Kitchen Nightmares setting up for local episode

The Kitchen Nightmares filming crew is setting up at Blackberry's Restaurant, a place where I invited one of the blog friends from here visiting from Trinidad/Tobago.

Here's the photo gallery from the local newspaper.

I like Blackberry's -- a mix of soul food with West Indies, a friendly staff and reasonable prices. I hope Gordon Ramsay doesn't scare them to death! If my knee were better, I'd go lurk around.

BB9 Latest Feeds and Tonight

My latest live feeds report is up over on TV Squad. I'll be live blogging tonight's show when it starts here, then a full review/recap over on TVS later this evening. Alas, Hell's Kitchen starts tonight and since I'm doing the TVS review of BB, I feel I must record it in case I miss something. That means I can't watch/record HK! Hopefully they'll have it online.

A few folks mentioned live feeds in the sequester house. I'm not sure where that's coming from, but I haven't seen anything about it that looks official. Usually the only cameras they have on sequester are the ones when new folks arrive. I don't think we'll be seeing live feeds there.

Later!

'Hell's Kitchen' -Season Finale - Live-Blogged from the East Coast

This is it! It's the season finale and one of the two who shouldn't be running a fine dining establishment will be. Woohoo! This post will be udated throughout the show so refresh your page for the most recent updates.

It's the guys and the girls once again. Or, as they say, the boys. Julia is still pouting some. She also thinks Rock deserves to win.

Rock seems to be leading his team a bit more. Bonnie doesn't seem to have a good plan and isn't familiar with what she's chosen for her menu.

Julia isn't reacting well to Bonnie's direction, giving her nasty looks and saying she didn't need to be treated like an idiot. In Bonnie's restaurant, they've run out of wallpaper.

Rock actually is paying attention to detail. His team seems more receptive to his direction. Ramsay doesn't like Bonnie's dessert -- I thought it looked good -- four chocolate truffles. He doesn't like Rock's dessert either.

Bonnie's restaurant is ready for Ramsay's inspection. He likes it. Clean, elegant. He doesn't care much for the hardwood floors due to noise.

Rock's is now ready. Elegant. No salt and pepper on the tables because it should be properly seasoned coming to the patrons.

Ramsay gives them some last minute advice -- you run the kitchen, don't let it run you. They each get new master chef jackets.

The kitchen(s) is/are open. The appetizers are getting ready. Ramsay is happy. The appetizers come out at the same time. Bonnie starts to have some communication woes with her not-wisely-chosen team. Julia is in her own world.

Rock is doing slightly better with Josh, but it's not an easy go.

Now Bonnie isn't listening to Julia.

Rock's team is falling behind on the appetizers. But Bonnie ran out of fettuccine for her signature dish and has to substitute spaghetti. Then Rock's team is falling apart mainly due to Josh. Rock finally moves Vinnie to fish because Josh kept burning the crab cakes. Rock is starting to get antsy.

Bonnie is running out of prawns and a dish is being sent back -- undercooked and cold. She didn't order right for this dinner!

Rock's team is doing better again as Bonnie's team is falling apart more. Julia gave her grief over wrapping something up and it became a verbal brouhaha.

Service is complete. Rock thinks that Josh might have ruined his chance of winning. Bonnie's team is all hunky-dory now that it's over. Yeah, right. Now that they don't need to communicate! Rock's family visits him briefly.

When questioned by Ramsay, Rock said he would have liked to have Jen because she's the best. Bonnie would have double-checked the stations and portions.

Ramsay thinks they both came out with great leadershop abilities. He has to study the customer comment cards before giving his decision.

Ramsay tells Bonnie she's surprised him the most and he tells Rock he's rock-solid. He says it was a tough decision. They're standing at the doors. The winner is the door which opens.

And, the spoilers from the beginning of the season were right ... Rock won. Rock cries. Julia cries. And Bonnie took it so welll ... she says she's happy for him!

'Hell's Kitchen' - Season Finale Part 1- Live-Blogged from the East Coast

Argh, do these shows think we haven't watched all season? All of the reality shows feel a need to recap the entire season for a huge cheunk of thime each finale. I saw it already ... get to the meat in the kitchen, please!

This post will be updated throughout the show. Once they get into the show, that is! So, check back throughout the hour and feel free to jump in with your thoughts in the comments area!

I'm still finding it hard to believe that Bonnie made it into the final two. I personally would have preferred Julie in there if they have someone without "fine dining" restaurant experience.

Aw, they get to spend time with their families. Rock's children are cute.

Rock and Bonnie have the design your own restaurant task at hand as Hell's Kitchen is split it two for them. Bonnie thinks she's a force to be reckoned with and it's too late for Rick. She also mentioned she flew under the radar. That she did, I'll say.

Bonnie likesn the task to being given a life-sized dollhouse and a credit card. Rock is determined to win. Rock wants the basics in decor while Bonnie wants special touches. Bonnie wants black suits on the wait staff and, much to Jean Phillipe's chagrin, Rock suggested jeans. Thankfully he was shot down.

Bonnie seems to have more of a plan than Rock does. He's choking under pressure, but I don't think that will last. Both go off to Las Vegas to check out the Green Valley Ranch Resort where one will be running the restaurant.

I like the jet! Heh, Gordon Ramsay mentioned Rock's hissy-fit. Rock balked at that! Ramsay is talking about how they've both done throughout the game. We may as well have another recap.

It is a gorgeous place. They walk in and see themselves on a promo throughout the hotel. They went out for a quiet drink with Ramsay and ended up on stage. Each wannabe have thirty minutes to create a dish which represents their signature style. Bonnie did shrimp and pasta while Rock went for surf and turf. They'll be judges by the group of seven VIP judges, reknowned chefs.

Bonnie won the first one over. Rock thinks she flirted to win. Rock got the second one. Bonnie won the third. Robin Leach is the next judge up -- he goes with Bonnie. She only needs one more vote to win the challenge. Michael, the winner of the first season gave his vote to Rock. Now it's Heather from last year judging... she votes Rock. Deciding vote is the folks from the resort where one will work -- they go with Bonnie! Amazing!

