bit of advice I received was from my husband and best friend who told me to just be myself, they said to stay true to who you are.” Bev admits she did just that and she approached the contest as if she was going to work every day. She clocked-in, did her job, and clocked out. Just like at work she learned how to deal with everyone’s personalities and tried to make it a point not to get involved with any drama.

Chef Bev Lazo & team-mate Sandra working at the garnish 

station on the Hell's Kitchen Finale for Team Jason.

Bev’s favorite part of being on Hell’s Kitchen was, “Meeting Chef Ramsay, I’ve been a fan of his for a long time and was thrilled to meet him in person. That, and the challenges.” When we later asked what her favorite challenge was she said it was definitely the tricycle challenge because it was a fun ride. She specified her favorite Chef Ramsay moment to be when the red team won a challenge and were able to have a casual dinner with him at his LA restaurant; she liked being around him while he was being “just a regular guy.” She also really enjoyed the lobster ravioli challenge where she was able to get up close and personal with Chef Ramsay and learn directly from him. That is something she’ll never forget.

When asked if being on the show was what she thought it would be, Bev said, “it’s easy to watch from home and think I can do that, and I can do that. But when you get there it’s so different from what you imagine.”

We wanted to know if given the opportunity, would  Bev do Hell’s Kitchen again? “I would love it, I’m waiting for an All-Star show!” She went on to say that the next time around she would take on a whole new strategy and be more aggressive than ever. This season she was all about team-work but if she were to do it again it would be more about getting ahead.

While participating in the show she found all of the contestants on the show very talented in different ways but said her personal toughest competitors were Melanie and Joy. Rightly so because both of them made it to the last episodes until, for the first time in Hell’s Kitchen history, Joy quit and took herself out of the running while Melanie has made it to the top 4. Believe it or not, the taping of Season 12 ended over a year and a half ago and we asked Bev if it was difficult not to spill the beans for all that time. She said, “It was tough because you’re so excited, it’s the best experience in the history of your life so far and it’s hard not to talk about.” But she managed to keep things under wraps and is excited, as we are, to watch the season finale to find out who wins this Thursday night on Fox. When we asked who she thought it might be Bev said, “I really don’t know, it’s a tough call because all the chefs are talented and they’re all going in different directions. We’ll all have to tune in and see.”

What’s next for Bev? She told us she would love to open her own food truck, or own a little café somewhere - nothing too big, just her own place to cook her food for people. She’s currently looking into investors but in the meantime she’s content being a food truck line chef and doing private and personal catering events. She also merged her love and background in radio broadcasting with her love of cooking and hosts her own internet radio show. Be sure to catch Bev on Coolinary Trends every Thursday night from 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. PST on RantRadioNetwork.com. We hope to see her have a syndicated show some day!

Chef Bev Lazo’s Cali-Style Pizza

Chef Bev Lazo’s Cali-Style Pizza Recipe

Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1 pound prepared pizza dough, at room temperature

• All-purpose flour, for dusting

• Cornmeal, for dusting

• 2 teaspoons of aged balsamic vinegar

• 1 clove garlic, grated

• 1 large fig thinly sliced

• ¼ cup of pizza sauce

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1/2 cup of ricotta salata

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 2  cups baby arugula

• 2 cups baby spinach

• 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

• Shaved parmesan cheese, for topping

Pizza Sauce

• 1 can (28-ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, in juice

• 1 small white onion, finely diced 

• 2 clove garlic, peeled and minced

• 3 to 4 fresh basil leaves

• 2  teaspoons of  fresh  oregano

• Pinch salt

• Pinch of crushed pepper

• Pinch sugar

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, to saute

Directions

Empty the contents of the tomato can in a mixing bowl and coarsely crush the tomatoes with a fork or your hands, leaving them just a little chunky. In a heavy bottom 2-quart saucepot, add the olive oil, over a medium high flame and heat a little. Add the onions and saute until slightly translucent. Add the garlic and saute about a minute until golden. Quickly add the crushed tomatoes to the mix. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and crushed red pepper, to taste, and add the fresh basil and oregano. You can add a touch of sugar if desired or if tomatoes are tart. Simmer on a low flame, stirring often for at least 15 minutes. If not using right away, cool down and store in airtight container in the refrigerator, up to 1 week.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round. Transfer  onto the hot pizza stone or baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes. 

