This summer series of Hell's Kitchen was really hot! With season one airing in Summer of 2005, the producers brought the show back for a second season this summer! I watched a little of the first season and when I saw it was back for a second season, I told Josh we should tune in. We tuned in the first week and continued to watch weekly! We found ourselves being anxious every Monday to get home and see what was going to happen, who was going to win the challenge and what contestant was going to be voted out or as it is stated on the website 86'd each week.  

With a passion for the kitchen and everything that goes along with it, 12 contestants compete for the grand prize of having their own restaurant in the brand new Red Rock Casino, Resort, Spa in Las Vegas Nevada. They must survive the wrath of Gordon Ramsay aka "CHEF" (as they all call him on the show). Gordon was born in England and has a few restaurants of his own, the first being in England.  He, excuse my language, is a real "ball buster". He doesn't let any contestants get away with a thing and only expects perfection from each and every chef… no attitudes, no slacking, no excuses, and certainly no talking back! Many contestants have done some of the listed "don'ts" and they earn themselves nicknames which stick with them until the time comes that their time in HELL is over, with no restaurant to call theirs.  

The 12 individuals are divided up into two teams, the Red Team (the girls) and the Blue Team (the boys). Each episode the teams compete in team challenges. The winning team earns prizes, trips, relaxation and time with "Chef" while the losing team is punished and must complete a variety of different chores and tasks handed out by "Chef". Easy you may think, not when you have "Chef" eyeballing every move you make. Besides challenges, there is what is known as "Dinner Service". This is where the restaurant opens and each team prepares and works together (each working different stations within their kitchen)  to enable that all food for each table is prepared to order, and all ready at the same time! Service can get to be too much for some of the contestants and the teams start to fall behind in preparing their orders and working together as a team. Food gets returned from the tables and "Chef" does what he does best and beings to shout at team members, calling them names, asking them what they are doing and really making everyone within the kitchen uneasy. At anytime throughout the night, "Chef" can close Hell's Kitchen.

At the end of the evening, "Chef" chooses the team he feels overall did the poorest job. Within this team he chooses the person he feels did the best job and asks that person to return to the kitchen with his/her team and choose two teammates he/she feels should leave Hell's Kitchen and why. At the end of the night, two contestants from the losing team are standing in front of Chef Ramsay and they each explain to "Chef" why they feel they should stay. "Chef" makes his choice, and asks the person he is sending home to take of their jacket (each contestant has a chefs jacket with their name on it). You watch the defeated contestant walk down the long hallway out of Hell's Kitchen and then witness Chef Ramsay disposing of that contestants jacket!

Once down to 5 contestants, Chef Ramsay joins the two teams together. The above scenario remains the same. Instead of having team challenges however, they are now competing against each other for solo prizes!

This season there were many fine contestants and Chef Ramsay had a few hard decisions to make. In the end the two finalists were in Josh and my opinions very unevenly matched.

• Heather, the 25 year old Sou Chef from Dallas Texas, was a very strong candidate, she held her own throughout the entire season. At the beginning on the series she Wowed many including Chef Ramsey himself with her ability to take charge of the kitchen and bring her team to several victories. She was even removed from the Red team and placed on the Blue team to try and bring some sort of organization and teamwork to a team that was losing badly.

• Virginia, the 25 year old Salad Chef from New York, NY, was not so strong (at least in Josh and my opinion). She always seemed to be out in left field when needed in right, and had no experience with anything hot! Through the course of the series she did grow as a contestant, but did question her ability a number of times to the point she was going to vote herself off the show!

Both Heather and Virginia had to now become the Head Chefs and take over Chef Ramsays role in the kitchen. Each heading up their own kitchen for none other than Ex-Contestants who have returned to "work" for either Heather or Virginia. Besides taking on the Head Chef role Heather and Virginia each had to design their own dining rooms and pretty much take control of every aspect of running a restaurant.

In the final 2 hour finale of Season Two, Josh and I were both pulling for Heather to win. Unlike most reality shows where the winner is announced, Hell's Kitchen put a twist on announcing the winner by having Chef Ramsay hand each of the girls a key to a door that when opened would enter out onto a balcony overlooking the restaurant and kitchens they had just spent weeks working in and serving to. On the count of three both girls turned their key and as the camera angle changes, you see HEATHER walk through the door!!!!

With our vacation to Las Vegas right around the corner, we were thinking we would check out the Red Rock casino and see if Heather's restaurant is up and running. We will let you all know how successful we are with that!

 Oh I just can't wait for summer of 2007!!!!