Now they're privately shmoozing and boozing with Ramsay. He has a little surprise for them -- trip to NYC for a few days to go the Ramsay's chef's table.

Sheesh, they must be planning the last part into an itsy segmant. As I type this, there's only ten minutes left and the restaurants have barely been touched on although we saw speeded up video of them.

Finally, it's to the important part -- the last six eliminated chefs show up to help them out. Julia is upset, disappointed in herself Rock thinks. Poor Julia. She tells us she came into the game to win.

The two pick their teams. Bonnie goes with the girls. Julia tells us she wants Rock to win.

Part 2 of the Season Finale will air next week and I'll be there. Er, here. It looks like mass chaos again. The promo calls it the closest finish ever. Um ... okay.

'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 9

Okay, so Gordon Ramsay has a mother, eh? The three remaining "chefs" are doing comfort food. They have to create dish from American classics.

Bonnie is lost with her franks and beans. Jen is happy with her draw of fried chicken. Rock is challenged with his spaghetti and meatballs.

I thought it would be his "Mum" judging, but instead they brought the mothers of all three chef wannabes. Ohhh! Jen won the taste test. Jen, Ramsay and their mothers get to go out to lunch.

Rock and Bonnie have to clean the dorm room. Now, that's not too horrible of a punishment. Bonnie told Rick all she knows is how to make beds. When he said she's a nanny, she said she cooks, does personal shopping and a bit of babysitting.

It's also time for the equipment shopping trip for Jen. That's always a hit. Holy cake pans, Batman!

The service is going to be a relay sort of deal. Ramsay will start, then pass it on, and each take the pass. Bonnie got to yell at Ramsay pre-service. Rock didn't yell at him well. Then it's Jen turn.

The sous-chefs help them with the dinner, but Ramsay sets up sabotage to see if they'll catch it. Jen failed the test. Then it was up to Rock. He caught the sabotaged monkfish but he's not communicating with the team well. Bonnie was so disorganized! But she caught the sabotaged dish.

The service was completed and Ramsay declared it the best service ever. The patrons left smiling, but one aspiring chef must go home. Ramsay told them he would judge them by their performance and sent them all back to gather their thoughts as to why they're qualified.

His decision is...

"Rock, you have to go ... into the finals."

JEN is going home, Bonnie is staying.

And Rock cried.

'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 8

I know recaps are necessary, but why must they be narrated so dramatically?

Gotta love Ramsay's grimace for the opening scene, though. Rock likes to think he's in charge and he's quite possibly the most qualified one, but his personality does him in.

It's down to one team tonight with black and white jackets. Good. Um, okay... Ramsay squirts champagne at them in celebration. Who's going to clean up that mess, eh?

The first individual challenge is ready to go down. They're cooking for "trendsetters," but the twist is that they'll go to them. One hundred hungry high school students. Now, there's a crowd that's used to slop!

Rock is serving Kobe beef? I hope they're wealthy students! Julia is about the only one preparing what I'd call a traditional sort of dish. But it appears that they're not looking for something which could actually appear on a high school menu, so 51% of the kids voted forJulia. Heh. Practicality beats fancy!

She wins a trip to Las Vegas with Chef Ramsay and gets to choose one person to go with her. So, it's Jen and Julia. They took a private jet and saw the restaurant they may (probably not) be working in. They also visited last year's winner Heather at her restaurant.

The others get to clean the entire restaurant and linens. Josh doesn't know how to use a vaccum cleaner. Rocket scientists! After cleaning the three (Rock, Josh and Bonnie) had to prep for the service. As usual, Bonnie screwed up. After they did the prep, they sat around talking about Ramsay's idolation of Julia. I like her, but I don't see that at all. I think they're just sorry losers. She chose a menu that kids actually enjoy!

The five wannabes have to work together to serve the patrons tonight. Josh tried to get a head start, got yelled at. Rock burned his scallops, got yelled at. Josh got yelled at again. Bonnie actually cooked a Wellington right! Then it was Julia's turn to get yelled at. Josh kept trying to cook spaghetti ahead despite getting yelled at and his risotto is undercooked. Oh, no!

Ramsay kicked Josh out of the kitchen, telling him to take off the jacket. Will that be it for tonight? Will two go home? He packed his bags and left.

But the meal goes on.

Jen took over Josh's appetizer station and did well. But then Julia forgot the monkfish garnish. She's looking hassled and it shows in her performance. Poor Julia. "Rock has hit rock bottom." -- according to Ramsay. He lost his turbot, oh no!

Jen seems to be doing the best. Rock thinks the others are putting him down to make themselves look better. The guy has an attitude problem once again. He just won't stop. Jen snapped back at him, but I think Rock was the communication problem, not her.

They completed the service despite the fighting. Ramsay is discouraged due to the fighting. He said that Bonnie had her best service so far and it's up to her to pick two to nominate to be fired. Rock is pouting like a t-year-old boy. He's even crying, but it seems that he's more mad at himself for screwing up.

He seems to have an epiphany, but I can't help but think it won't last. Bonnie has real problems trying to decide which girl to put up with Rock. She's in a quandary, folks!

She nominated Rock and Julia because she's struggled on garnish and has a lot to learn on product.

Julia's gone, but Ramsay is a sweetheart to her. He's seniding her to culinary school and wants her to come back. He told her there's something amzaing about her. Good, he has a heart. I knew she wouldn't win, but I think she's one of the best PEOPLE there if not the best chef.

So, it's Bonnie, Jen and Rock as the final three. I know from the Internet spoilers who should win, but none of the three thrill me. Rock has temper issues and has indeed screwed up in the kitchen. He doesn't work well with a team. Bonnie hasn't the commerical experience and Jen tried to serve pasta she had thrown in the trash.

Send them all home next week and end the season early, I say.

'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 7

It's down to six chefs, three men and three women, in this season's Hell's Kitchen. If you ask me, none of them are ready to take on the responsibilities of running a fine dining restaurant. None of them.

