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BURRELL: In today's competitive culinary world,
top restaurants need the best of the best to run their kitchens,
so they turn to me.
I'm Anne Burrell...
and this is "Chef Wanted."
[Bleep] Oh, my chicken is not done.
You have your earthy orange mushrooms.
Come on, get excited.
I haven't butchered fish in forever.
Well, I can tell you, you butchered it.
Come on!
You really want that in my restaurant?
Damn it! Aah, I cut my finger!
[ Whistles ]
BURRELL: This week, I'm at Tapenade in Los Angeles, California.
After years of working with Michelin-starred chefs,
chef/owner Ressul Rassallat recently opened
his own dream Mediterranean restaurant.
But now, nine months later,
Chef Ressul and general manager Chuck Craig
are in search of a chef de cuisine
that would allow Chef Ressul
to step out of the kitchen
so that he can focus on growing the business
and turning Tapenade
into a profitable destination for LA diners.
It's become so stressful and so difficult
for me to operate the restaurant.
For the right candidate, this is a chance
to leave their mark on the Los Angeles dining scene.
Hello.
Hi. How are you?
Good. How are you? I'm Chef Ressul. Pleasure.
Welcome, Chef Anne.
I'm Chuck Craig,
and I'm Ressul's general manager at Tapenade.
Wow. All right. So, tell me what your story is.
Well, I found this place, and I fell in love with it,
and I built this restaurant myself.
It took me about 11 months to build it.
We've been searching for the chef de cuisine
for the last seven months.
Right now, with so much pressure to me, Anne,
we are struggling to see if we can make it
or we have to close it.
He's brought it to a point
where it's really good and people are responding.
But we need to get him to the front of the restaurant.
He needs to become the face of this restaurant,
and that chef de cuisine is necessary,
essential to make that happen.
So, I've brought you four chefs.
We are ready.
All right, well, show me the way to the kitchen.
Chef, right this way.
First up, we have Chef Tiffany from New York City.
TIFFANY: I'm organized, I'm efficient.
I tend to have potty mouth, though.
I cuss a lot.
[Bleep]
I'm Chef Tiffany Friedman,
originally from New York, New York.
I became interested in cooking and being a chef
when I was 16 years old.
My dad had opened a restaurant in the West Village.
I was gonna go to culinary school.
All the chefs were like, "No, no.
Just go to work. Go to work."
My life now is I'm a single mom.
I am raising a beautiful daughter, Phoenix.
Right now I'm a private chef.
I have a couple families I cook for every week.
This job would improve our life financially,
and it'd put more stability on the table.
I hope I can make her happy.
Welcome.
All right, then we have Chef Suzanne from San Diego.
SUZANNE: I'm definitely a female in the kitchen,
but I wear the pants.
My name is Suzanne Williams.
Growing up the youngest of three older brothers,
I definitely grew up the tough girl.
When I was graduating from high school,
my family came up on some hard times.
My parents' business started to go down with the recession.
We were kicked out of our house.
It was really tough, but through all of that turmoil,
I have definitely determined
that I never want to be at that spot again.
Currently, I am the sous-chef
at a winery and kitchen in Leucadia, California.
But I'm definitely looking to take the next step,
and the position at Tapenade
was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up.
It is exactly what I'm looking for.
Hi.
Then we have Chef Victor from LBC --
Long Beach, California.
Hi.
VICTOR: I was the youngest kid,
but I was the man of the house, you know?
I was the only boy.
My name is Victor Sanchez,
and I'm a private Chef from Long Beach, California.
I grew up in Los Angeles with a single mom.
One way to help her out
was to help out cooking dinner for the family,
and that's the way I started doing it,
and I've been cooking ever since.
I started working at a restaurant
and really started hitting my stride as a chef,
but after a couple years, my family kind of needed me.
My sister and her four kids and myself
are living at home with my mom,
so it's pretty tight, and it gets pretty hectic.
I think it's definitely been *** my mom.
My mom is in her 60s,
and she's still working two jobs.
I would like to just support her
in the same way she did us all her life.
Hi. How are you?
Very good.
And we have another local guy,
Chef Charbel from right here in LA.
People call me "The Mailman" because I deliver.
My name is Charbel Adaimy.
I'm an executive sous-chef.
I graduated by the skin of my teeth.
After my second D.U.I.,
I was sentenced to 20 days in jail,
and that's when I met the chef
that would inspire me into the culinary field.
My first culinary job was all for love.
I wasn't even getting paid.
Then I got lucky.
The executive chef got fired, and I stepped in.
I was working hard, and I got married.
The day my daughter was born, that was the day
that I had to become the best I could be at everything,
and I tried, and I'm still trying.
