Hell’s Kitchen on FOX – Week One, Part Two of Two
Once dressed, the aspiring chefs met with Chef Ramsay by the dumpsters.
“Good morning,” Chef Ramsay began.
“Good morning,” the aspiring chefs replied in unison.
“Last night was embarrassing,” Chef Ramsay voiced.
“Virginia.”
“Yes, Chef.”
“You’re lucky to be here this morning.”
“Larry, what I’m seeing is just a man with no passion. Do you really have it inside?”
“Yes, I do Chef.”
“Have any of you, have any idea, how much food you wasted last night? A restaurant will never ever survive with that amount of waste,” Chef Ramsay continued and pointed toward the dumpsters.
“Yes, Chef,” they all answered in unity.
“Do you really?”
“Yes, Chef,” they answered again in unity.
“Get into the dumpsters, and get the waste out, now.
The teams obeyed what Chef Ramsay ordered them to carry out, but not a one of them was happy. The whole time they gagged and complained, but they done as they were told.
The punishment may have been a bit harsh, but I wonder if any of the aspiring chefs will learn from the lesson Chef Ramsay tried to show them.
“Since I woke up, I really don’t feel well, but I have to prove myself,” Larry said.
Once tons of waste had been gone through, Chef Ramsay stopped the teams and added, “This kind of waste, can never, ever happen again, in Hell’s Kitchen. Have you got it?”
“Yes, Chef,” they answered.
“Now, go get cleaned. You stink!”
As soon as the aspiring chefs were cleaned up, they met Chef Ramsay again, but this time they met him in the kitchen for their challenge. The challenge showed them that waste also happens before the cooking starts. They had to cut as many perfect 10 ounce sirloin steaks as they could (without any waste) in 10 minutes, because Chef Ramsay introduced a steak special to the menu for that night.
Chef Ramsay explained the challenge to the aspiring chefs, and he gave them a quick demo of how it was done. Soon after, the aspiring chefs got started on their challenge. Well, everyone but Keith. Chef Ramsay told Keith in order to even up the teams he (Keith) would set out of this challenge. The winners got to take a helicopter to Saddle Peak Lodge where they dined with Chef Ramsay, and the losers had to cut up the steaks for the next night.
10 minutes had passed, and it was time for Chef Ramsay to judge the sirloin steaks. The results were as follows:
Sara produced three perfectly cut steaks.
Heather produced only two perfectly cut steaks, and Chef Ramsay told Heather he expected more from her.
Rachel produced three perfectly cut steaks.
Virginia produced two perfectly cut steaks.
Finally, Maribel also produced two perfectly cut steaks, and this left the women with a total of 12 perfectly cut sirloin steaks.
For the men’s team:
Gabe managed to cut out three perfectly cut steaks.
Garrett let his team down with only one perfectly cut steak, and Chef Ramsay told him that so far that’s the worst they’d seen.
Giacomo managed to cut out two perfectly cut steaks.
Larry, the worst of all the men, really let his team down with zero steaks.
Tom was not only the last in line to be judged by Chef Ramsay, but he was also the overall winner of both the men and women with a total of five perfectly cut steaks. However, Tom’s five steaks were not enough to win (he lost by one steak), but Chef Ramsay told Tom, “Job well done.”
When the women returned from their reward, they continued to celebrate their success in the jacuzzi, and after the men finished with the steaks they sat outside by the jacuzzi and mingled. Larry was the only one of the guys that joined the women in the jacuzzi. Even though he didn’t feel well, Larry said his downfall was women.
All the teasing and flirting in the jacuzzi that night didn’t turn out to be sufficient medicine for Larry. At 4:20 the next morning, while everyone else was sleeping, Larry was up and doubled over in pain. Larry’s pain worsened and Hell’s Kitchen sent him to the hospital.
By 7:03 a.m. everyone was up, but they all wondered where Larry was. Instead of being concerned, Larry’s team trash talked him, but when the phone rang their attitude changed. They all gathered around to hear Larry on the other end of the phone. Larry told them he was in the hospital, and that the stress basically shut his body down. Larry added more bad news when he told them he wouldn’t be returning to Hell’s Kitchen. After Larry delivered all the bad news, he told everyone to “stay strong,” and to “keep their eye on the prize.”
“I didn’t quit, my body quit. This is the worst thing that could’ve happened, and right now I’m a little broken. It’s hard for me to see my dream slip away,” Larry said in his final words.
Both teams arrived in the kitchen, ready to give it their all. Before opening for business, Chef Ramsay told Sara she was going to be a waitress instead of cooking. In addition, Chef Ramsay ordered Keith to wait tables as well.
Hell’s Kitchen opened for business, and everyone worked hard. Heather continued to do a great job directing her teammates, but her leadership in the kitchen came to a halt when she received a serious burn to her hand. Before Chef Ramsay sent Heather to the hospital, Heather continued her leadership while her hand was soaking in ice: “There’s quail in the oven, Mary Ann – two extra quails – not ordered – just extra quails.”
“Losing Heather really broke us. It was just chaotic,” Virginia said.”
Without Heather to lead them, the women lacked the organization and teamwork they had when Heather was there. Sara noticed her teammates were falling behind, and she asked Chef Ramsay if she could go back in to the kitchen to help. Chef Ramsay thought it sounded like a good idea, so he told Sara to get changed and re-join her teammates in the kitchen.