Julia is a personal favorite of mine. I think that in many areas, she may be the most competent chef all around. Alas, she's not all too familiar with the sort of restaurant which she would win. Plus, while she can take charge, I think her lack of fine dining experience hurts her own self-esteem.

Jen. I don't care for her. Technically, she may have the most experience on the womens' team, but I can't get past her planning to use pasta she retrieved from the trash can. I know I should get over it, but I just can't. Eww.

Then there's Bonnie. Chef Ramsay is slightly right when he implies (being kind here) that she's a bit dippy. She may be creative and have great ideas, but she can't follow through in the kitchen. From her own mouth tonight, "My creativity supercedes what I can do."

Onto the men, I found Brad especially annoying tonight. In the service, they had to make their own menus. He practically took over and wouldn't work with Josh or Rock at all. Then he screws up in the kitchen.

Josh has always been a bit of a non-entity to me throughout the season. He is in no way ready to run anything more involved than a chain restaurant. No, not fancy dining. Nuh-uh.

Now, I think Rock has the talent in the kitchen. But his personal skills are a bit lacking. He gets explosive and boils rather than attempting to actually work with a team.

Get rid of all of them and give us replacements, please.

Tonight the challenge was to serve one appetizer and two entrees out of leftovers provided to them. They had a half-hour to whip it all together. The guys won, partly because Julia made fish and chips which were good but won't fly in a fancy-schmancy restaurant. The men got to go play paintball with Ramsay while the women cleaned and took in the deliveries. They screwed up the checking in of the deliveries and caused themselves even more work.

In setting up the service in which each team chose its menu, the women substitured Julia's choice of NY strip steak at the last minute. Wise choice; it was the most popular dish.

The women got off to a great start while the men faltered. Before the service, Ramsay mentioned teamwork. Neither team knows the meaning of the word. The women refused to talk to each other and the lack of communication loused up their work. With the men, Josh was totally sinking when Ramsay told Rock and Brad to help him. Neither made a move to save their team.

At the end, Ramsay praised Julia and fired Brad. As it should be.

But, if it were me, I'd fire 'em all and give the kid from the fryer at the local roadside stand a chance at the big time.

'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 6

Why did Ramsay keep Melissa last week? It's not like the men are so great on their own, but I knew she would surely make them worse.

The challenge saw a win for the Red Team, but I can't help but wonder if this one was just a tad tainted.

After all, the prize was a photo shoot with Ramsay. It seems that the women always seem to win that prize. I wonder if they could have gotten by with serving a walking live lobster. Rock didn't take too well to their rather suspicious win either. Ah, but he had to see the girls in their glory and had to go through their trash as punishment.

When it came to the dinner service, the guys crumbled while the girls got the job done. With the exception of Bonnie not knowing what to do with a kitchen fire in a pan -- don't walk around with the pan -- and Julie letting the pressure getting to her and crying, the Red Team did a fairly remarkable job throughout the service.

Then there was the Blue Team, the Men Plus Melissa. They were horrible. Everything Melissa touches, she curses. Josh and Brad had their worst services to date and Rock just watched it all happen. He didn't do poorly, but he couldn't save the sinking ship.

In the end, after six dinners from the Blue Team were sent back, Ramsay shut the kitchen down and ordered the Blue Team to come up with two nominees. Melissa knew she would be one on the block no matter what (deservedly so). Then it was between Josh and Brad. Brad said it was his personal worst night while Josh has continued to not perform well on the whole.

Ramsay didn't give them a chance to even tell who they nominated. He called Melissa up, took her jacket, then had her whisked away. Then, in a move to make us think he was getting rid of both Josh and Brad, he reamed them... and sent them back to line with Rock.

So this leaves us with Julia, Bonnie, and Jen on the Red Team. I still hold my grudge against Jen for trying to use pasta from the trash can, but she's most likely the most capable in the long run. While I think a lot of Julia, I'm not sure if she's ready for the responsibilities which come with the win. It's getting to the point where Waffle House might limit her. Bonnie is out of her league and I don't see her lasting much longer.

Of the men left -- Rock, Josh, and Brad -- only Rock has any possibilities. Josh and Brad could go before any of the remaining women and it wouldn't ruffle my feathers.

I think we'll see it down to Rock and Jen as the final two. But I could be wrong. I'm still not impressed with any of the chef wannabes this season.

'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 5

My goodness, each week it seems like someone on the show becomes the demon seed of Gordon Ramsay.

But, the problem is... Gordon Ramsay can get away with it and the chef-wannabe can't.

Tonight it was Melissa. She's been a bit in the background for the last few episodes, so it was her turn to shine. Well, perhaps not shine, but go nuclear.

We knew from the promos for this episode that some fools... er, a bride and groom, chose Hell's Kitchen to serve their reception. I find something inherently wrong with the concept, but they never ask for my opinion.

The challenge had the Red Team (women) and Blue Team (men) shopping for ingredients for an appetizer, meat, and fish entree. They had $100 to spend. The women got off to a good start coming in at $97.50 while the men overspent and had to lose ingredients they needed to knock off nearly forty bucks. Remind me not to send them shopping with my grocery budget money.

In the kitchen, it started -- Melissa decided she was the only one who knows anything and started bullying and bossing the other women. And, mind you... she was totally wrong in her direction! Julia tried to speak up. She had taken the duck out of the stove so the other dishes could catch up and it wouldn't be overcooked. Melissa slammed it back in the oven. The men weren't doing great, but they didn't have a misguided maniac bullying them.

The bride and groom to be were the ones to judge the challenge. Melissa, much to Ramsay's spitting rage, tried to block the duck dish from being served. There it was. The men won their first challenge. The women got the nod for their crab appetizer, but the men won for both the meat and the fish. The men were off to a spa for some pampering while the women had to decorate the restaurant (with the help of an overly stereotypically gay decorator) for the reception.

The men relaxed and rebuilt their spirit while the women started bickering over the decoration task. Oh, it was actually Melissa trying to boss the others and the others not wanting to be bossed by her. It wasn't quite a brouhaha. Where the Bonnie, Julie, and Jen made their mistake was by not mutinying on the spot. It could have saved them.

