Who's gonna win Hell's Kitchen 2009?

Thank god Lacey's got kicked off the show. So who do you think is going all the way? I'm watching three people.

Here's a link that shows their pix if you click on their link:

http://www.buddytv.com/articles/hells-kitchen/hells-kitchen-preview-of-episo-27160.aspx

And if you don't watch HK, don't like it or whatever: That's nice.

[Jenise]

So do the winners actually end up getting put in charge of a restaurant the way they touted on season one? I'm pretty sure the position was Executive Chef. It just doesn't seem likely as what he tests them for with his abuse is line cook, and that hardly proves that level of capability.

It's my understanding they get a one-year contract as executive chef at one of Gordon's restaurants. Some have stayed, some haven't.

I want Paula da Silva from 3030 Ocean in Ft. Lauderdale to win...bec. to me, she's a local. I've met her. I love her food. She's tough, too.

[Jenise]

I want Paula da Silva from 3030 Ocean in Ft. Lauderdale to win...bec. to me, she's a local. I've met her. I love her food. She's tough, too.

So they're actually getting real working/trained chefs on the show now? In the season I watched the first episode of, that did not appear to be the case.

With the exception of Lacey, who got booted off, here are the remaining chefs:

Andrea Heinly, 30, a line cook from Reading, PA
Ben Walanka, 26, an executive sous chef from Chicago, IL
Carol Scott, 30, a sous chef from Knoxville, TN
Danny Veltri, 23, an executive chef from Edgewater, FL
Giovanni Filipponi, 37, an executive chef from Destin, FL
LA (Alicia), 23, a line cook from Las Vegas, NV
Lacey D'Angelo, 24, a corporate buffet cook from Charlotte, NC
Paula Dasilva, 28, an executive sous chef from Coconut Creek, FL
Robert Hesse, 29, a sous chef from Quogue, NY

[Jenise]

Thanks for the list, Larry, that's a whole different league from what I thought I was looking at when I watched an episode or two of HK years ago--the contestants were more like housewives, dishwashers and Volkswagen mechanics , and a lot of what I disliked about the show was that it required me to believe that any of them could possibly end up qualified to get the job that is the show's prize.

It's on tonight--I manage to forget every week, but maybe we'll go out to the restaurant where she works--I hear there's a big cheering section for her gathering there ev. week.

I do think the skill level must span a range, Jenise...I haven't seen it often, but some chefs have seemed very much out of their league...others, like da Silva, dig in and get it done...which is what a good cook/chef does.

B

I'm keeping an eye on Danny. He seems to keep his cool and is a decent cook.

Which contestent gets berated, humiliated and demeaned the least on the show? I predict that person will be the victor.

And which one might that be?

I'm not going to give you all of the answers, Larry. That would take part of the fun out of it for you.

After a bunch of contestants get booted off the show, I predict the last one left will be the victor.

And that would be Danny, who's now $250,000 richer. My earlier quasi-prediction came true.