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« Hell's Kitchen
Episode Recap: The Final Showdown (Part 2)
And we have a winner! After a season that held, according to Gordon, the greatest number of highs and lows, another chef has emerged Hell's Kitchen with a heftier bank account, and a new place to store their knives. More on that a bit later.
But first, after a much (mercifully) shorter season recap, we returned to Petrozza debating between choosing Jen and Matt to be the final sous chef on his team. In the end, he chose Jen over Matt, a wise choice in my opinion. Jen may be a bit of a pain, but she at least doesn't show shades of insanity. But Jen was sure to remind us that her ego-stroking knows no bounds, as she again said she was picked second to last because she was "too strong" and would "outshine" the finalists. Yeah, sure, Jen.
But when the chefs grouped their teams together to discuss their game plan, both Jen and Matt reared their "bad teammate heads." Matt discussed Christina's bad attitude (and the fact that he didn't want to call her chef), but was convinced she had matured when she told him she put a risotto on the menu "just for him." The egos of these people! Jen had a problem with Petrozza's unorganized plans and lack of prep consideration for his menu, a valid concern to be sure. She said she felt like the people playing the violin on the Titanic while it was going down. She does give good sound bites! But I was ready to change the channel when she started sucking up to Ramsay for a letter of recommendation. I was happy to see Gordon blow her off.
But tonight was really about two people: Christina and Petrozza. The dishes from the menu we got a peak at were Christina's trio of beef sliders for appetizers, her New York strip from last week and a tropical sundae dessert. Petrozza served a lobster strudel, his filet and risotto from a week ago, and a vanilla soufflé with whiskey crème. Gordon gave his advice on the menus, suggesting Christina add a little something extra to her "plain Jane" menu, particularly the sliders and the desert. Gordon complimented Petrozza's soufflé and his bravery in serving a highly imaginative menu, but warned that it could be very dangerous. Based on what we saw, I'd have to say that Christina's appetizers were more to my taste, but Petrozza's entrée seemed more satisfying. I'm not much into sweets (I know, I know), so I'll reserve judgment.
After her all her bellyaching, Christina ends up very pleased with her dining room, as was Gordon. He complimented the comfy chairs, and the contemporary elegance of the room. Petrozza also earned Chef Ramsay's compliments for his rustic yet vibrant dining room, particularly loving the fireplace.
And then the final service began. I have to say, overall, the service must have been really smooth, because there weren't a ton of errors to speak of. Of course, both Jen and Matt ruffled Gordon's feathers (Matt with raw fish twice, and Jen with soggy onion rings), but both Christina and Petrozza eventually stepped up and refocused them on the task at hand. The two biggest mistakes of the night came when Christina (who successfully stopped Matt's raw food) sent "lukewarmish" food into the dining room and had it returned. I chuckled at Petrozza's delight in this. But Petrozza also had trouble serving hot food, mostly because he needed extra hands to plate his complicated presentations. Additionally, he ran out of food for both his salad and lobster appetizers, forcing Bobby to come up with lobster risotto on the fly, which managed to impress the diner's nonetheless. On the positive side, Gordon was pleased with both Petrozza and Christina's managing of their "brigade" and their level of quality control.
I was a little surprised not to hear more out of Ben and Corey, both of whom had plenty to say during their stints on the show. I guess between Jen claiming nothing (including the under-prepped station) was her fault, and Matt being unable to make a salad and mouthing off to everybody (that's right, even Gordon, or at least that’s what the producers would have us believe), there wasn't enough room in the hour to add much of them. Either way, the service was again strong, and according to Gordon, it all came down to an agonizing decision.
So after weighing his options long and hard, Gordon named… Christina, as the winner of Hell's Kitchen. I would be lying if I said was shocked, but I was really pulling for Petrozza. Although I was pretty tough on Christina's attitude last week, she has won a ton of challenges, and I buy Gordon's thoughts about investing in her long-term future, considering how well she is already doing with the least experience of the group. I felt really bad for Petrozza, who was emotional as usual, but he handled the defeat with a lot of grace. Major props to him. Speaking of emotional, does anyone else think Christina's mom might still be crying this very moment? Her waterworks were only outdone by the flying champagne!
