Well, tonight’s the big two-hour finale of Hell’s Kitchen, where we’ll see which chef Gordon Ramsay picks to run Araxi Restaurant in Whistler. The season’s flown by! It seems like just a few weeks ago that Kymberli and I were in L.A. for the taping of the season premiere, crying over spilled shrimp.
Since then, we’ve watched Dallas’ own Van Hurd fight his way into the top six; Joseph try to pick a fight with Chef Ramsay; and almost everyone else fight back tears. Along the way, my hubby Pete became a Hell’s Kitchen convert, going through withdrawal between Tuesday nights. In fact, he’s on a mission to find Van’s restaurant the next time we’re in Big D.
Over the season, I’ve also appreciated the heart-warming aspects of this take-no-prisoners competition: Chef Ramsay and friends organizing a surprise homecoming for a military hero, feeding hungry firemen, introducing kids to haute cuisine, and even picking up trash along the freeway. Hey, I’d pick up trash too for a handmade lunch by Chef Nobu! If you've been watching all season, you probably saw a cameo by our very favorite airline, Southwest, as we flew the chefs to Las Vegas.
We want to thank Kym’s brother, Hell’s Kitchen Executive Producer Kent Weed, for taking the time to answer questions from our Southwest blog readers. (It’s funny to think that this all happened because Kym and I met years ago to work on Southwest’s battle against the Wright Amendment.) And we’d also like to thank our readers for their great questions and support of the show.
In fact, we’re going to reward one of you with the ‘BIG SURPRISE’ I promised before:
Post a comment below (or via Twitter using the hashtag #hkswa or Southwest Airlines Facebook page) by 6:00 p.m. CT tonight letting us know who you think should win tonight’s finale and why. The person with our favorite answer will win two roundtrip tickets on Southwest; enjoy two VIP passes to a dinner taping of Season 8’s Hell’s Kitchen (complete with pickup from LAX by HK); and…drum roll…you might even meet Chef Gordon Ramsay!
UPDATE: Folks, a winner has been picked! Please stay tuned while we figure out the details. The person and their winning entry will be announced here soon!
Good luck, post your pick, and stay tuned to see if you’re the lucky winner! The winner will be announced here tomorrow!
In the words of Gordon Ramsay, "May the best chef win!"
CONTEST RULES
“Hell’s Kitchen Contest”
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
1. How to Enter the Contest
a. Southwest Airlines “Hell’s Kitchen Contest” (“Contest”) will begin on or around 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 and will end on or around 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday, October 13, 2009.
b. Southwest Airlines is not responsible for lost, stolen, mangled, mis-delivered, postage due, illegible, incomplete or late entries, telephone service outages, delays, busy signals, equipment malfunctions and any other technological difficulties that may prevent an individual from completing his/her telephone call.]
c. To participate in the Contest, you may enter via the following method:
Sumbit a comment letting us know who you think should win tonight’s Hell’s Kitchen finale and why via Southwest Airlines Twitter account @SouthwestAir using the hashtag “#Hkswa,” via the Southwest Airlines Facebook page, or via the Southwest Airlines blog Nuts About Southwest. All entries submitted become the sole property of Southwest Airlines and will not be acknowledged or returned. Use of any device to automate entry is prohibited. Proof of submission of an entry shall not be deemed proof of receipt by Southwest. Southwest Airlines computer is the official time keeping device for the contest. Southwest is not responsible for entries not received due to difficulty accessing the internet, service outage or delays, computer difficulties or other technological glitches.
d. One internet entry per person and one internet entry per email address is permitted.
2. Eligibility Restrictions
a. The contest is open to all persons who are 21 years of age or older. Employees of Southwest Airlines and the members of their immediate families and or households are ineligible to participate or win.
b. Only one winner per household is permitted in any Contest administered by Southwest.
c. Entrants are required to provide truthful information and Southwest will reject and delete any entry that it discovers to be false or fraudulent. Southwest Airlines will disqualify any entry from individuals who do not meet the eligibility requirements, and Southwest Airlines will also delete any entry received from persons under the age of 13 in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.]