I feel like I'm 80% there,
but if I get this job, it'll be 110%.
Hi. How are you, Chef?
RASSALLAT: Chef, welcome to Tapenade.
Are you ready to tell us about our first test?
Sure.
Ratatouille is of Mediterranean ingredients
and developed in the seaside of Nice.
For your first test, you have a freedom of choice
to create your own version of the ratatouille.
We're looking for your best version for this restaurant.
You have 45 minutes for your ratatouille test.
And your time starts now!
VICTOR: It's definitely difficult
to make a new version of ratatouille.
It's such a simple dish
that it's hard to make it fine dining or really elegant.
The version of ratatouille I'm making is Italian-style
with golden raisin, crispy prosciutto,
and balsamic vinegar.
I'm doing it for my family.
My mom works a lot, and she's 62 now.
I want her to have
her own little place where she can relax.
If I get this job, I could help her out.
[ Whistles ]
This is my dad's salt shaker.
I bring it on every job with me.
He passed away about 10 years ago,
and he was a huge influence on my life.
If I got the job at Tapenade, my dad would be proud.
My signature version of ratatouille
is brunoise ratatouille on polenta
with truffle oil and burrata cheese.
This ratatouille is nothing out of the box about it
that's gonna get you past this test, all right?
Okay. Do you have any suggestions?
I have a suggestion not to use the truffle oil.
I'm not gonna overpower it.
I know -- 'cause I can totally screw that up.
I feel you on that one.
It could be, like, overpowering.
But I hope it will taste good. I feel like it will.
I feel like it will taste good.
Chef Anne is concerned
that I am using truffle oil in my polenta,
but I really felt like sticking to something
that has been tried and true for me on many events and jobs.
Truffle oil coming through.
CHARBEL: Whenever I can get an opportunity
to get a better job in LA, I'm gonna try to take it.
I need to stay in the area
'cause my wife has got a great job down here,
and she actually makes all the money.
My wife is doing a great job and taking care of us,
and she pays most of the bills.
So I sacrifice, you know,
and I'll do whatever I can for the family.
I just want to show that I can cook and do my best.
I'm gonna try to lattice some sliced zucchini and squashes.
And then I'm gonna stuff it with a little ratatouille inside.
My version of ratatouille is gonna be a ratatouille cadeau,
which is French for "present."
The presentation, I hope, will carry me through.
Everybody likes a present, don't they?
BURRELL: Chefs, 30 minutes remain.
Use your time wisely.
SUZANNE: My parents, when I was in high school,
was having some tough times,
and so, when I was going to college,
I was working two jobs and going to school full time
and giving them my paychecks, and that's why I work so hard.
I never want to go back to that spot.
I'm making this ratatouille unique
by making a panzanella salad out of it
to keep it fresh and lively
but still have the same familiar flavors.
So you're doing like a panzanella ratatouille?
All right. I like it.
Make sure that you get, like, nice oil in there, nice salt.
Make sure it tastes great, okay?
[Bleep] damn it!
You're doing this dish, all right?
I cut my finger!
I cut my finger!
I'm bleeding!
Are you all right?
No, you're not all right?
I can't -- I'm sorry.
I can't -- I can't look at blood.
That's cool. Don't worry about it.
I was just dicing zucchini, and all of a sudden, whoop!
Knife goes through my finger.
I'm going home right now. I'm just done.
Wasting time. It's awesome. I love it.
A little more pressure on me. No problem.
BURRELL: Four chefs are competing
for a chef de cuisine job at Tapenade.
They're in the middle of their first test --
making a creative ratatouille.
Aah, I cut my finger!
I cut my finger!
Pretty seriously.
Band-Aids, a medic -- You need to wash your hand.
I was just dicing zucchini, and all of a sudden, whoop!
Knife goes through my finger.
I'm going home right now. I'm just done.
Can I get a towel, or a paper towel? Paper towel?
I didn't want to lose too much time.
I got napkins and wrapped it up
and just stuck a glove on there and vámonos.
There you go.
Back to cooking.
Five minutes left! Use it wisely.
[Bleep]
Burned my croutons.
I'm completely pissed off.
I burned the croutons.
It is a really good dish and a really good concept,
but it will be incomplete without the croutons.
Maybe instead of baking these,
how about, like,
really infusing some olive oil with garlic and frying?
I need to get this done fast.
BURRELL: 30 seconds, chefs! 30 seconds!
All these crazy things are going on in the kitchen.
Charbel cutting his finger...
I can't do anything with this finger! God!
...then Suzanne burns her bread.
I'm like, "Yes!