Remove the pizza from the oven, add sauce and spread around pizza dough,  top with the ricotta salata , mozzarella, prosciutto and figs . Return the pizza to the oven; bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the arugula, spinach, and balsamic vinegar add salt and  pepper to taste. Top the pizza with the arugula salad, and shaved parmesan, then drizzle a little olive oil. Cut into slices.

Hell's Kitchen Winners: Where Are They Now?

The 12th season of Hell’s Kitchen is wrapping up, and with it, the curiosity of where the past Hell’s Kitchen winners are now. How many chefs actually received the prizes they were promised? How many of them went on to become successful chefs in the culinary world? Do any of the winners still have a chip on their shoulder from their experiences at Fox TV's Hell's Kitchen? 

Read on to see how the winners of the first 11 seasons of Hell’s Kitchen are doing! 

The first ever winner of Hell’s Kitchen, Season 1, was Michael Wray.  When he first won he chose to travel to London to train under Chef Gordon Ramsay, then later decided to focus on his family and stayed to be head-chef in some prominent Los Angeles restaurants, like The Standard. Since then, not only has he started his own custom knives company called Skull and Cleavers, but he also tried to open his own restaurant in Arizona called HK1. Sadly however, it never materialized due to lack of funds. Last we heard, Chef Michael Wray is residing in Arizona and teaches cooking at an Arizona college.

Heather West was the winner for Hell’s Kitchen Season 2. For her prize, she was to become Executive Chef at Terra Rossa, an Italian restaurant at Red Rock Resort Spa and Casino in Las Vegas. However, Heather only became Senior Chef for one year. She then went on to become Head Chef in a restaurant called Monterey Restaurant in Long Beach, New York. Having made a name for herself in the greater New York area at upscale eateries like Ciao Baby in Commack and Massapequa Park, and Thatched Cottage in Centerport, Heather is now the Executive Chef at Schafer’s in Port Jefferson, NY.

Rahaman“Rock” Harper was the Season 3 winner. He enjoyed his prize as the Head Chef at Terra Verde at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, NV. After his one-year contract was complete, he then went on to work in restaurants throughout Washington, DC before finding the perfect fit as the Director of Kitchen Operations for D.C. Central Kitchen, a non-profit that feeds, educates and strives to save thousands from chronic homelessness, poverty and crime. He and business partner Aaron Gordon opened fatShorty’s in a D.C. suburb, it closed its doors in October 2013. Guess we’ll have to wait and see what Chef Harper has in store for us next!

Christina Machamer won Hell’s Kitchen Season 4, and the chance to become Executive Chef at the Gordon Ramsay restaurant in the London West Hollywood Hotel. Instead, she was given the position of Senior Chef under Executive Chef Andy Cook. She then took some time off to study wine and viticulture at The Culinary Institute at Greystone in Napa Valley. Today she works at B Cellars, helping to create wines that go well with food as well as helping around the winery and interacting with guests.

Danny Veltri won Season 5 of Hell's Kitchen and became Sous Chef under Stephen Kalt at Fornelletto at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He later created a catering company called Back From Hell Catering, poking fun at his experience in "Hell's Kitchen.” Soon after, he partnered with a group of investors to create Gnarly Surf Bar & Grill near the Intracoastal Waterway in Central Florida, where he was Head Chef. Today, Chef Veltri is helping Chef Erik Amalfitano and management at Flip Flops establish a new menu.

Dave Levey won Hell's Kitchen Season 6, and the prize of Head Chef at Araxi Restaurant and Bar in Whistler, British Columbia. Unsatisfied with his role in the kitchen, he left the position shortly after the end of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Currently, he is in Nashville helping his sister with her music career.

Holli Ugalde won Hell's Kitchen Season 7, which was supposed to follow with the position as Executive Chef at The Savoy in London. However, she could not granted a visa to work in the U.K. Ugalde called that explanation an excuse, saying, "I don't know if they even applied for my visa." Instead of the The Savoy, Ugalde accepted an undisclosed amount of cash. She worked as the Signature Chef of a new restaurant in B Ocean Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida – B’stro on the Beach. She now lives in Beaumont, California & enjoys cooking for her family. 
** SIDE NOTE: It looks like Holli has left her website and social media accounts in the past with her restaurant career. We tried to visit her website, but found it had been hacked and implanted with a virus. If you're dumb enough to check it out anyway, here's some friendly advice - do not click on the warning popup. Clicking on that will actually infect your computer. Just do a force-shutdown of your computer or device and never visit that site again. 