As the teams cooked for the actual reception, Melissa not only kept up her dictating and nasty ways, but she was making costly mistakes. The men finished serving three minutes ahead of the women. For the first time, the teams served the entire dinner to all of the patrons.

The men won for both the time factor and better teamwork. Ramsay chose Jen to decide which two from her team would be nominated for elimination. She's soft on Bonnie. We knew that. But she also respects Julia. It was pretty much a given that Melissa should be nominated -- it was just the second person up on the chopping block which created her dilemma.

In the end, she chose Melissa for the night's performance and lack of being able to work with others. Then, to Bonnie's shock, she chose her. Later Jen told Bonnie that she loved her and thought that given the choice between the two, Ramsay would definitely choose to send Melissa home.

But it wasn't meant to be. Nope. He sent her to the Blue Team and Bonnie back to the Red Team. No one went home.

Next week should be interesting as Rock and Melissa had a dust-up during the wedding service tonight. She botched her potatoes after he explained to her several times how to do them, then tried to say he mislead her. I want a brouhaha!

'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 4

Remind me to never visit the restaurant which receives a chef from this season's show. Each season it's a comedy of errors, but this season takes the cake. Oh, and said cake will probably have too much pepper in it or something else odd.

The show opened with Vinnie continuing to harp on Jen's using pasta from the trash bin. Yeah, that struck a nerve with me, too. But Vinnie, on a people skills level, should learn when to stop. Although Gordon Ramsay is no poster child for people skills, they do count for the contestants on the show.

The chef wannabes first experienced a blindfolded taste test to check out those determining palates. Most of the foods seemed like they should be rather simple. I know I would have had problems with a few, but I'd certainly recognize boiled carrot and hard-boiled egg yolks!

Once again, the women (Red Team) won the challenge. As a reward, they went with Ramsay to dine at Opaque. Now, Opaque is one of those "dining in the dark" restaurants similar to the Dark Dining Projects here in the NYC area. As I understand it, the sense of taste is heightened in the dark. But for me... I'd probably miss my mouth and wear my dinner.

Meanwhile, the losing team (Blue men, but not to be confused with Blue Man Group), had to work on their palates by suffering through large amounts of variety meats and other not-so-popular dishes. After eating what looked like a few meals each, they then had to prep both their own kitchen and the Red Team's kitchen, too.

Then came the service... or, once again, the lack thereof. This time around, the winning team would be determined by the comment cards filled out by the patrons. Both teams were in trouble. From what I could see, the only "stable" one on the Blue Team was Rock. Had Julia not burned the scallops, she would have been best on the Red Team. Bonnie and Vinnie were both bimbos although Ramsay only called Bonnie a bimbo.

"____ me senseless!" screamed Ramsay.

So, they did.

Tonight's episode was yet another night where the kitchen was shut down and the service wasn't complete. The patrons said that what food they had was good. But 65% percent said they wouldn't return because of the time spent waiting. That's not good, not at all.

Ramsay declared there was no winning team. He chose Rock and Jen to choose a lamb (goat, whatever) to be led to his slaughter. Well, okay... just to be a candidate to be booted from the show.

I knew Rock would make the wrong choice. He's really not surrounded with any talent -- Josh, Vinnie, and Brad. Out of those, Vinnie is the one who screws up most consistently. But Rock has it out for both Josh and Brad more than he does for Vinnie. He's more interested in eliminating the competition he may face rather than the worst chef. He chose Josh.

I don't think I can ever have any faith in Jen since she took the pasta out of the trash to serve. Julia's name didn't come up in her decision, which I felt was right for this week. Her choice had to be between Bonnie and Melissa. I could tell that Bonnie was upsetting Ramsay more than Melissa. Thinking more with her heart than her mind, she chose to nominate Melissa.

Ramsay overruled both choices and replaced them with Vinnie and Bonnie. (Can I say I told you so now?) I figured he'd kick out Vinnie because of his attitude. Oh, Bonnie will go soon enough. She's to the point where she realizes she's out of her league and even wants to go home. But she's not surly to Ramsay when Vinnie comes across as surly and sneaky.

But it wasn't Bonnie's choice to make. Ramsay booted Vinnie.

As I said, though, none of these "chefs" seem worthy of any fine dining establishment.

That said, tonight I had steak with onions, baked potato, steamed asparagus, and cantaloupe for dessert. I gave myself a good comment card, but mentioned the wait staff was a bit lacking.

'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 3

Say it ain't so! Some of the things I saw the "chefs" doing tonight shocked me! I may never eat in a restaurant again. Eep.

The first part of the episode gave Julia a chance to shine and show that she can be a leader. Remember, she's the one who's maligned because she comes from a Waffle House instead of a fancy-schmancy "real" restaurant.

The task was to serve breakfast to the military. Well, not the whole military, of course! The Red Team (women) had to serve to 50 Army soldiers while the Blue Team (men) had to serve to 50 Navy sailors. Julia was in her element and her team actually took well to her lead, but the guys fell apart.

Gordon Ramsay even called Julia's efforts exceptional. I thought lightning could very well strike him, didn't you? The women went off for a day on the Midway with Ramsay. The men stayed behind to do KP duty -- peel over a ton of onions and potatoes... fun, fun, fun! Heck, they couldn't even agree who would chop the ends off of the onions, silly men.

As we all could have guessed, the ambulance shown in the promos carted Aaron away. He fainted, apparently at the thought of the KP as I don't think he had done any actual work. He was removed from the show with a "serious illness" not disclosed to us. The guys, mainly Josh and Brad, decided that Brad would be the leader of their team as Ramsay said someone had to lead. Rock wasn't too keen on that, but said he'd go along... and told us he'd just have to out-think them down the line.

Then there was the dinner service or lack thereof. Both teams were horrible. Joanna thought she'd shine on the appetizers and Ramsay ended up kicking her off that station. Brad burned his Wellington and tried scraping off the burnt bottom when Ramsay caught him. Joanna tried to serve some crab dish with rancid crabs.

