Hell's Kitchen (American season 11)


Season 11 of the American competitive reality television series Hell's Kitchen premiered on March 12, 2013 on Fox.
This is the first season of Hell's Kitchen to feature 20 contestants. Unlike previous seasons, this was also the first season to open up in Las Vegas, where the chefs presented their signature dishes to Chef Ramsay in front of a live audience of 2,500 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. This season was also the first season where there wasn't always a challenge per dinner service. This was also the second season to feature two female finalists. Season 11 is Hell's Kitchen's longest season with 22 episodes.
Executive chef Ja'Nel Witt won the competition and received a head chef position at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill in Caesars Palace at Las Vegas. but was denied the position a month after winning for "unforeseen personal circumstances". As of June 2014, she holds a position as the executive chef of Corner Table, a canteen based in River Oaks, Houston.
Jon Scallion, who finished third and was deemed by Ramsay as the only great chef in the worst team in Hell's Kitchen history, became sous chef at Gordon Ramsay Steak under season 10 winner Christina Wilson.
This is the only season to date to featured double elimination twice.

Staff

returned as head chef as well as Andi Van Willigan as the red team's sous chef. Long-time maître d' Jean-Philippe Susilovic returned for the first time since season 7 due to his work commitments at Ramsay's London restaurant, Pétrus. However, previous blue team sous chef Scott Leibfried did not return due to his work obligation at Fleetwood's restaurant in Maui and was replaced by newcomer James Avery from Wall, New Jersey.

Production

During episode 7 of this season, Richard Brooker appeared in that episode as a samurai on the team challenge. Brooker died on April 8, 2013.

Opening sequence

The intro of this season depicts the chefs as they fight off Transformers-style robotic kitchen appliances as Hell's Kitchen turns into a battle zone, which ends with Ramsay morphing from one. Since the second episode, another version of the opening is shown featuring Zach saying "Get 'em Jon" just as Jon's name appears.

Chefs

For the first time ever, 20 chefs competed in season 11.
ContestantAgeOccupationHometownResult
Ja'Nel Witt31Executive ChefHouston, TexasWinner
Mary Poehnelt26Butcher/Line CookAmherst, MassachusettsRunner-Up
Jonathan "Jon" Scallion27Chef de CuisineYork, PennsylvaniaEliminated before Finals
Cynthia "Cyndi" Stanimirov25Head ChefBerlin, New JerseyEliminated before Finals
Susan Heaton Fierro29Culinary StudentSanta Ana, CaliforniaEliminated after 16th Service
Zach Womack34Head Line CookPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaEliminated before Black Jackets
Anthony Rodriguez27Line ChefNew Orleans, LouisianaEliminated after 13th Service
Nedra Harris24Kitchen ManagerDetroit, MichiganEliminated after 12th Service
Michael Langdon33Executive ChefPlains, PennsylvaniaEliminated after 11th Service
Raymond "Ray" Alongi51Executive ChefQuincy, MassachusettsEliminated after 10th Service
Barret Beyer35Head ChefRonkonkoma, New YorkEliminated after 9th Service
Amanda Giblin28Executive ChefPine Bush, New YorkEliminated after 9th Service
Jacqueline Baldassari27RoundsmanFlorence, New JerseyEliminated after 8th Service
Daniel "Dan" Ryan27Head CookHartsdale, New YorkEliminated after 7th Service
Jessica Lewis25Chef TournantAllentown, PennsylvaniaEliminated after 6th Service
Jeremy Madden22Lead CookPacoima, CaliforniaEliminated after 4th Service
Danielle Boorn33Executive ChefAtlanta, GeorgiaEliminated after 3rd Service
Christian Rosati38Line Cook/Sandwich MakerBoston, MassachusettsEliminated after 2nd Service
Gina Aloise49Line CookWilmington, DelawareLeft before 2nd Challenge
Sebastian Royo32Sous ChefBrooklyn, New YorkEliminated after 1st Service

;Notes

Contestant progress

Episodes

Each episode consists of a challenge with a reward, a service and an elimination.