Nona Sivley won Hell's Kitchen Season 8, along with the prize position as Head Chef at LA Market at JW Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles, and the opportunity to be a spokesperson for Rosemount Estate Wines. After returning to work at LA Market as Chef de Cuisine with Celebrity chef Kerry Simon, the two opened a new venture, Pork & Beans, in the Las Vegas Container Park in November 2013. It had only a short run before shuttering in April. Nona now presides as the Executive Chef at Vine and Tap, a gastropub and wine bar in Atlanta.

Paul Niedermann won Hell’s Kitchen Season 9, which was supposed to be a prize of head chef at BLT Steak in NYC. While is he currently in the kitchen at BLT Steak, he is actually working under Chef Cliff Crooks, a Season 2 Contestant of Bravo’s Top Chef. We can’t wait to see what comes of this talented pairing….

ChristinaWilson won Hell’s Kitchen Season 10 and took on the role of Head Chef of Las Vegas-based Gordon Ramsay’s Steak Restaurant at Paris Hotel & Casino. After a very successful year at Gordon Ramsay’s Steak, she has continued her partnership with Chef Ramsay as the Executive Chef at BurGR in Planet Hollywood Casino. She returned for a guest appearance on Hell’s Kitchen season 11.

Ja’Nell Witt earned the title of Season 11 winner and the prize of Executive Chef at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, however lost the offer after failing a drug test.  Chef Ramsay has offered his support to Ja’Nell, and still awarded her a cash prize for the win on Hell’s Kitchen. In June, she was named the Executive Chef at Corner Table, a new American restaurant in Houston.

By the way, did anyone else notice the apparent trend that either HK winners do not get their prize, or get the title of the prize/but not the responsibility, or the winner leaves their position as soon as their contract is fulfilled? It almost seems pointless to go through all the pain and suffering that we witness season after season. However, every winner seems to say the same thing about the show… it is the BEST experience of their lives!

Hell’s Kitchen Winner Ja'Nel Witt Won't Do What??

It looks like another Hell’s Kitchen Winner won’t be moving into the position that was slated for them. Not surprised? Well, this time you should be.

Unlike the winners past, this time it’s the winner who’s turning down the job offered by Chef Gordon Ramsay. According to TMZ, the Hell’s Kitchen Season 11 winner, Ja’Nel Witt, has decided not to accept the $250k/year head chef position at The Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill in Las Vegas, citing “personal matters.

While she hasn’t shared details, her decision seems to have been made for reasons that don’t reflect on her relationship with Chef Ramsay.

But with the head chef seat at Ramsay’s restaurant left empty and Witt’s future as a seasoned chef in limbo, the offline version of this season’s Hell’s Kitchen finale seems far too familiar….

Hell’s Kitchen Winners: Where are they now?

THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED On the following Page (JULY 21, 2014) >> http://foodiegossip.blogspot.com/2014/07/hells-kitchen-winners-where-are-they-now.html

With the season 11 finale of Fox TV’s Hell’s Kitchen right around the corner, we want to take a moment look back at the HK winners from the past 10 seasons and share where the winners have been and where they are now.

Have they thrived since their glory? Or have they faded and dulled like an old table cloth? Let's take a look:

The first ever winner of Hell’s Kitchen, Season 1, was Michael Wray.  When he first won he chose to travel to London to train under Chef Gordon Ramsay, then later decided to focus on his family and stayed to be head-chef in some prominent Los Angeles restaurants, such as The Standard. Since then, not only has he started his own custom knives company called Skull and Cleavers, but he also tried to open his own restaurant in Arizona called HK1. Sadly however, it never materialized due to lack of funds. It is rumored that he is now in Arizona teaching cooking classes at an Arizona college.

Heather West was the winner for Hell’s Kitchen Season 2. For her prize, she was to become Executive Chef at Terra Rossa, an Italian restaurant at Red Rock Resort Spa and Casino in Las Vegas. However, Heather only became Senior Chef for one year. She then went on to become head chef in a restaurant called Monterey Restaurant in Long Beach, New York. Today she works as the executive chef at Ciao Baby in Commack and Massapequa Park, where she was executive chef for over a year. Today, Heather is now chef at Thatched Cottage, a catering venue in Centerport.

