True. It would be like calling "Kitchen Stadium" a restaurant.

Chef wins training & $2M restaurant
By TARA MERRIN - Calgary Sun

Michael Wray barely survived months of working with hot-headed British chef Gordon Ramsay -- now he's going back for more.

The winner of Fox's summer hit Hell's Kitchen is packing up his life and moving to England where he'll be trained by the celebrity chef, known as much for his foul-mouthed outbursts as he is for his cooking.

"Nothing is personal in the kitchen, and outside the kitchen he is wonderful," Wray says of his mentor.

"It's gonna be great."

Wray plans to make the move overseas within the next two months and then return to the U.S. next year when he'll start-up his $2 million US restaurant -- his prize for winning.

If all goes as planned, it will open in Las Vegas in 2007.

"I'd love to be in one of the big hotels, preferably at the Palms Casino Resort or at the Hard Rock Hotel," he says, adding he is not yet sure what type of food he'll offer his customers. "It's all about the space you are in."

Though viewers just found out Monday the 28-year-old conquered the culinary competition, Wray has had to keep the secret for seven months.

"In the beginning it was hard (not to tell), but it became fun. I made up stories. Somehow though, everybody just knew."

Maybe it's Wray's self-confidence that gave it away.

The Colorado resident, who lived in Ottawa as a teenager, was convinced he was going to win Hell's Kitchen from the first day of taping.

"From the beginning, I knew I was my toughest competition. I really just had to keep on top of it," he says.

That self-assurance, along with 12 years of kitchen experience, is likely what led Wray to victory, despite some vicious competition -- the toughest being Ralph Pagano, a 36-year-old freelance chef from New Jersey, who came in second when the symbolic door to his new restaurant didn't open during the finale.

"I felt guilty in the beginning about Ralph. I was hoping both of our doors would open at the same time," says Wray.

That guilt, however, has subsided. Wray is glad to report that Pagano is also living his dream -- he has opened his own deli/restaurant in Sag Harbor New York called Fat Ralphs.

That's the follow-up story I was waiting for! Thanks!

Where are all the conspiracy kooks in this thread who owe Fox, Michael, and Ramsay an apology?

We have partial closure!

I am friends with a guy I work with who has a close friend who is a chef in England for Ramsay. From what he says, the guy is never mean in the kitchen. I guess either that guy is so good that Ramsay is cool around him or the nice Ramsay we saw was the true Ramsay most of the time. I am thinking he must have some mean streak in him or else he is the best actor in the world.

On one of the podcasts I was listening to, the people on it said that Ramsay seemed to put on a show for television crews, but when alone in the restaurants he was very civilized.

Well, working on a daily basis in the real world is going to be different from a televised kitchen boot camp. I expect there'd be differences in behavior.

I know but they billed him as a hardass in real life (in the kitchen at least) and that doesn't appear to be the case according to one guy who works with him. I don't care b/c I loved the show, but it seems like another example of reality shows not being real (which most of us knew already).

If you've watched his other shows (i.e. Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares), he appears to be nice, but if he thinks you are a F-up, he'll tell you to your face that you are a F-up. He doesn't hold back.

From watching Hell's Kitchen, it definately appears he was somewhat putting on a show, at least kicking it up a couple notches. Re-watch the first episode. Even on the second episode, he wasn't as bad, and definately on the latter episodes he was much more civilized.

All that said, to me, he appears to be a very nice and genuine guy, but knows how to extract the best out of people in the kitchen.

I kind of doubt that he would actually speak to the customers in real life the same way he did on the show.

I bet he wishes he could sometimes. Not only that, it was damn funny.

For those who enjoyed Gordon Ramsay's "Hell's Kitchen" (as I absolutely did), season 2 will begin airing on Fox on June 12 @ 9/8c. Along with "Rock Star: INXS" this was my favorite summer show last year.

We enjoyed H's Kitchen and will watch the new one.

Mrs. Pusser is watching "Top Chef" but I'm not that into it.

Awesome. I loved Hell's Kitchen last summer (it's a good summer show to break up the reruns), and look forward to Season 2.

Those were my favorites from last summer as well. It's too bad Rock Star won't be nearly as interesting this time around. It's good to see HK is coming back.

After being addicted to Bravo's Top Chef, it was lacking most of the fun and over-the-top campiness that was in Hell's Kitchen.

I am awaiting the second season with open arms.

Bump for tonight's season opener. I just finished watching Top Chef and I have just started watching Kitchen Nightmares on the BBC. I'm really looking forward to this one-I need something to watch in the summer.:)

Just to keep things tidy I started a new thread for this season:

Season 2 Discussion