But the worst of all was Jen. She threw what she thought was excess pasta in the trash bin. Almost immediately there was a need for pasta. So she took it out of the trash and boiled it to "kill any bacteria." ACK! To me, that was an unthinkable sin in the kitchen. Yeah, Joanna somehow didn't notice the smell of the crabs, but we didn't see any deliberate move on her part. (And I don't like her, but I'm talking pasta from the trash here!)

Ramsay ended up closing down the kitchen early with almost all of the patrons not served. He said there were no winners. There weren't, really... no winners here! He thought the Blue Team was the worst and told them to decide who would be chosen to stand before him.

Now, in this bit I almost found myself liking Joanna as she stuck up for Julia against the ones who think she's out of her league. Joanna admitted she herself should be selected. When Jen started on the Julia kick, Julia told them about the garbage bin pasta incident. Still, the women chose Julia and Joanna.

But upon facing Ramsay, Jen put her name in the ring of fire with Julia and Joanna. Thankfully, Ramsay told Julia to go back with her team. Then he chose Joanna to leave Hell's Kitchen. He mentioned that both should go home. I think he should have stuck with that thought.

You do NOT take food out of the trash to serve folks at a restaurant! You just don't!

There was a promo for a new Gordon Ramsay FOX fall show -- Kitchen Nightmares. No, it's not going to be a show about my personal kitchen. Sheesh! Ramsay is going to go to restaurants and shape up their kitchens.

No, he's not welcome here. Before the show, I made a fine dinner of salmon loaf, Trader Joe's Garlic Mashed Potatoes (mmm!), and cauliflower. And I timed it so all was ready at the same time, plus I didn't take any food out of the trash. So there, Gordon Ramsay!

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, June 16, 2007

Wasn't last night one of the more lackluster evenings in television history? Yes, there was the Daytime Emmy Award Show, or you could "attend" National Bingo Night. But neither of those rocked my socks. I ended up watching some odd show about the hippie era on the History Channel while reading a book.

Well, there was also the Subway Series game between the Yankees and the Mets. I had to share my train ride home from work with raucous fans. But the Mets won and broke the Yankees winning streak! Eek! I'm glad I didn't watch that!

Here's what I found out there on the web for this edition of TV Newsy Bits:

• Although I'm posting this a bit after the fact, the prison escapee who had plotted to kidnap David Letterman's son Harry is once again back behind bars. Good.
• Marcellas Reynolds from Big Brother has announced that he won't be co-hosting the Internet show Housecalls this year. In his forum, he cites his ever-busy career as one of the reasons. Um. Okay. He also mentions budget cuts and a format change. I previously posted on the blog that I saw Gretchen Massey's name, but no Marcellas. There is no Marcellas. It's a bit of a shame because he asked the questions fans wanted to ask and really understands the whole thing better than Gretchen.
• A commenter asked in a previous about the ad mentioning that The Black Donnellys were returning. From my understanding, it will be the rest of the season that had already been filmed. NBC yanked the show after showing a handful of episodes. It's some HD channel which is airing it. I don't get the channel, so I've lost my Donnellys.
• American Idol season one winner Kelly Clarkson has canceled her scheduled concert tour. She recently fired her manager and poor ticket sales were listed amongst other reasons for the decision.
• Director Wes Craven will be the guest judge on On the Lot next week (June 19). Ohhh... I wonder if they'll have to make scary movies!
• MSNBC has an intriguing article about reality television mogul Mark Burnett's hits and misses. In the article Burnett mentions that the 10 PM Sunday night time slot played a role in the demise of The Apprentice. I beg to differ. I think the change to L.A., the rich/poor gimmick, and the change away from George and Caroline to the TrumpKids had more to do with it. The time slot change was perhaps the final nail in the coffin to put the show out of its misery.
• The Fans of Reality TV forum has an interview with ousted from Hell's Kitchen little dude Eddie Langley. Eddie says that if he hadn't gone home he would have won. Okaaay...

That's it for now. When does Big Brother 8 start again? Where are we on our countdown? I need my live feeds for the down times of summer television!

'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 2

What a difference a week makes, eh?

Last week it seemed that the women, the Red Team, were doomed. This week it was the men (Blue Team) who couldn't get their act together.

And, those men so not got their act together in such a fashion that Gordon Ramsay kicked them out of the kitchen and had the women finish their serving. Of course, the promos had us expecting something Ramsay had never done before and showed an ambulance. The promos indicated that someone would stand up to him.

Bah, never happened. On the Blue Team, Aaron the older out-of-condition Asian cowboy, was feeling ill, dizzy, and generally hindering the progress of his own team. Vinnie from Joisey talks a good game in his camera time with us, but doesn't speak up to Ramsay. Eddie is woefully out of his league and talks about talking up. Josh is just self-righteous. Rock seems to be the most professional on the team.

The Red Team, after bickering like my brother and me when we were young'uns, actually worked together. I think it was Jen giving the lead and doing it very well. Hmmm... maybe it was Melissa. It wasn't Bonnie, the one Ramsay referred to as a dumb blonde and a ****** Barbie. Even Joanna, the Evil Queen from last week, showed some emotion, worked better with others, and just worked.

The women won the challenge tonight in addition to winning the service. The teams had to prep Dover sole which included skinning and removing the roe. Although Josh shined at the task, that's the only good thing he did all night. While the women went off deep sea fishing with Gordon Ramsay, the men had to skin and de-roe all of the fish for the service.

The men couldn't seem to do anything, not one single bit, of the service right. As I mentioned above, Ramsay kicked them out of the kitchen. Aaron, odd man out, was de-boning the fish into filets at the tables and did that wrong. The one who did the least wrong, Rock, was chosen by Ramsay to choose two to leave.

Eddie, the Little Dude, approached him and said his choices were himself (Eddie), Josh, and Aaron. Since Aaron is definitely losing it, he approached Rock and gave him the choices of "me and me." But he said he'd like to remain. Josh thinks he did okay, would do better.