Rahaman “Rock” Harper won Hell’s Kitchen Season 3. His prize was to become the Head Chef at Terra Verde at Green Valley Ranch in Henderson. After his one-year contract was complete, he then went on to work in restaurants throughout Washington, DC. He then found the perfect job for him at the time, director of kitchen operations for D.C. Central Kitchen, a non-profit that feeds, educates and strives to save thousands from chronic homelessness, poverty and crime. He has also just opened a new restaurant called fatShorty’s, which strives to serve some of the best sausage, mussels and cold beer to its customers.

Christina Machamer won Hell’s Kitchen Season 4, and the prize was to become Executive Chef at the Gordon Ramsay restaurant in the London West Hollywood Hotel. Instead, she was given the position of Senior Chef under Executive Chef Andy Cook. She then took some time off to study wine and viticulture at The Culinary Institute at Greystone in Napa Valley. Today she works at B Cellars, helping to create wines that go well with food as well as helping around the winery and interacting with guests.

Danny Veltri won Season 5 of Hell's Kitchen. He became Sous Chef under Stephen Kalt at Fornelletto at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Originally, he was supposed to be the Head Chef at another restaurant built at the Casino. When he didn’t become Head Chef, Danny quit and began consulting. He then created a catering company called Back From Hell Catering, poking at his experience in "Hell's Kitchen.” He then joined with a group of investors that wanted to create a surf bar with food. He was Chef of the Gnarly Surf Bar & Grill near the Intracoastal Waterway in Central Florida for a period of time. Today, Chef Veltri is helping Chef Erik Amalfitano and management at Flip Flops establish a new menu.

Dave Levey won Hell's Kitchen Season 6, and the prize of Head Chef at Araxi Restaurant and Bar in Whistler, British Columbia. However, as we mentioned earlier, he was treated like a line-cook. He worked at Araxi Restaurant until the end of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Currently, he is in Nashville helping his sister with her music career.

Holli Ugalde won Hell's Kitchen Season 7, which was supposed to follow with the position as Executive Chef at The Savoy in London. However, she could not get a visa to work in the UK. Ugalde called that explanation an excuse, saying, "I don't know if they even applied for my visa." Ugalde accepted an undisclosed amount of cash instead. She had a job as the Signature Chef of a new restaurant in B Ocean Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida called B’stro on the beach. She now lives in southern California and has a signature line of cookware that she has been promoting on her website.

Nona Sivley won Hell's Kitchen Season 8, along with the prize position as Head Chef at LA Market at JW Marriott Hotel in Los Angeles as well as the opportunity to be a spokesperson for Rosemount Estate Wines. She is now working as Chef de Cuisine at LA Market with Celebrity chef Kerry Simon.

Paul Niedermann won Hell’s Kitchen Season 9, which was supposed to be a prize of head chef at BLT Steak in NYC. Instead he will now be working under chef Cliff Crooks, a season two contestant of Top Chef.

Christina Wilson won Hell’s Kitchen Season 10 and she is now the head chef of Las Vegas-based Gordon Ramsay’s Steak Restaurant at Paris, working under Kevin Hee. She also came back for a guest appearance on Hell’s Kitchen season 11.

It seems there is a serious trend that either HK winners do not get their prize, get the title of the prize, but not the responsibility, or the winner leaves their position as soon as their contract is fulfilled. It almost seems pointless to go through all the pain and suffering that we witness season after season. However, every winner seems to say the same thing about the show… it is the BEST experience of their lives!

Restaurant Spotlight: Noodie’s in New York City

Some nights just call for a quick, easy, and affordable dinner, but one that doesn’t lack in uniqueness or flavor. On those nights, go to Noodie’s in Hell’s Kitchen. It’s a casual Thai eatery, dimly lit and narrow, with just a few tables.  Although the décor is simple, the conversation piece is the wall opposite the seating, covered in a rainbow of bowls and plates of all sizes.

The cuisine matches the wall—colorful and bright. I recommend starting with the rock shrimp, served with spicy mayo and black sesame seeds. They are just the right amount of crispy. Next, enjoy one of Noodie’s noodle bowls like the Kwaytiew Puk, or vegetable noodle soup, thin rice noodles, assorted steamed vegetables and ear wood mushrooms, scallions and crispy tofu with floating mushroom dumplings.  The noodle bowl is comforting, warm, and rich in flavor, so you won’t even notice it’s vegetarian.

Just don’t forget to wash it down with a Thai iced tea.