So congratulations must go out to Christina, who proved herself to be the best out of (in my estimation) a lackluster group this year. It will be interesting to see where she goes from here. So that does it for the season. What did you think of the finale? Are you pleased with Gordon's choice? Also, be sure and keep your eyes peeled with a video Q&A with Christina coming soon here on TVGuide.com! Share your thoughts, and feel free to post questions you'd like us to ask Christina when she stops by. Thanks for reading and commenting this season!
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Jul 8, 2008 10:57 PM
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It really wasn't much of a surprise to me that Christina won. There's a good reason why she won so many challenges and the season as well...she can really cook well! Petrozza may be more seasoned and perhaps even more creative, but Christina makes elegant food that people enjoy eating.
I thought 2 things also pushed it her way last night. The design of their restaurants, and the lack of concentration on Petrozza's part.
Christina's restaurant really looked like a high end locale. If I were to pay the kind of prices that Ramsay charges, I'd hope to do it while sitting in that kind of elegance and comfort. Petrozza's was much more like a casual Italian restaurant that a top notch chef would own to appeal to the more "average" consumer looking for a nice night out, as opposed to someone looking for a true "fine dining" experience.
And then Petrozza ran out of not one, but 2 appetizers. That's no way to win a contest, especially when you're essentially "coming from behind." He did a decent job running his team, and his menu was more complex than Christina's, but what good is a menu if you run out of the choices provided?
I never realized until tonight that Jen is younger than Corey and Christina! She's only 24! And yet she claims to be "all that" and so much more experienced. I thought for sure that she was at least 28 or 29, but I knew the 2 Cs were both 25. I would hate to have her work for me, she's neither consistent nor a team player.
Ben, Corey and LouRoss were all pretty quiet tonight. I liked how Corey and LR seemed genuinely happy for Christina. Who'd have thought that Corey and Christina would end up working so well together. I doubt that they remain in touch, especially since Christina won, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were friends now.
I think that this was the most lackluster season yet, especially compared to Top Chef which had one of it's best seasons ever, and even Next Food Network Star which at least has nicer people. Nobody on HK seemed like they even deserved to win until it got down to the top 4 or 5 when Corey, Christina and Petrozza all seemed to emerge from the dimness of this season. And Christina just kept getting brighter and brighter each week. I felt really happy for her when she won and I think Ramsay made the right choice. Petrozza should make an excellent caterer, and should have some great dishes to offer people. I'm sure anyone would love to have him work for them in their kitchen, as long as he cleaned it up a bit, but he just doesn't seem to have what it takes to run a restaurant.
As I've noted before, Christina isn't really the "Executive Chef" at London:West Hollywood. The Chef that runs London:NY that was on last week is in charge of BOTH "London" restaurants, and there's yet another guy who runs the day to day operations at the new WeHo location (all according to various reviews of the place...lackluster reviews at that!)
Christina will be the "executive sous chef" and will be given some heady responsibilities, but she is not the "executive chef" as traditionally known. She is supposed to start in September. I wonder if she's finishing culinary school, training how to work in a Ramsay place and for her position, or both.
Did everyone catch that really funny commercial with Ramsay and the boom mic for Kitchen Nightmares that they finally aired again? Someone gets arrested this season! I can't wait!
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Jul 9, 2008 12:03 AM
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She has the most potential? For what? I think Ramsey has a thing for her. Wonder if they made sure Petrozza ran out of food. He certainly handled the situation.Shoulda been Petrozza.
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Jul 9, 2008 2:48 AM
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I have to say, I would have been happy to see Petrozza, Christina or Corey win this year. I agree that it was a lackluster year, but I think the final three could hold their own against HK seasons past. (A note to producers...next year maybe a psychological evaluation could be in order???)
