I couldn’t have done it without my team. Looking back, those are the people I would still take, regardless of whether I had the first pick or not.
I didn’t pick Matt; I was stuck with Matt. Maybe Matt didn’t come across looking so great during service with the monkfish, but with Matt, at least you know what you’re getting. You know what motivates him and what brings him down. I knew how to take advantage of that and manipulate it so I could get the best work out of him.
I got along really well with Louross. You don’t want your service to fall flat; you have to stay energized, and he’s just the perfect person for that.
Corey and I are an amazing team together. I think the two of us working together is more of a detriment to our competitors than me working with anyone else. We had a very tumultuous relationship in the beginning and butted heads. I find the people I end up being the best friends with are not the people I get along with in the beginning. After working together in the kitchen, we gained a mutual respect. To have an advocate like that in a competition like this was absolutely priceless.
Why I Won?
I’m a fighter, and I was going to hang in there tooth and nail as long as I could. A lot of that plays into my new job; you have to be fearless, spontaneous, quick-witted and all of these things.
I’m young, but not having a lot of experience is not necessarily a detriment. Maybe there’s a little minion-moulding feeling there, I’m not sure.
The New Boss
I dealt with Chef pretty well. Honestly I tuned him out. (laughs) I can’t focus on what he’s saying and try to do my job. I don’t hear, “Give me that salmon right now, you miserable, worthless cow.” I just hear, “Give me that salmon now.”
You have to stay focused to deal with that kind of pressure, and not just pressure from your chefs, but from the situation. Restaurants never run right, so you have to be able to deal with that.
I think working for Chef Ramsay is going to look amazing on my resume. As far as the present, he’s been a great person to work with on the show. If you look back at his history, people stay with him for a really long time, and there has to be a reason for that. I’m excited…I can’t wait.
Low Point
The lowest point for me was the elimination in episode 2 when Corey put Jen and I up. I’m standing there in front of Chef Gordon Ramsay knowing I had dropped out of culinary school to do this, put my entire career on the line, and then Chef Ramsay said, “The person who’s leaving Hell’s Kitchen tonight can’t cook.”
I’m like, 'Oh my God, how am I ever going to get a job in the future when Chef Ramsay just said I can’t cook!' I saw all my sacrifices meaning nothing. Then he said Sharon’s name, and I was so relieved. That’s when I learned this really was a competition. This was not just a fun time. The gloves are off, is how Gordon put it.
Open Sesame
When my door opened in the finale episode, I think the first words out of my mouth were, “Oh sh*t.” It’s daunting, it’s scary and it’s weirdly sad. It’s like, this is over now. There’s a fear because now a lot is expected of me. But it’s also exciting. There’s a wide range of emotions.
My family and friends all had a big finale party on Tuesday, which made getting up on Wednesday difficult, but basically we took over a restaurant and ran my Hell’s Kitchen menu with a special cocktail list. Of course before that no one knew I won except for my parents, so that was relieving.
Facing Off With Petrozza
I can’t second guess and say that I’d want to be up against anyone else. But, being up against Petrozza was nice. We had developed a bond and a friendship, and that made it really easy. It was nice to compete against somebody who is honorable and works on the level. He’s such a great person. Win or lose, it was so much fun.
Watch Out World
I’m always working on the next big plan. What kind of chef I am going to be, I don’t know. I did an apprentice where I got really into organic, free range , local American regional cooking, so hopefully this will open me up more to European style and upper echelon dining. I’m always thinking, so I’ll come up with a plan I’m sure.
*****
Check out all the Orato.com special series:
Hell’s Kitchen Chopping Block [1]
In The Hope Of Becoming A Next Top Model [2]
Song Over For American Idols [3]
People In Peril [5]