(post by Caitlin Heikkila)

Hell’s Kitchen Season 9 Finale Recap: “4 chefs compete; One Winner Chosen.”

In the Season 9 Finale of Hell’s Kitchen, every remaining contestant is given a nickname for their performance throughout the season. Paul Niedermann had a slow start in the competition, but later had a great performance and passionate performance. As the most intense chef, he was nicknamed the Pit Bull. Tommy Stevens, with an unorthodox style of cooking, was nicknamed the Wild Card. Even though Tommy was usually quiet, in the last two episodes he made his voice heard in the kitchen. Will Lustberg was nicknamed The Machine, and called a technician by Chef Gordon Ramsay. Elise Wims was nicknamed The Fighter, need I say why? With the stage set for a battle between very different individuals, who would win the prize of being the next Head Chef at BLT Steak?

After the introductions, Will defended his decision to backup Elise over Jennifer in the last episode, saying she is “honestly a good cook.” For this episode, Chef Gordon Ramsay took on the challenge to inspire the 4 remaining chefs. As a surprise, Ramsay brought out Elise’s son (Chris Jr.), her husband (Chris), and her aunt (Dolores). At a rare and tender moment for Elise, she gave her honest opinion of what she felt and said she missed her son. Tommy saw his girlfriend (Kaitlin), and his mom (Diana). Paul was visited by his brother (Chris). Will’s mother Michelle and wife Tara came to the show to inspire him. They were all given some time to re-unite. Ramsay had to scold Tommy for making out with 19 year old girlfriend Kaitlin, right next to his mother (Diana)! Everyone was left inspired, especially Will, who claimed that he was ready to kill everyone and sort out the bodies after. 

For the individual challenge, the contestants got Chef Ramsay’s most difficult challenge, called “taste it, now make it.” The chefs got to taste a dish Ramsay made and then they had to make it in 35 minutes. The winner would get to spend the rest of the day with their family. They got no information about the ingredients. The most important part is identifying the main protein. Elise was having trouble deciding whether the fish was a cod or halibut. Ramsay gave them the hint that they could use two fish and drop one at the end. Will and Tommy chose a monkfish, Elise chose the halibut, while Paul chose both monkfish and cod, in the end he went with cod. Tommy chose Serrano ham because he thought that prosciutto was too salty. Will, Elise, and Paul, all decided to use prosciutto. They all chose mushroom, kale, and cream to garnish their entrees.

Prosciutto was the right ingredient and Tommy was the only one to get it wrong. The closest contestant between the 3 was Paul. Paul got a chance to spend the day with his brother, who’s also Paul’s best friend, Chris. Together they watched the L.A. Dodgers game. As punishment, the rest had “moving day” in Hell’s Kitchen. Elise couldn’t hold back the tears.

At the Dodger stadium, Tommy Lassorda (a Dodger legend), greeted Paul and his brother. Next, they got to meet the players and managers.

In the meantime, Will was complaining that cleaning down the dorms was a horrible punishment “because females are disgusting creatures.”

At the game, Gordon Ramsay threw the first pitch and was very proud that “it didn’t bounce.” Later, at the dinner service that determined the final two competitors, Paul was first in charge at the pass and caught Tommy’s undercooked fish. Good eye, but then he had to deal with Chef Ramsay’s sabotage as Chef Todd put shrimp instead of lobster in the capellini. Paul failed his first quality control. Tommy would not answer Paul’s request for the time for the cod. Instead of calming down and helping Tommy, Paul got even more frustrated, aggravating the situation.

Tommy was second at the pass. Tommy had issues keeping control at the pass, forgetting the orders and not enunciating properly so the rest could understand. Chef Ramsay’s next sabotage came when Tommy got a false order intended to confuse him. Tommy called out the orders even though they were not on the menu. Even though Tommy called out uneven times, the orders were fulfilled.

Elise was third at the pass. She gave great orders, but her sabotage was that Chef Ramsay switched the cauliflower puree with potato puree. She was devastated at not having tasted the difference. She became emotional, especially because Ramsay pressured her with criticism for not tasting the difference. After a moment, she recovered… just in time to face another sabotage. Chef Matt switched the potato mash with parsnip puree. She caught it and Ramsay congratulated her. She found her rhythm and enjoyed it!! Once she got used to the position, she was great at it.