"This is your chance to kind of move forward
and just execute."
Chefs, 15 seconds!
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
That's it. Hands up. You're done.
Chef Victor, you're up first.
Today my version of ratatouille is an Italian ratatouille
with shaved Manchego, crispy prosciutto,
and a polenta.
I like the texture of the polenta
against the ratatouille.
It's a nice combination.
You can work a little bit on more presentation, more cleaner.
Otherwise, it will be an awesome dish.
BURRELL: Thank you, Chef.
Tiffany, you're up next.
My interpretation of ratatouille is deep-fried polenta,
and I used burrata cheese for creaminess.
I don't understand the use of truffle oil,
and no, it's not light.
It's too much.
It doesn't present as ratatouille.
It presents as polenta.
The flavor of the burrata was great.
Your skill of cutting the vegetables almost the same size
is perfect.
It's an adventurous dish,
and I kind of like that about it.
Thank you so much, Chef.
All right, Chef Charbel, you're up next.
My interpretation of ratatouille is a ratatouille cadeau.
And I stuffed it with a Lebanese-style ratatouille
with some cinnamon and some allspice.
Great thing about this dish -- I can taste the cinnamon.
Bad about it -- Your vegetable has no color.
All right, Chef Suzanne, you're up next.
My version of ratatouille today was a panzanella ratatouille.
It showcases all the fruit and vegetables,
the savory qualities of a ratatouille.
I'm glad to see
that your croutons worked out a little bit.
[ Laughs ]
I like the created --
You add some croutons to it for crunchiness.
That's something is out of the box.
I think it's the most interesting presentation
we've seen today.
I love the lightness of it.
It says "California" to me as well as Mediterranean.
I would like more herbs in there
because, you know, this is fresh summer on a plate.
Show me the herbage that goes along with that.
Thank you.
You guys have cooked. We've tasted.
They have come to a decision.
Chefs, thank you all very much for being here today.
Obviously, you're all very skilled.
Unfortunately, one of you
will not go on to the next round today.
The chef whose job interview ends now is...
[ Dramatic music plays ]
...Tiffany.
Thank you.
BURRELL: Tiffany was unwilling to change.
I counseled her -- Maybe don't use truffle oil.
And so she didn't really listen,
and because of that, it sent her right home.
TIFFANY: They were not overall happy with the flavors in my dish.
But yeah, I'm proud I came here,
and I'm very grateful to even have been a part of it.
Test number two is going to start right now.
Chefs, we would not let you go on to the final phase,
the dinner service, without showing us
your version of a tapenade.
We provide you the basic ingredients of tapenade --
Capers, olives, and olive oil.
We'd like you to select one protein --
Fish, chicken, or beef tenderloin.
So, you have 60 minutes to butcher your protein
and make a tapenade.
And your time starts right now!
I got chicken, and I had no problem butchering it.
But to use every piece of the chicken
and to make a tapenade that pairs well with it
is the real challenge.
I am making a piquillo pepper tapenade.
It'll be accompanied with cranberry beans
cooking in the fond from the chicken thighs.
I am definitely a badass girl chef.
I will be the executive chef
and take charge and run the kitchen
and get the respect that I deserve.
I got the branzino.
I'm trying to butcher my filets out.
I haven't done this in a long time,
so it's gonna be a little bit tricky for me.
I can't butcher a branzino with one hand!
I haven't butchered fish in forever.
Well, I can tell you, you butchered it.
Butchering this fish is obviously terrible,
but at least my tapenade is gonna be great.
I got a white anchovy and heart of palm tapenade
with some green olives.
I hope that's gonna carry me to the next round.
I got to work for my baby and my wifey.
30 minutes, chefs. 30 minutes.
Hi, Carrot Top.
[ Both laugh ]
All right, what do you got going on?
VICTOR: I portioned my filet already.
So, what are you gonna put in your tapenade?
Capers, Kalamata green olives, lemon zest, roasted garlic.
Show me some more interesting stuff.
When I described what I was doing,
she kind of went, "Eh."
You've got a boring piece of meat.
So you've got to add zest of this --
Like, zest or little pieces of these guys.
It'd be really nice with carrots,
and then you have your earthy orange mushrooms.
Come on! Get excited!
All right.
Chef Anne definitely helped me take my dish to the next level.
It's gonna be a little more rustic.
It's gonna have a lot of herbs in it
instead of orange or grapefruit.
25 minutes, chefs. 25 minutes left.
All right? Yeah, that's right.
If I were you, I'd open a can of whoop-*** on that chicken.
I'm definitely concerned about cooking the chicken.
BURRELL: Come on, I want to see you hurry up.
Have you started cooking your filet yet?
