Who's hot in 'Hell's Kitchen'?

By Christina Guerrero, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Christina

Corey

Jen

Petrozza

They've endured blindfolded taste tests, a sliced digit, burnt rice, a burnt hand, a dog in the kitchen and lunch with 80 hungry, expectant moms.

But they're getting closer to serving the final course for the remaining contestants in the fourth season of Hell's Kitchen. On the line: a job as the executive sous chef at Chef Ramsay's newest restaurant in Los Angeles, Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood.

And, oh yeah, that comes with a $250,000 salary.

One of the following four contestants will be gone by the time you read this, leaving just three chefs standing to slug it out in toques next week (8 p.m. Tuesday, Fox 31 - the finale is scheduled for July 8).

But since the Rocky's Christina Guerrero still hasn't perfected the art of seeing into the future, we asked her to handicap the four who had withstood the heat in Chef Ramsay's kitchen before our deadline:

Christina

* Why she will win: She works hard and has consistently earned praise from Chef Ramsay, who once refused to consider her as a candidate for elimination.

* Why she won't win: Tends to be soft-spoken and easily driven to tears; these qualities are not compatible with running a large restaurant in Los Angeles.

* The strangest thing she has done: . . . and continues to do: Continually bursting into tears on camera, channeling Season 3 contestant Aaron, who also had a habit of sobbing uncontrollably. At least she doesn't do it in the kitchen.

* The worst thing Chef Ramsay has said about her: Ramsay rarely has been angry with her, and only to give her the mild admonishment: "You've been warned!"

Corey

* Why she will win: She is tough, skilled and assertive, living up to her comment, "I'm not here to make friends."

* Why she won't win: She has taken that comment to the extremes of apathy and coldness, and would benefit from being more approachable.

* The strangest thing she has done: Exhausted after a demanding day in Episode 4, she went upstairs to take a nap, rather than help clean up the kitchen.

* The worst thing Chef Ramsay has said about her: Loudly ordered her to leave the kitchen to see a medic about her burnt hand in Episode 10.

Jen

* Why she will win: Has shown consistent improvement with preparation, presentation and timing. She is also aggressive enough to handle the guys, whom she "won't run away from."

* Why she won't win: Although her muttering is sometimes amusing, she doesn't know when to stop, and often sounds like she's standing on a soapbox, rather than providing advice or responding constructively to other members of her team.

* The strangest thing she has done: Despite Chef Ramsay's explicit directions only to direct housewives how to cook during a recent competition, Jen ignored his rules, took over and started chopping the food herself.

* The worst thing Chef Ramsay has said about her: "You get criticism and you slow down!"

Petrozza

* Why he will win: He has earned the chef's respect as a "true gentleman" and "the most gracious member of his team."

* Why he won't win: Can be clumsy and unorganized, and, lately and surprisingly . . . dirty. Ramsay and several of the other chefs have commented on his messy appearance the past few episodes.

* The strangest thing he has done: So far, nothing tops his giggly, spaced-out, daylong struggle to memorize the menu in Episode 2.

* The worst thing Chef Ramsay has said about him: Ramsay has criticized Petrozza at length, but his ongoing exclamations of "Oh my God!" and "Petrozza!" have displayed just as much exasperation as a series of lectures.