In the end, Rock chose Eddie and Josh. Now, I wonder what Ramsay would have done with a choice of Aaron and Eddie. With the choices as presented, he kicked Eddie out. But I think that if Aaron had been up on the plate (so to speak) with Eddie, it may have been Aaron gone. Either way, they were both doomed. It's just a matter of when. Neither of the two could ever handle the high stress and pressure work that would come with a win.

A few miscellaneous notes: This show always has more smokers than I've ever seen on any reality show. I've never worked in the restaurant business, but is there a higher percentage of smokers in that line? And, where do they find so many places not delegated to the outdoors to smoke anyway? It's slim indoor pickings for smokers in California. My other note: why do so many guys on television and the movies named Vinny or Vinnie hail from Jersey? I've lived here about 13 years and have met two guys named Vinnie (or Vinny) in all that time.

Your thoughts on the latest episode?

'Hell's Kitchen' - Season Premiere

He's back! In all his fury, it's Chef Gordon Ramsay!

Tonight's season premiere seems to indicate it's going to be another hellish season in Hell's Kitchen. The new crop of top chef wannabes seem to be even more inept than last season's contestants. And, I thought their qualities were more lacking than not.

No one shined tonight. Not a one contestant seemed professional, knowledgeable, skilled, and able to work with others.

The Blue Team, the guys, had many weakest links, and no real leaders... at least none who emerged in tonight's show. Aaron, a 48-year-old overweight emotional Asian man prone to wearing cowboy hats, would probably have been cut had the team not won. Oh, mind you... not one patron was really served a whole dinner and even the appetizers didn't make the rounds. The team won more by default as the Red Team was even worse.

The cooking on the Red Team wasn't worse than the Blue (both teams were horrible), but it was the fighting amongst the team which did them in. In my opinion, the instigator of it all was Joanna. But when they lost, the one who had to name names decided that Joanna and Tiffany would be chosen to stand before Ramsay. A girl named Julia (?) was the more obvious choice for going home -- she works in a waffle house, has no real "big time" restaurant experience, and broke down in tears.

Gordon Ramsay made the wrong choice. He sent Tiffany home. Joanna's behavior was obnoxious and will probably only grow worse the longer she stays.

It's going to take me a few weeks to get a handle on the names, but I think the show is off to a good start. Your thoughts?

TV Newsy Bits - Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Yes, it's season finale night for both American Idol and Lost. Of course, that means I have a conflict. Ah, not so much of one, though. I'll be live-blogging the events on tonight's American Idol show so that West Coast fans who just have to know... will know. So, please stop back later tonight and check out the blog entry I'll be posting for the show!

Due to its late ending time, I usually post on Lost Thursday evening. That will remain the same for the finale. After all, that's a show I need to watch intently unlike American Idol.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• There's another kind of audition going on for American Idol. For the first time, you can vote for the Entertainment Weekly American Idol special cover -- which Jordin or Blake shot do you like best? The issue is due to be out on May 28, so get your vote in!
• I noticed commercials for the return of Hell's Kitchen (June 4, FOX). I don't know if I'll faithfully blog the show as my summer gets hectic with the Big Brother live feeds reports (and my day job), but I'm sure I'll check it out to see the latest victims of Gordon Ramsay. In sad news related to the show, I saw that Rachel Brown, a rather colorful contestant on last season, recently passed away.
• Back to American Idol -- Simon Cowell has announced he plans to quit the show in three years time according to this Celebrity Spider blurb. He suggests that Donald Trump could replace him. Ewww! No! Never!
• Although CBS cancelled Jericho, according to the Chicago Tribune, there might be a wrap-up movie coming. That's something show fans would greatly welcome. Do it, I say!
• Who will Sanjaya Malakar sing with in tonight's American Idol season finale? Well, I can see Randy fainting now.
• Oh, there were fireworks on The View today between Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck! If you missed it, read all about it in this AOL article. There's also a video clip of the brouhaha at that link. An interesting, but surely unrelated note - today is the last day of the May Sweeps rating period. Surely unrelated, right?

In non-TV news, I saw a local cop on a Police Segway today. Is that thing really allowed on the sidewalks? This wasn't in the city (NY) I saw him, but in NJ. Very odd.

Remember to stop back tonight for live updates on the American Idol finale as it airs here on the East Coast!

'Hell's Kitchen' - Episode 5 -or- "Cooking Like Donkeys!"

I interrupt your regularly scheduled Big Brother Live Feeds Updates to bring you up to date on the latest Hell's Kitchen. Hey, I've been talking about it each week so far this season; I can't let a bunch of odd people in a house in California stop me now! (I will be posting feeds updates later tonight and early, early in the morning, then again tomorrow evening...I'm talking east coast time here.)

As the show opened, we had seven wannabe chefs, although not suited for fry cooks, contestants remaining out of the original twelve. Thankfully, Tom went the last episode. He should have never been there in the first place! Now I want Sara out of there just because she's an obnoxious, sneaky, so-and-so.

Chef Ramsay treated all of the contestants to what they thought was real fancy-shmancy food. Instead, the caviar came from catfish; the pate was crushed hot dogs; the fondue was Cheez Wiz, and there was a TV dinner in there posing as something as well. All of the contestants went on about how great the food was with Garrett only stumbling for a moment. After being told what they were eating, Keith said, "Hot dogs are slammin'!" No wonder he liked the pate!

The "meal" was a prelude to a taste-test contest between the teams. Blindfolded with headphones, each team member was pitted against another in identifying a spoonful of something. (No one got a spoonful of sugar, although it may have helped the medicine go down.) The women, with one sitting out to even the teams, won. Woohoo, they did a photo shoot for TV Guide.

And, that brings up the creepy Sara again! Argh! She was fondling Ramsay's leg and being blatant about gas during the shoot. What the hell is wrong with that woman? Get her gone!

As the women drank champagne, got all dolled up, and posed pretty, the men had to clean the mess left in the kitchen from the night before. Well, the men and Heather, as Ramsay put her on that team to even numbers. (Back to -- suppose a reality show put on a gender war and nobody came?)