VICTOR: Right now, Chef.
It needs to be cooked perfectly to medium rare.
Got it, Chef.
I forgot about them, to be honest.
Oh, my God.
Come on.
10 minutes!
Five minutes.
Oh, my chicken is not done.
I cut it open. It's raw.
Chicken is not done.
Chicken is not done? What are you talking about?
I am going home. This is the end of it.
Five minutes.
Oh, my chicken is not done.
I cut it open. It's raw.
Oh, my God, your chicken is way underdone.
How are we supposed to try that?
My heart sank.
Oh, my God.
Why don't you put it there?
You did not start those steaks early enough.
VICTOR: I pulled the filet out of the oven.
I'm not sure if it's gonna be raw, rare.
You have two minutes! Get anything on the plate!
Go, go, go, go, go! You are not gonna get the --
You don't even have your plates?
One minute left.
My God.
You don't have time to slice it.
Get them on the plate! Get them on the plate!
You have 10 seconds.
Oh, my God.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
That's it. Hands up. You're done.
Cheese and rice.
[Bleep]
I didn't get my tapenade on the plate.
That's the whole point of the exercise.
This is the end of it.
I left the tapenade off at Tapenade.
BURRELL: All right, chefs, come on in, please.
CHARBEL: Suzanne doesn't get the tapenade on the plate.
I'm like, "I got this.
There's no way I'm going home now."
Chef Charbel, you're up first.
What I made for you today was a seared branzino
with a marinated white anchovy tapenade
and a warm orzo salad with a sherry gastrique.
Is this your first time you butchered the fish?
No, it's not the first time I've ever butchered a fish,
but it's been a while.
There's some powerful flavors going on in there.
I'm not sure how well they all come together on the plate.
But I think you made some interesting choices.
Thank you very much.
Victor, what did you make?
VICTOR: I loved the way the plate looked.
But that temperature,
it was either gonna make or break me.
The protein I chose for you today was beef tenderloin,
and the tapenade I chose to pair with it
is a green olive Kalamata citrus tapenade.
[ Laughs nervously ]
What do you think about how it's cooked?
It looks very good.
[ Chuckling ] Thanks, Chef.
I really love it, actually.
It's exciting, it's complex, it's sweet, it's salty.
I think the things that you chose to pair with it,
you do really well.
Thank you.
All right, Chef Suzanne.
I chose whole chicken.
My tapenade was supposed to be a piquillo pepper tapenade,
but it did not make it on the plate.
I love that you used the whole chicken.
I'm very sad
that you did not get the tapenade on the plate.
Do you have it? Where is it?
Um...
It's in the kitchen.
Go get it.
I was blown away.
I might still have a chance.
All right, so, what's in here?
Piquillo peppers, hazelnut, capers,
sherry vinegar, parsley.
I want more of that tapenade after tasting it.
Overall, it was better than...okay.
[ Chuckles ]
That's a compliment coming from this guy.
[ Laughter ]
Unfortunately, only two of you can move forward
in the next part of this job interview,
which is the dinner service.
The chef whose job interview ends now is...
[ Dramatic music plays ]
...Chef Charbel.
Of course.
Pleasure.
Pleasure.
Thank you. Good luck in the future.
Thank you.
Chef Charbel revealed a lack of basic technique
with the knife and butchering that we need in the kitchen.
CHARBEL: I didn't make it today,
but don't count me out, you know.
I'm still gonna be there.
Someday you'll hear my name somewhere.
I'd like to thank Chef Ressul and Chef Burrell
for the opportunity,
and I hope the chefs have a great service tomorrow night.
BURRELL: Congratulations.
You are moving on
to the final phase of this job interview process --
the dinner service.
SUZANNE: I am so excited.
I didn't think that I would move forward.
I forgot my tapenade on the plate.
I thought that was the end for me.
Chef Suzanne, you will cook tomorrow night.
Chef Victor, you will cook the following night.
All right? Write great menus, be creative.
and if you want this job, show us, all right?
Thank you, chefs. Have a great night.
Thank you.
Heading back to the restaurant
the morning of my dinner service,
I'm feeling confident but very anxious.
To get it all done in time for dinner service
is overwhelming.
And then like that.
This opportunity is perfect for me at Tapenade
because I have my family still in LA,
so that would be nice to be close to them.
We're a really close family.
I went through
some really tough times financially with my family.
It's really important for me to protect myself financially.
This job would mean that for me.
It would mean financial stability.
Are you comfortable poaching eggs?
No, you've never done it before?
Okay. I'm not gonna have you do that then.
Everything is at stake for me now.
This is it. I came here to get this job.
