Episode Report Card Angel Cohn: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Whistler While You Work
By Angel Cohn | Season 6 | Episode 13 | Aired on 10.13.2009
In Hell's Kitchen, the crews are busily transforming the restaurant. Do they not get to do that thing where they decide on décor? Did I miss that? Or does that come later? I love it when they try and make the production crew come up with a water feature or something equally nuts in a 24-hour period. Kevin will be working with Heather on the red side, Dave's got Scott on the blue side. Hope Scott doesn't have it out for Dave after Dave screamed at him during the last challenge. Gordon takes them out front to see the special deliveries. They open up the truck and it is some of the former chefs. Shocker. What a motley crew this is. Dave gets to pick first since he won last night. Dave picks Ariel, figuring that she must be able to cook since she placed third. I wouldn't necessarily think those two things go together. Kevin excitedly takes a very smiley Van. Bromance! Dave takes big Robert. I'd be wary, since he could pass out during service. Kevin picks Amanda because his menu is fish-heavy, but he hasn't worked with her ditzy ass before. Suzanne fully expects to be picked last, but she's not because Dave takes her for his team. Sabrina is the last member of Kevin's team.
Back in the kitchen they have to prep their menus. Kevin's got a lot of complicated ingredients. Dave keeps it pretty simple and uncomplicated. Robert says that he looked over and thinks that all of Kevin's dishes could be on the cover of Gourmet magazine... well, not anymore. He doesn't care what Kevin's actually cooking, he just wants to eat it. Given his size, I'm guessing he's not super-particular about what he eats in general. He thinks that Dave's in a lot of trouble. The final menus are three apps, three entrees and three desserts. Kevin's features an app of caramelized scallops, an entree of coffee cured beef tenderloin and a trio of crème brulee. As usual, we've got no clue what the other dishes are, especially since Kevin said his menu was very fish-heavy. I think I saw him making some lobster or shrimp... hard to tell, I was distracted by the heavy cream he was pouring over it. Maybe Robert wasn't so wrong. Dave's menu has a wild mushroom risotto, a roasted loin of venison and a dark chocolate mousse. Gordon warns that Kevin's could be too complicated and Dave's could be simple. Its all about the execution.
Right before service starts, Gordon pulls them aside and says that there's something that has been bothering him. Is it Dave's big ugly cast? Nope. I'm wrong again. He says they don't look the part of head chef, he gives them new jackets so they command respect. Dave's ready, cast and all. Van says that the one-armed bandit is going down. He is far more enthused about this than I am.