The dinner service as the usual frantic mess as Ramsay yelled, "Where's the lamb sauce?" I don't know. I think if I were there, I could tell him where to put his lamb sauce. There were burnt ducks, well-done Beef Wellington, burnt quail, and even a hair on an entree. Horrors! Ramsay freaked that the teams weren't communicating, yet he certainly doesn't create an atmosphere of open communication. It tends to be like: "Chef, the lamb will be ten minutes!" "Off with your head and serve that on a (#&^%#@ platter!"

Ramsey showed odd familiarity with two of the contestants tonight. First, he took Rachel aside as she was screwing up right and left and gave her a pep talk. Then, it was even more weird with Keith, something about "nobody's ever told you that you could do well." I expected Keith to reply, "Mommy never loved me." Blech.

They actually got the entrees served when Ramsay did his final blow-up "shut down the kitchen" bit. But, both teams had their woes. He decided the Red Team did the worst and that Virginia was the best of the worst. It was up to her to name two nominees to get booted.

Rachel told Heather to win it and go after Sara if she got the boot. And, after a long rambling nomination, Virginia nominated both Rachel and Maribel. Ramsay booted Rachel.

Go get Sara, Heather! You can do it.

Now, the more I watch these characters, the less I'm liking Heather. She was my favorite from the start. She's crumbling, though. I hope the promise to Rachel boosts her back up. I don't like Keith. It looks like Ramsay is liking him more each week, but his whole demeanor oozes burger-flipper, not a top chef. Garrett? Eh, better than Sara or Maribel. Chef Ramsay ought to kick them all out of the kitchen and get in a new cast.

'Hell's Kitchen' - Ep. 4 -or- "I Don't Think We're Getting Dessert

I think it may be sinking through to foul-mouthed, sometimes fowl-cooking Chef Gordon Ramsay that he has no real winners with the candidates this season. I personally don't think any of these folks could make it past greasy-spoon or, perhaps the best might make the line at a franchise restaurant. That's sad.


As the show opened for the fourth episode of Suppose They Gave A Gender War And Nobody Came, Garrett was complaining that Tom was dragging down the mens' team. Well, yeah...but so did Giacomo. And Keith's too busy "rocking" his pants and "rolling" down the street to ever make it through to the end. For some reason, I can't see anyone with the nickname of K-Grease running a fancy-schmancy Zagat-rated restaurant. Go back to Jersey and work a diner down the shore, Keith. Oh -- and take Tom with you! So, who's the most normal on the mens' team? Garret, the ex-prisoner prison chef. Can I get an eyeroll from everyone, please?

As far as the women, I still like Heather for the win. That is, unless Ramsay decides none of these frycooks are up to the challenge. Each week, Sara is irritating me more and more. Virginia and Rachel are ho-hum at the best, inept at the worst. And, Maribel is still so out of her league that it's shocking she doesn't spend entire episodes in a panic attack.

Due to the fact the men were down to three, Ramsay declared that Rachel, Sara and Heather were leaders. The men needed a leader, so he gave them Heather. Then they all went off to eat at the busiest restaurant in Los Angeles, Pinks. It's a hot dog/fast food place.

The first challenge for the teams this week was to serve lunch to a bunch of brats (ahem) children who were obviously told to be on their worst behavior. Kids never act like that when their parents aren't with them to give dirty looks to strangers who dare say something about their behavior! Both teams actually completed the service -- pizza, hamburgers, french fries and cake. The Blue Team (men plus Heather) narrowly got the win and went off to an amusement park.

The Red Team (women) had to clean up the dining room which was destroyed by the children. Sara acted like a real jerk, laughing and not taking the loss seriously at all. I did have to smile when she inhaled helium from a balloon and imitated Ramsay. But, other than that, all she did was irk her fellow team members.

When the actual dinner service went down later that night, once again it was a catastrophe. I didn't expect it to be anything but one, so I rocked my pants and settled in. That Sara must go away. She really must! She literally sabotaged Virginia in Ramsay's eyes by letting her take the fall for something done wrong. On the Blue Team, Heather was babysitting the men and, surprise of all surprises, Tom was royally screwing up the meat station so much so that Ramsay pulled him and stuck Keith in his place.

Eventually Ramsay had his meltdown and closed the kitchen while patrons were still awaiting entrees. As one person said, "I guess this means we're not getting dessert." In his rage, he told both teams to nominate someone for elimination.

The women should have nominated Sara. But did they? Nope. They nominated Virginia. Chef Ramsay obviously thought they should have nominated Rachel. Sara, I say! Sara! The Men Plus One got their nomination right -- they nominated Tom. Of course, he was full of bravado boasting he wouldn't be eliminated, but guess what? As Caroline would say to Trump, "This was a no-brainer." Buh-bye, Tom!

He should never have been on the show to begin with. In tonight's show he mentioned that this is his fourth career in his 43 years. I wouldn't even want him cooking hamburgers the way he sweats into the food. Hmmm...a good career for Tom? Um, how about cleaning subways? And I don't mean the restaurant!

'Hell's Kitchen' Well-Burnt

Last night FOX TV aired the third episode of this season’s Hell’s Kitchen. Well, they aired the second episode first and then, of course, we had to sit through the recap of the episode that just aired. It’s enough to make you dizzy! I don’t know if they’ll be doing that all season, but speaking for myself, I find it a waste. I’d rather see something new!

Ah, but…onto the show…

Although it’s hard to believe, it seems Chef Gordon Ramsay is having an even tougher time with this season’s contestants than he did with the last season’s. Or, he’s just working himself up to a lather for the camera.

The contestants themselves for the most part really don’t seem like world-class chefs ready to take on a luxurious Las Vegas restaurant. Some of them seem more inclined to work the greasy roadside stops than a “real” restaurant. But, what do I know? I’m just an eater.

As we started the third episode, most of the contestants are at odds with each other as much as they are with Ramsay. Garrett doesn’t like Tom; Sara hates Heather, and no one seems to like anyone very much. I’m just embarrassed by the two from the state where I reside. Folks, New Jersey isn’t being properly represented by Tom and Keith. I don’t think I’d want to eat a greaseburger prepared by either of them.