3. Prizes:
a. One (1) First Prize: The winner will receive a trip for two (2) (winner and guest, age 21 or older) to Los Angeles, CA for a two-night stay. Trip includes round trip airfare, 2-night standard double occupancy and hotel accommodations (one room). (Approximate Retail Value ("ARV"): $1,000) but will vary depending on travel origination and fares in effect at the time of departure, and two VIP passes to a dinner taping of Season 8’s Hell’s Kitchen. Certain travel restrictions may apply. Travel arrangements must be made through Administrator’s agent on a carrier of Administrator’s choice. No prize substitutions, cash equivalent, or transfer of prizes permitted except at the sole discretion of the Contest Entities. Prize subject to availability and the Contest Entities reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to award a prize of greater or equal value if the advertised prize is unavailable. If winner cannot travel on dates specified by Contest Entities, winner may be disqualified and an alternate winner selected. All other costs not specifically stated herein, including, but not limited to, taxes, meals, tips and ground transportation, are the responsibility of the winner. Taxes are solely the responsibility of the winner. Winner and travel companion must travel on the same itinerary and are responsible for obtaining all required travel documents. In addition, travel companion of Winner must be 21 years of age or older. Winner may be required to present a valid credit card upon hotel check in to cover any incidental expenses incurred during their stay. Winner and travel companion are responsible for obtaining travel insurance (and all other forms of insurance) where applicable, at their option, and hereby acknowledge that the Contest Entities have not and will not obtain or provide travel insurance or any other form of insurance. Winner and travel companion must sign a Publicity, Liability Waiver and Travel Release form prior to traveling. If a selected event is unable to take place as scheduled, for reasons such as cancellation, preemption, postponement or unavailability, or for any reason beyond the control of the Contest Entities, the Contest Entities’ sole responsibility to a Winner will be to award the remaining available portion of the prize and no substitution will be provided for unawarded portion of prize. Tickets are subject to terms and conditions as specified by issuer. Seat locations to be determined by Contest Entities. Contest Entities reserve the right to remove or to deny entry to winner and/or guest if he/she engages in a disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person at the reception.
b. In the event that a prize or prize certificate is mailed to the winner, it will be with the prior written consent of the winner and therefore, winner assumes the risk of its loss. Southwest Airlines is not responsible for the safe arrival of a prize or prize certificate.
4. Selection of Winners
Decisions of Contest Entities management with respect to the Contest are final.
a. Who you think should win tonight’s Hell’s Kitchen finale and why. Southwest Airlines panel of judges from the Communications department will select the best reasons.
b. The odds of winning are dependant on the total number of entries received.
c. Winner need not listen or be present to win
d. Winners must execute and return any required affidavit of eligibility and/or liability/publicity release within one (1) day of notification attempt or prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner may be chosen at random. If a potential winner cannot be contacted, fails to sign and return the required affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release within the required time period, or if a prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, potential winner forfeits prize.
5. Conditions
a. Payments of all federal, state and local taxes are solely the responsibility of the winners. Winners may be required to sign an IRS Form W-9 or the equivalent.
b. By participating in the contest, the winner or winners agree to have their name, voice, or likeness used in any advertising or broadcasting material relating to this contest without additional financial or other compensation, and, where legal, to sign a publicity release confirming such consent prior to acceptance of the prize.
c. Prior to awarding any prize or prize certificate, Southwest Airlines in its sole discretion may require contest winners (and their travel companions, if any) to sign a liability release, agreeing to hold Southwest Airlines, its corporate licensee, and each of their parent, subsidiary and affiliated corporations, and the officers, shareholders, directors, employees, agents and representatives of each of them harmless against any and all claims or liability arising directly or indirectly from the prize or participation in the Contest.
d. Southwest Airlines, in is sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any person tampering with the entry process, the operation of Southwest Airlines website or is otherwise in violation of the rules. It further reserves the right to cancel, terminate or modify the contest if it is not capable of completion as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention or technical failures of any sort.
