Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

GR has come a long way from the days when the best place to eat was Charlie's Crab. Cool places like the Green Well and Winchester's serve up great food. The Electric Cheetah has sandwich's and soup are already putting the EC at the top of the list. Marie Catrib's and the Real Food Cafe never fail to please. Both restaurants are smoke free and get it right every time for breakfast and lunch.
For real GR old timers the Beltline Bar and Yesterdog are the places to go. I have to differ with those that sing their praises. They are unique. However, they aren't good. The food has the consistency of gerber.
For the "gut bomb" crowd. (Think Diners Drive-in's and Dives) The Choo Choo, Fat Boys, The Cottage, Teasers, The Wealthy Street Station and Sandmann's will all give you your fix of artery clogging joy.

They're tastey but they're like 700 calories each!!!!!!

First of all,
Intensity is any any kitchen even a wing joint. In HK it is amplified.
Talent, well put any person in a new kitchen and have them cook food for a chef they never worked for with people they never worked for and a menu they never learned well, if that's a sign of a hack then your standards are pretty high.
Showing off talent, that's what challenges and dealing with ambiguity during service is for.
Contestants are horrible, your watching Fox a channel that every other show is more cras then the contestants, look at Family Guy even the baby is an a@##hole.
Ramsey is one of the best chefs in the world but it's true he shows no talent on this show.
Insults are they same each year and they do get old.
Conflict is played out in all reality shows.

Ramsey is just a bully. He wouldn't talk the way he does to anyone if there wasn't a camera crew around. What a hack.

I like it. I watch it. It's not a cooking show. Recipes... anyone!!! Without making it more than it is, it's a show about what ordinary people think passes as character on TV. We see the proud, fall, the humble, survive, the talented, excell, etc, etc.

This is Fox formula reality television. It's all in the editing!!! But when the shock value wears off, it's all the same recycled nonsense. I've found that the ONLY way I would ever consider watching Hell's Kitchen is to DVR it ahead of time---give it at least a 15 minute head start--so I can fast forward through all of the "cliff-hangers" through all the commercials and back.
I'm a bit surprised at the "Prize" this year--running a restaurant in Canada for the Olympics? Then what? Strange that they're not handing out money as a prize anymore, isn't it? Maybe I'll just watch re-runs of Top Chef-Masters--it's a pleasure to watch REAL chefs compete (without all of the nastiness and venom).

Let's focus on what a fraud Gordon Ramsey really is. He has the gaul to position himself as the master culinary entreprenuer precisely as his restaurant empire teetered towards bankruptcy. He and his father-in-law were humbled into ponying up millions to gain some forebearance from their creditors. I wouldn't be surprised if all of Gordon's net proceeds from these TV programs goes to support the restaurants. But it doesn't look like many of the contestants could balance their own chequebooks so perhaps the real agenda of the show is to clone some more Gordon Ramseys for the World. Has anyone asked us if that is what we need? Perhaps the next series will be a cook-off of competing bankruptcy attorneys vying for Gordo's business.

I just recently went on this rant with someone too. As a professionally trained chef, I resent Gordon't treatment of the contestants. This is how training used to be in the kitchen, you'd get screamed at, treated poorly and abused. Chefs were treated like servants who were property to be abused (I guess if you like to abuse your belongings.) During the 60's and 70's the status of a chef was elevated to be a profession. Ramsey's behavior brings the profession back decades. Why would the public want to watch people be abused? I just don't get it? Why would anyone think Ramsey's behavior would be motivating? This is a horrible show that promotes behaving in an ugly manner to completely demean others.

I LOVE Hell's Kitchen. No apologies. Yes, I guess I am entertained by seeing people FAIL, and I enjoy watching people getting cursed out. (I come from a conflict averse family, so I think it's therapuetic.) Throw in some sharp knives, and what's not to like! Maybe they could move the show one step further into absurdity by doing it American Idol style and have America call in votes.

hehe I'm not afraid to admit I kinda love Hell's Kitchen. Didn't know this season already started and just stayed up super late watching the premiere on hulu. Laughed out loud through the whole thing!

It's kinda like Wipeout. Watch it when you are feeling cranky. Just good ole fashion comic relief. :)

Well...I could not WAIT until the new season started but was very disappointed as well with all the inept contestants who seem to think they are "Julia Childs" and are the best in their business only to find out that they actually stink at it! The cursing has gotten way out of hand...the attitudes of the contestants reminds me of my childhood at home (not a good thing) and no one seems to be learning anything from Chef Ramsey. I don't think at this point that ANYONE is qualified to win at the end of this contest and if they do...it's only because SOMEONE has to win...that's the name of the game, right? Hope Chef Ramsey sees these comments and changes his show to where there are contestants like in the 1st and 2nd shows, people who WANT to win and actually have cooking some skills. Not some foul-mouthed, in-your-face, lazy good-for-nothing fat asses (why don't these people DIET for god's sakes?) Where's IS your pride? Overweight is okay...but morbidly obese? Disgusting to look at. And stopping work in the middle to have FOUR bottles of water? With THAT attitude? Can you just IMAGINE them being in charge as head chef at a prestigious restaurant? Can you? Of course not show is NOT believable. And it doesn't look like it's going to be any better next week with the fire. Just more drama.

And the "Keystone Cops" had more control over themselves than this group of losers.

I won't watch another episode if this doesn't change. Entertainment? I think not!

I watched Hell's Kitchen for the first time last night and wow was I unimpressed. I didn't realize the contestants were supposed to have talent - I felt like I was watching that show where Chef Jeff trying to teach kids who have gone down the wrong path in life to have a future in the culinary world.

Oh how sick am I of all miserable reality shows wherein abuse and vile behaviour are the norm. I can't bear Chef Ramsay and his posse of miscreants any longer.

I want to go on a picnic with Nigella!