In a three entrée competition, the Red Team (women) won once again even though they only prepared two of the entrées. Mirabel is absolutely out of her league. She missed the relay of one of the dishes resulting in only two entrees. But, the men did even worse. Yeah, they had three entrées…none of them palatable. As reward, the women went off on a yacht while the men had to do all of Hell’s Kitchen laundry — by hand with a washboard.

The men were full of sexist comments both during the laundry and again after the women returned. I wanted Garrett and Heather to get in a knockdown-drag-out brouhaha, but it was only verbal. Rats.

When the service started the next day, the women started out well and Sara (ick) actually shined for their team. The men were buffoons in the kitchen for the most part. Tom burnt his hand, not a bad burn like Heather’s the week before — you couldn’t even see it! I know when I burn myself and fuss a bit, the burn shows. Ramsay declared him a Drama Queen and I think that was a spot on observation. Then Giacomo really blew it for the team. Um…the oven should be on. It helps. It really does. It was one disaster after another for the men as the potatoes were burnt by Tom (whose oven must have been on) and they choked.

The service was still in no way on a professional level, even with the women getting entrees out to the customers. It was still too long a wait — no one waits an hour (or two or three) to be served!

In the end, the men did worse than the women and lost once again. This time Ramsay told them each to pick someone for elimination as they all made mistakes. Now, Garrett really wants Tom gone, as does Keith. Tom and Giacomo were the worst of the worst. Of course, Giacomo wants Tom gone and himself to stay and Tom vice versa. So, it ended up being three to oust Tom and one to oust Giacomo.

So, what does Ramsay do? He eliminated Giacomo! Argh! I know Giacomo was basically lost in the kitchen, but he doesn’t creep me out like Tom does with the sweating in the food, nastiness, attitude, and just his all-out um…Tom-ness. I think the only actual contender on the Blue Team (men) is Garrett, the ex-prison chef. I’m still liking Heather for the win, though.

Sigh, there is no longer a Moppet (or Muppet!) in the kitchen. G’bye, Giacomo!

"Shut the kitchen down!"

'Hell's Kitchen' Season Premiere -or- "There Are Muppets In My Kitchen!"

I enjoy cooking. I enjoy baking. Folks seem to enjoy eating food I prepare. But, do I want to be a chef? Or, more specifically, do I want to go through literal hell at the hands of Chef Gordon Ramsay of Hell's Kitchen?

No way! This guy is brutal. He makes my own micro-managing boss look like an angel. And, of course, when you're talking kitchens, there are weapons there -- knives, forks, and hot stoves, oh my!

I watched this show last season mainly because there wasn't anything else which interested me in the time slot. I ended up getting hooked on the show. So, here I am.

Tonight's season premiere was less of the touted two-hour special than it was two episodes shown one after the other. The events occurring were obviously two separate shows, not one grand ol' cookin' fest. But it did the trick for me on a quiet Monday night (as well as making me feel a bit better about my own boss).

This season, the 12 contestants have been broken down by gender to two teams of six each. I'm not huge on the gender war mentality in the reality television genre, but it seems like every show goes that route if it lasts more than a season. So be it. The men are the Blue Team; the women are the Red Team. Pink obviously is too fluffy and soft for Ramsay, I'd say.

Even though I watched the two hours, I still don't have too many of the contestants down. I'm impressed with Heather -- she knows what she's doing, severely burnt her hand in the second hour yet kept giving her team direction and says things like "We do not speak in the kitchen." I'll remember that. I will only dance and hum while in my kitchen.

Others I noticed on the Red Team included Polly, way out of her league and gone in the first hour. Being a mom of six puts you through a lot but doesn't mean you can make it in Hell's Kitchen. There's a Sara who just struck me as rather odd. No one really stood out as being a possible winner other than Heather. We'll see. If we're going to play gender war, I want a woman winner!


The Blue Team has its share of oddballs, too. There's a prison cook who was a prisoner. Eep. There's a young guy named Giacomo who started off very impressively, then screwed up the side dishes in the second hour and was nominated for elimination. I wanted to like him after the first hour, but now I'm not so sure.

One of the men I know I don't care for is this fellow Tom. He sweats in the food and looks more suited to be a character actor who'd be hanging out at an off-track betting parlor than someone I'd want fixing my dinner. He was nominated for elimination in the second hour, but Ramsay saved him and wanted a different person in his place. That person, Gabe, a lost sheep, was eliminated when put up with Giacomo.

They managed to have not one, but two medical emergencies in tonight's premiere. One of the men (Larry) went to the hospital as his "body shut down due to stress." Hey, they said it, not me. He, like Gabe, was a lost sheep. He was way out of his element and he should be happy the stress nailed him in the beginning or his head would have exploded or something.

The service? Well, I hope they don't charge the customers at Hell's Kitchen, not this early in the show, anyway. I can't imagine waiting two hours for my appetizers or more than three for my entree. Yikes! On both nights they served (two shows, I tell you!), the customers ended up walking out and very few tables were served. I don't believe any tables received their entrees the first night.

The best lines of the night:

• Gordon Ramsay: "I've got Muppets in my kitchen!"
• "We've got a runner!" - one of the contestants upon discovering Larry had gone missing.

The most disgusting part of the night? It's a toss-up between Gordon Ramsay making the contestants pull all the discarded (wasted) food from the first night out of the Dumpster and the who can sweat the most contest between Tom and Keith. I'm sorry, but I don't want people who sweat like fountains near my food. I don't sweat in my own food and I'd leave a restaurant if I saw someone like that.

As I mentioned, in the first hour Polly was eliminated. I agree with that one. As for the men, I personally thought Keith who couldn't even take orders and sweated all over the place should have gone. Yes, Gabe wouldn't have lasted much longer, but at least he didn't disgust me. He was clean and neat.

So, what did I learn from the show? Hmmm...don't sweat in the food. Don't overcook the pasta. Keep my side dishes and meat timed to arrive at the same time. Oh, and the most important thing, don't become a chef for anyone, especially Gordon Ramsay.

Burn baby, burn...