Hell’s Kitchen Heats Up For Season 9 – Meet The Cheftestants

Hell’s Kitchen is kicking off tonight, and season nine looks like it may be one of the best in some time. Four of the cheftestants already stand out as the ones I hope win (which is more hope than I normally have from the first episode), and the previews seem to suggest that there is miles more drama than the average season (assuming that’s a positive for you).

The signature dishes kick things off as usual, but this time around it is, overall, a pretty positive experience. Only one dish causes Gordon to spit it out, though there are a few more he might have wanted to, and there are a few that get surprisingly high praise. Things aren’t quite as cheery once we get to service, but a couple of the cheftestants manage to come through looking pretty good.

With a fair amount of reality competitions out there, and the trend of contestants who are increasingly boring in their competence, Hell’s Kitchen still manages to put together eclectic groups of hopefuls, who can’t seem to cook to save their lives.

You probably think I’m making fun of the show there, but that isn’t the case at all. The big names in reality competition shows are becoming more boring with each season, and specifically because each next batch of contestants already own their own their own restaurant, have a store in Beverly Hills, or are otherwise far too qualified.

Hell’s Kitchen sometimes has contestants who appear to be overqualified, but there is a long way from line cook, or executive chef (depending on where you work), to the sort of prize you’re after here.

I’m not absolutely certain that I’m a big fan of the somewhat kooky entrance to this season, but the contestants look interesting enough, and there is more personality clash than we’ve ever seen before.

Below check out a bit of info on all the contestants, and a couple of quick videos.

For more info on this season’s competitors, check out the FOX site, which has short Q & A bios for all of them.

 

Get ready for the heat of HELL’S KITCHEN as superstar chef Gordon Ramsay ushers in the series’ red-hot ninth season with 18 new competitors Monday, July 18 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. These aspiring restaurateurs will brave Ramsay and his wrath as he once again puts the competitors through rigorous challenges to see who has the skill and passion to win a life-changing prize: a head chef position at BLT Steak in New York City.

Ramsay’s culinary challenges will range from the cute and cuddly as the chefs cook a “mommy and me” meal for a room full of moms and toddlers – to the sublime as the chefs are challenged to cook using different types of beer as the basis for their recipes. The winning teams will get to enjoy a private jet to Palm Springs, Indy-car racing, a $20,000-per-night suite in Las Vegas or a four-story yacht excursion, while the losing teams will be required to decorate for a high school reunion, take delivery of and butcher an entire side of beef, create ice sculptures and put together an entire children’s playground for family night.

In the season premiere, Ramsay launches the competition with the signature-dish challenge and is both impressed and disappointed right from the start. Before the dinner service can even begin, one contestant is rushed to the hospital and things go downhill quickly from there until one chef is eliminated from HELL’S KITCHEN.

As the teams are whittled down, the chefs get one step closer to earning the coveted black chef jacket. Eventually two finalists will compete head-to-head to try and impress Ramsay with their skills and only one lucky chef will walk away with the ultimate prize and fulfill their dreams as a head chef at one of the finest restaurants in America.

 

Below are the 18 chefs of this season’s HELL’S KITCHEN.

The members of the Red Team (Women) include:

 

Elizabeth Bianchi

 

Age: 27

 

Occupation: Line Cook

 

Hometown: New York, NY

 

Signature Dish: Pan-Roasted Quail

 

 

Natalie Blake

 

Age: 23

 

Occupation: Sous Chef

 

Hometown: Harrodsburg, KY

 

Signature Dish: Lamb Chops

 

 

 

Amanda Colello

 

Age: 26

 

Occupation: Personal Chef

 

Hometown: Sun City, CA

 

Signature Dish: Eggplant Rollatini with Creamy Polenta

 

 

 

Jamie Gregorich

 

Age: 24

 

Occupation: Sous Chef

 

Hometown: Bradenton, FL

 

Signature Dish: Lollipop Lamb Chop with Red Onion Confiture

 

 

 

Carrie Keep

 

Age: 31

 

Occupation: Pantry Chef

 

Hometown: Dallas, TX

 

Signature Dish: Chicken-Fried Rib Eye with Yukon Mashed Potatoes and White Truffle Cream Gravy

 

 

Gina Melcher

 

Age: 34

 

Occupation: Restaurant Consultant

 

Hometown: Cape May, NJ

 

Signature Dish: Pistachio Scallops

 

 

 

Jennifer Normant

 

Age: 34

 

Occupation: Chef de Cuisine

 

Hometown: Boston, MA

 

Signature Dish: Special Secret Pork with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

 

 

 

Krupa Patel

 

Age: 30

 

Occupation: Private Chef

 

Hometown: Queens, NY

 

Signature Dish: Stuffed Naan with Cilantro Chutney

 

 

 

Elise Wims

 

Age: 26

 

Occupation: Line Cook

 

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

 

Signature Dish: Pesto Seared Scallops with Sautéed Escarole

 

 

The members of the Blue Team (Men) include:

 

Chino Chang

 

Age: 39

 

Occupation: Executive Chef

 

Hometown: Hatboro, PA

 

Signature Dish: Korean BBQ Beef

 

 

 

Brendan Heavey

 

Age: 31

 

Occupation: Head Chef

 

Hometown: Hoboken, NJ

 

Signature Dish: Salmon with Basil Cream Sauce

 

 

 

Monterray Keys

 

Age: 34

 

Occupation: Line Cook

 

Hometown: Darby, PA

 

Signature Dish: Pan-Seared Sea Bass

 

 

Will Lustberg

 

Age: 31

 

Occupation: Sous Chef

 

Hometown: Jersey City, NJ

 

Signature Dish: Sheep’s Milk Ricotta Gnudi

 

 

Paul Niedermann

 

Age: 26

 

Occupation: Jr. Sous Chef

 

Hometown: Davie, FL

 

Signature Dish: Eggplant Involtini

 

 

 

Steven Paluba

 

Age: 44

 

Occupation: Sauté Chef

 

Hometown: Ridge, NY

 

Signature Dish: Seared Diver Scallops with Wild Mushroom Risotto

 

 

 

Jonathon Plumley

 

Age: 34

 

Occupation: Head Cook

 

Hometown: Memphis, TN

 

Signature Dish: Punch-Drunk Chicken

 

 

 

Tommy Stevens

 

Age: 31

 

Occupation: Line Cook

 

Hometown: Brewster, NY

 

Signature Dish: Toasted Coconut Crab Cake

 

 

 

 

Jason Zepaltas

 

Age: 29

 

Occupation: Line Cook

 

Hometown: Chicago, IL

 

Signature Dish: Pork Tacos

 

 

 

RU?