I will say this though, I would never write a recommendation for someone who is in their own mind totally blameless in any crisis (Yes...Jen I mean you). I think that is the mark of a chef who SHOULD go down with the ship...and with her I am SURE the violins would be playing!!! Though they might pause briefly to push her in first.
As someone who works in kitchens, there is little place for a chef that works like a pig. Truly sorry Petrozza, as I think you are a uniquely kind individual in a cut throat world. Someone has to clean it up and I am sure Gordon will save some money on the necessary cleaning crew he would have needed to follow him around. Though, I do think he has a very bright future and a considerable amount of creativity and guts to have pulled himself up from the first few weeks (Bobby did help him out, and for that despite the bravado he may have a very welcome place in someones kitchen because he did not have to help Petrozza, he could have easily let him quit that day, and quite possibly earned his own spot in the final two or three).
I do believe it was a risk to take a kid out of school as his number 1, but I think she has proven that she is capable of being all the things he is looking for...and I think either of them would still need a good amount of guidance from here on). So that said, I'd take youth and dreams over someone who wanted to give up...never once did you hear her say it, (maybe good editing, but they showed the bad of everyone else, so I doubt it was editted out).
And, it is going to get harder from here on out. If you are prone to quitting, a kitchen is not the place for you.
And Matt...get some help my friend because the last time I saw someone that nuts I was watching Jack Nicholson bust through a door with an axe in "The Shining"...I wouldn't pay fifty cents to see you're crazy mug ever again...you are just PAINFUL my friend. See a shrink, or ten...because you are a little undercooked in the head!!
Jen no rec for you, you ego maniac...you only get to play that card when you prove you are as good as Ramsay. You have been judged and found LACKING!! Get over yourself, your not even in the top five...and in attitude you are the worst teamplayer in the history of HK, and quite probably every single cooking competition around. It might make for good TV, but your 5 mintutes of fame are officially over...and the second time around you came off as even more annoying and deceitful than when you were when you were actually competing. Nice Work, even a rec from Gordon Ramsay couldn't save you from yourself.
Which is too bad, because you could have all the talent you bluster on about, but no one will ever see it. Since all they will remember is you pushing all the mothers and children aside so you could get in the last life boat and paddle off to Jenland where you can do NO WRONG!
For the remaining contenders (Corey, LouRoss, Ben and Bobby) who were called on as Sous Chefs...they truly couldn't have done it without you, and you finished the game with great dignity. You will be an asset to any kitchen you land in after this (Petrozza, you too. You are a true gentleman for the manner that you conducted yourself in, despite the disappointment you may have been feeling). Best of luck to the sane and hard working chefs...you know who you are.
I'd rather fight with honor and lose, than be remembered for sinking the ship and burning my bridges.
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Jul 9, 2008 3:45 AM
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I knew Christina was going to win. But at the very last second I was hoping that Petrozza was going to pull off an upset. I hope Jen got her ego in check, if she didnt the only kitchen she will be working at is her own. I wonder if next season we will see Julia pop up?
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Jul 9, 2008 5:35 AM
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I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed as I really was pulling for "P". He's a guy coming into the latter part of his career and this in my view would have meant more for him. Christina's menu was derivative (everyone is doing sliders including Chili's) and BORING. No ounce of creativity whatsoever. On the other hand, lobster streudel, yum, but no good if you run out. And his souffle looked sublime. Oh well. I will be a good loser like Petrozza himself and say good luck to Christina and I do hope she shines brightly on the strip! She's a young talent. And hats off to Corey, Ben, and Louross - you did yourselves proud as well. I want to hear that all of you and P end up in better positions than you are today.
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Jul 9, 2008 7:38 AM
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Did anyone see Jen at the "party" at the end? I replayed that bit several times and never could find her. Blue jacket and distinctive hair .. if she had been there I think I would have spotted her. So, does that mean that Miss Attitude was a no show at the finale? Wow! What an idiot.