Meanwhile, the men were still trying to get their entr�©es out, but Giacomo had slowed them down, and he took the heat from Chef Ramsay.
“Taste that there. Just taste that. It’s like glue,” Chef Ramsay referred to the cabbage Giacomo fried.
Giacomo did what Chef Ramsay instructed.
“So you agree it tastes like ****,” Chef Ramsay asked Giacomo.
“Yes che…yes sir, and I still served it,” Giacomo answered.
“And you still served it.”
“Sorry Chef.”
“Hey. Hey. And you want a restaurant in Vegas?”
“Lots of work to do Chef.”
“Why don’t you become a hairdresser? Prancing around with women’s hair.”
“Sorry Chef,” Giacomo responded and walked away.
“Now get the cabbage on,” Chef Ramsay yelled.
After three hours into dinner service, customers began walking out hungry. Chef Ramsay found out from the maitre d’ that customers had left, so he called both teams over to look out at the empty tables in the dining area.
“Just stand there and tell me what you see in the dining room? Right in front of your very own eyes…a death of a restaurant. Pathetic. Shut it down.”
Heather returned from the hospital just in time to hear Chef Ramsay announce the loosing team.
“Heather.”
“Yes, Chef.”
“Welcome back.”
“Thank you Chef.”
“You burned your hand badly tonight. While standing there in pain you delegated your section to your team. I’ve never seen that in 21 years of cooking – very impressive.”
“Thank you.”
“Personally, I was hoping for a much better service, cause that was terrible,” Chef Ramsay addressed everyone but Heather.
“Virginia.”
“Yes, Chef.”
“You can’t buy standards. Thank God you didn’t serve that tortellini.”
“Gabe.”
“Yes, Chef.”
“What the hell were you doing tonight? Seriously, where do I start… Have you ever done two things in your life at the same time?”
Gabe didn’t answer Chef Ramsay; instead he stood there with a smirk on his face.
“Now, I’m going to pick a losing team. Everywhere, I turned from left to right it was chaotic! Lack of communication – all of you were shocking – and I’m not happy. And the losing team is…the blue team. And I’ll tell you why… You had zero entrÃ?©es leaving your kitchen. Zero!”
Chef Ramsay continued, “Ladies, you had 10 – you moved forward. The guys have gone backwards, and I’m going to pick the best of the worst. The only person who didn’t have a bad service…and Garrett, you’re it.”
“Thank you, Chef.”
“Go back to the dorm, think of two members, of your team for elimination.”
“Yes, Chef.”
“Now get lost,” Chef Ramsay, who was dissatisfied, ended.
When the men faced Chef Ramsay again, Garrett told the chef his decision.
“Garrett.”
“Yes, Chef.”
“Made your decision?”
“Yes, Chef.”
“First person and why, please?”
“Chef, the first person that I have nominated is…Uh…Giacomo.”
“Giacomo. Why?”
“Due to his malfunction in the kitchen I just figured…”
“Malfunction?” Chef Ramsay interrupted.
“Major malfunction Chef.”
“Second nominee and why, please?”
“My second nominee is uh…Tom, Chef.”
“Tough decision?”
“Immensely tough.”
“Giacomo. Tom. Step forward.”
“Tom.”
“Yes, Chef.”
“How many entrÃ?©es did you serve?”
“Zero Chef, and that was based on a lack of coordination between myself and Giacomo. What happened tonight will never happen again. I will never, ever, let that happen again. I will take charge.”
“I believe you. Get back in line.”
“Thank you Chef,” Tom bowed and took his place back in the line.
“Sorry Garrett, I’d like to talk to one more individual,” Chef Ramsay said shocking both the men and women. “Gabe, step forward.”
“Yes, Chef,” a nervous Gabe asked.
“Could you just tell me why you should stay in Hell’s Kitchen?”
Gabe took a deep breath and responded: “Truthfully Chef, I came here to learn from the best and be the best. I came here to learn from you. I’ve chased profession, and I’m gain…I…I will obtain it.”
“Giacomo.”
“Yes, Chef.”
“Why should you stay here?”
“Well Chef, I feel like there’s a greasy potato that I’m trying to grab, and I just can’t grab it, but once I grab it, Chef, I’m not going to let go.”
“You say greasy potato, and I say greasy mop.”
“Once you see my heart, you’ll see…you’ll see…see what I can do Chef.”
“This is tough. You both screwed up.”
There was a moment of silence while Chef Ramsay stood, with his arms crossed, in front of Gabe and Giacomo. Then, Chef Ramsay took a deep breath and said to both of them: “The person leaving Hell’s Kitchen…is Gabe. You’re a sweet guy, but sweet guys don’t make great cooks. Take off your jacket and get out of Hell’s Kitchen.”
I thought for sure, after Giacomo’s reason why he should stay, that Chef Ramsay was going to dismiss him instead of Gabe. Because basically – to me – Giacomo’s reason could have been worded better. I guess the way Giacomo worded his plea didn’t weigh much on Chef Ramsay’s decision though, because he did call Gabe up himself, and Gabe was the one he dismissed. However, he told Giacomo, after Gabe left: “and you…get a grip – step it up. Get a grip.”
Gabe’s final words were: “Chef says that I was too much of a sweet guy, but you don’t have to be loud and rude and obnoxious to run a kitchen. I definitely don’t think Chef Ramsay made the right decision.”
Tune in next week on FOX to see who will fail Chef Ramsay again, and then join me back here for the recap.