e. The Contest Entities reserve the right to make changes in the rules of the Contest, including the substitution of a prize or equivalent value, which will become effective upon announcement. If due to circumstances beyond the control of Southwest Airlines, any competition or prize-related event is delayed, rescheduled, postponed or cancelled, Southwest Airlines reserves the right, but not the obligation, to cancel or modify the contest and shall not be required to award a substitute prize.
f. Failure to comply with the Contest rules may result in a contestant’s disqualification solely at the discretion of the Contest Entities.
g. The Contest Entities are not responsible for typographical or other errors in the printing, the offering or the administration of the Contest, or in the announcement of a prize.
h. Copies of the written Contest rules and a list of winners (when complete) are available during regular business hours at Southwest Airlines Emerging Media 2502 Love Field Dr. Dallas, TX 75235
Comments
The winner should definitely be Kevin. He's been the most consistent of all the chefs. He's talented, and despite a temporary inability to cook rice correctly, he seems like the one who'd handle a restaurant best.
I think Dave should win because he's been the most consistent with only one hand. The two-handers in the group can't match his technique. He should win and then b*tch slap the other two with his bad hand. Make a point, you know.
It's gotta be Ariel...Dave does not seem to know what he is cooking half the time and Keith thinks he is God's gift to cooking....but can't cook rice. Seriously, all of the cooks have screwed up, but even I can cook rice.
Dave!! He's a fighter. Any normal person would have given in to the pain. But he's persevered and made it to the top 3! If he can succeed with one arm on Hell's Kitchen, he can do ANYTHING!! Go Dave!! And good luck to all three contestants, they all are worthy competitors. ;)
As a Hell's Kitchen and Gordon Ramsay fanatic, I can honestly say that Dave is the most talented and motivated chef to ever grace that red and blue arena of doom. Dave, with one arm, has cooked circles around the competition and has so much determination, I would be comfortable flying on Southwest with him as my captain. Dave's passion for quality, consistency, and holding his standards high make him my choice as winner for this year.
Dave should win. He has withstood the "HEAT IN THE KITCHEN".
I hope that DAVID is the winner of Hell's Kitchen tonight! I think David exudes the fight and fervor that Chef Ramsey is looking for to be head chef of the restaurant in Whistler, British Columbia. David has been fighting through excruciating pain from damage to his wrist earlier in the show and he has continued on. I know what it is like to have talent and be injured. I , too, have gone through horrible adversity to get where I am today. It takes dedication and someone to believe in you to help make some of your dreams come true...
Good Luck DAVID!
Kudos to Chef Ramsey for seeing talent through adversity!
I think Dave should win. He's not cocky like Kevin and is quick even with one arm. Dave has certainly proven his skills! Imagine how great he will be with two hands :) He is driven and awesome. I hope he wins so he can afford a hair cut. Won't he be oh so cute with short hair? Yes. Yes, he will :)
With the end of the show in our sightst, what better ending would there be than to have David, our wounded chef, be Chef Ramsey and Hell's Kitchen's man? Chef Ramsey believes in people overcoming adversity as he shown many times this season.
At the beginning of the series, David injured his wrist and is in excruciating pain especially when lifting those heavy pans. Week after week he has shown the uncanny ability to see through his pain and continue on to the end. Chef Ramsey wants a chef like this because he is a fighter himself and gives back to his community. It's not unlike what we see in our soldiers coming home from the war that he throws a surprise homecoming for, it why he feeds hungry firemen and shows kids fine cuisine... IT IS ABOUT PASSION!
As a veteran, I look at kids that come home from war, kids on the street, people who do for the good of people who can overcome adversity and pursue their passions. To me, David exemplifies the stamina and dedication that Chef Ramsey needs to run a top restaurant in Whistler, British Columbia.
KUDOS to Chef Ramsey for not giving up on him.
Dave should definitely win... He has shown creativity, hard work, positive attitude and perseverance. In the past Hell's Kitchen seasons the contestants who faced injuries all dropped out. Dave is the only one that has made it to the end even through the gut wrenching pain. He has barely been on the chopping block unlike Ariel and I feel that while Kevin has the discipline and demeanor to run a kitchen well, Dave's creativity is more valuable in the long run. I think he will be able to bring the Araxi high energy, creative dishes and a well run kitchen.
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