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Jul 9, 2008 8:37 AM
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Yep, you knew it was going to be Christina - I live in Chicago and know quite a few people in the restaurant industry. The chefs working in high end restaurants are usually young and there to gain experience (usually making very little money for the hours they put in). After watching Top Chef this year I would really like it if they amped the talent up on this show. Not to Top Chef standards - but somewhere in the middle.
Jen? Good God - how about what she was wearing when she got there? And that hair? All that and her bad attitude make her very unattractive - yuk!
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Jul 9, 2008 8:51 AM
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They had Petrozza on Fox News here in Charlotte after the show. He had a big viewing party downtown. He looked plastered lol. I think he deserved to win, as he had the better service. But I knew Gordon would go with the young over the old.
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Jul 9, 2008 9:25 AM
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I was pretty sure Christina was going to win due to spoilers on last weeks blog. After the show, I tried to find the spoilers again to see what people said she was doing but they seem to be removed. Is this common on the blogs?
Matt is a headcase and Jen is just plain selfish. I would have liked to see "P" win but oh well. It's not Top Chef but at least I had a "new" tv show to watch this week. Now what?
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Jul 9, 2008 10:05 AM
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You know Jen is going to end up somehow working for E! or VH1 and go down as one of the worst villians on a realty show, ever! She can speak clearly and does have good one liners, but she really is disgusting.
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Jul 9, 2008 10:56 AM
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I think she (Jen) is too ghetto for mainstream TV - I can't figure out what they were thinking when they cast her on this show. She wasn't even a good villain - she was just not nice and had an ego (why, I could never figure out! LOL)
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Jul 9, 2008 11:12 AM
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I forgot my manners in my last post... thanks Adam for your thoughtful weekly posts and for sharing the show with us. Have a good summer.
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Jul 9, 2008 11:44 AM
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Darclyte - thanks for the explanation about "executive sous chef". I could never believe that Ramsey would actually place any of his "winners" in the EC position and after last week when he showed many of his EC's and none were previous winners I was beginning to wonder what was going on.
Did anyone notice in the beginning when they showed a quick flash of Christina being showered with confetti??? We couldn't believe that the editor's were so lame and made a mistake like that!
I too wish they'd raise the quality of the contestants beyond Jerry Springer level. Top Chef is awesome but really, you can't compare the two shows. These people are not chefs - for us, this is our dirty pleasure reality show. But then again, I would hope that most "real" chefs wouldn't tolerate being berated on a daily basis.
I didn't care who won but I did think Petrozza was kind of sweet. As for Christina having more potential - I don't know about that. I suspect Petrozza has a strong desire to succeed and a hard work ethic. Christina even said something about the hard work being over which her new employer must love hearing. Christina however, did do something very smart this time and designed a menu based, in part, on what her "brigade" could cook well. I could have done with less cursing and smoking from her but hey - she is Ramsey's protege so I guess it all fits.
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Jul 9, 2008 12:12 PM
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Aside from his messiness, it was Petrozza's poor planning and prep that sunk him. You'd think someone who isn't good at planning ahead would compensate by being able to improvise on the fly. But no, when he ran out of key ingredients, in the clutch, it wasn't the chef but an underling who pulled his fat out of the fire.
I'd have thought that with higher risk comes higher reward...if you pull it off. None of Petrozza's dishes came back, and yet he lost. Disappointing. I guess playing it safe was a winning strategy.
Then again, from watching "Kitchen Nightmares", Ramsay is a stickler for hygiene. If he has disorganized thinking, and a disorganized workstyle, his creativity can get overwhelmed. Ramsay seems to have placed a higher priority on discipline. Probably figuring the winner will learn how to be daring and consistent, but it's hard to teach someone at Petrozza's late stage how to correct bad habits or how to make a correction on the fly to keep the kitchen functioning and meals going out.
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Jul 9, 2008 12:43 PM
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