Next, it was Will’s turn at the pass. Chef Scott switched beef with lamb, which Will expertly caught. Elise left raw pasta in her spinach, put black pepper in the potatoes, so Will felt like she was purposely sabotaging him. When Will confronted her, communication broke down and the other contestants stopped communicating with him. Will had great quality control, but bad team motivation skills.

Rather than make the team choose two people for elimination, Ramsay asked each to come up with a reason why they should be allowed to move on to the final. Ramsay claimed that he learned to understand and appreciate Tommy, but he was just not ready to become the next Head Chef of BLT Steak New York, kicking Tommy out of the show. Ramsay said that he loved Tommy’s energy and that he belonged in the kitchen. Ramsay then asked the remaining contestants why they deserved to remain in the competition. Will said he is a chef. Paul said he communicated well, commanded respect, and motivated his team. Elise believes she grew the most in the competition. Ramsay chose Will and said he could envision both Elise and Paul in the final. However, Ramsay went on to say that one of them could command the kitchen better (when Ramsay said that, Paul immediately said “f@*k”), and then chose Paul. Watching the finale, we all thought Elise did a better job at commanding. However, Ramsay chose to eliminate Elise, but gave her the black jacket as a gift, “you deserve it!” 

Ramsay rewarded Paul and Will by taking them out to dinner. As they approached the limo, their families came out. When they arrived at the restaurant, Ramsay told them the restaurant is new and the chef is from New York. When Ramsay took them to the kitchen, they got a rock star introduction to a HUGE crowd (who later watched them cook), where they were given one hour to come up with 5 dishes that could appear on the BLT menu. The menu had to include a seafood appetizer, a salad, a seafood entrée, a bone-in rib eye and a filet of beef. Paul and Will had to present to 5 judges from BLT. The first judge was Executive Chef from BLT in Washington, DC, Victor Albisu. Will’s seafood appetizer won. The next judge was Executive Chef at BLT Los Angeles, Chef Brian Moyers. Paul’s salad won. Chef de Cuisine from BLT Honolulu, Johan Svennson judged the seafood entree. Paul’s seafood entrée won. Executive Chef of BLT Steak New York, Cliff Brooks judged the rib eye entree. Will won the rib eye entrée. Finally, the President of BLT Steak, Keith Treyball. To win the challenge, Treyball chose Will.

For the dinner service, most of the cast was brought back to the show. Will chose Tommy, Natalie Blake, Jennifer Normant, and Krupa Patel (just so he could see Carrie Keep matched up with Elise… hahaha, way to go Will!). Paul chose Elise, Elizabeth Bianchi, Jonathon Plumley, and he was stuck with Carrie (and Elise). Paul made it very clear that he did not want to see Elise and Carrie fight.

Will’s menu was accepted by Ramsay, but Paul’s menu had issues. His crab stuffed tomato was bland because Paul didn’t taste it before presenting it. Paul had a very personal moment confessing that he promised his mother before she died that he was going to win. Elise was making an effort to cooperate with Paul to win the competition for him, but Chef Ramsay pestered her when she undercooked the shrimp. I wonder if he did this on purpose to drive Elise’s performance down. Natalie served great appetizers and on time. Will got too nervous and put fish in the oven to get ahead of time, only to get reprimanded by Ramsay. Elisabeth overcooked the scallops, then she undercooked them. Krupa could not cook the fish. Jonathon undercooked the steaks, stopping Paul’s kitchen. In the meantime, Will was having problems with Krupa. Jonathon’s meat was still raw, and Paul had to kick him out of the meat station, with Elise to take over.

Ramsay read through each comment card to make his decision. Will seemed to have said it best when he said “I have a coin’s flip’s chance of winning.” The two worked great in the kitchen with teams full of people who had been kicked out for a reason. In other words, they made something out of nothing. At this point I should mention that Elise went above and beyond to make Paul’s dinner service work. She helped, she communicated, and she cooked… well. Very impressive, and very unlike Elise.

After over an hour of deciding, Ramsay began by saying it was a very hard decision to make. He said Will was the most consistent. Paul was one of the best chefs and his passion set him aside. The winner of Season 9 of Hell’s Kitchen, the next Head Chef at BLT Steak in N.Y. City, and a salary of $250k…

Paul!!! In a very unselfish moment, as usual, Paul dedicated the win to his mother. Ramsay chose Paul for being passionate, determined, and because as a chef, Paul’s enthusiasm is contagious.