Hey, Chef.
Staff, this is Chef Suzanne,
and she is applying for the chef de cuisine position
at Tapenade.
For my first appetizer,
I did a warm green bean salad with a poached egg.
No.
I wanted to, but the two guys I was working with
both said that they didn't know how to.
So, you're the chef. Show them.
Don't throw your guys under the bus.
Yes. Sorry, Chef.
Let's move on.
Okay, so, for my second appetizer,
I did a slow cooked lamb belly
with Israeli couscous and pine nut gremolata on top.
The braising is done wonderfully.
It tastes awesome. The couscous needs more flavors.
My first entrée is scallops with a chorizo succotash
and a preserved lemon vinaigrette.
For my second entrée, I have braised chicken thighs
with broccoli rabe and a piquillo pepper jam.
So, where's the braising liquid here?
It needs some juice on the plate.
I didn't have it reduced enough for it to be there.
It's an incomplete plate,
and I think that that should not have --
You shouldn't have served this to us.
Okay.
I hope that you guys can see through my food,
which you will tonight, that I love to do this
and it's my passion, and thank you, guys,
for supporting me in this.
On behalf of the staff, we wish you good luck this evening.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chef.
Enjoy your dinner. Thanks for joining us tonight.
Thank you so much for coming.
A pleasure.
You can slice these olives like this.
I have a ton of changes to my menu
and very little time to do it in.
I still need to poach all my eggs for service.
I need to finish rolling pasta.
I need to finish my chicken.
I am feeling so overwhelmed.
I absolutely feel like I'm about to go into battle.
I feel like there's about to be a stampede of horses
running me over.
CRAIG: We're thrilled you could join us for dinner.
This is a very special evening.
WOMAN: Start with the scallops.
Sure.
I'm gonna have the scallops and the lamb.
I'll get the seared scallops.
I just want you all to know this really means a lot to me,
and I really want this job.
This is my passion. I love to cook.
And so I'm so thankful you guys are helping me.
So let's do it. Let's make it good.
Let's do it easy.
It'll be a good one. Thanks, guys.
[ Printer whirring ]
First ticket!
One green bean, one gazpacho,
and two scallops.
I need one more gazpacho, two more scallops,
and one more green bean.
The tickets start rolling in,
and I'm feeling the shot of adrenaline through the roof.
12 more scallops, please.
55, and then you can take this one to 36.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Thank you.
My guest got her food 10 minutes ago,
and we're still waiting for the scallops.
We've been waiting like an hour maybe.
I'm so sorry for the delay.
17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 scallops
is what I need all day, Chef.
BURRELL: Are tables going out complete or what?
Because from what I'm hearing, they're not.
Dinner service started off really rocky.
I have scallops sitting here on the flattop
cooking not fast enough.
I have tables that have incomplete orders.
This needs to go. Why is this sitting here?
I come to find out my expo
definitely didn't have it together.
This one needs lamb belly, lamb belly,
pasta, pasta, lamb, chicken.
We're trying to push through it.
It's really intense.
I'm trying to make sure that everything looks nice,
but make sure that I keep and maintain order, as well.
I need one lamb right now, please,
and I need one pasta right now.
I need seven scallops, please.
I don't see that table 62 was ever fired,
so you took it out to that table,
but it was never fired.
I know that people are out there waiting for these dishes.
I need that food, please. They cannot wait anymore longer.
I am at the point where Chef Ressul
is coming in and yelling at me.
How long does it take for one appetizer?
Come on.
Can I get an all day on scallops, please?
Two for 67 and two more for 54.
And then we're out of scallops.
Try over there. Try over there.
So, what are you gonna do to replace it?
SUZANNE: At this point, I'm in panic mode.
I don't know what to do.
Suzanne, if you're gonna run this kitchen in the future,
I need some more leadership from you.
If it continues like this,
there's absolutely no way I'm gonna get this job.
Where's my expediter?
BURRELL: Chef Suzanne is in charge of Tapenade for the night.
A successful service can mean a new chef de cuisine job.
Can I get an all day on scallops, please?
Two for 67 and two more for 54.
We're out of scallops.
So, what are you gonna do to replace it?
SUZANNE: At this point, I'm in panic mode.
I don't know what to do.
Can you give me some tuna instead of it?
Yeah.
There's tuna in the walk-in.
But luckily Chef Ressul let me know,
"Hey, we have some special ahi tuna in the fridge."
These are seared red.
Sear them up lightly to get warm,
and you're gonna be fine.
Okay.
I get the ahi tuna. I sear it.
I get it on the plate...
They are gonna love this.
...and I actually took it out to the table.
Hi.
I apologize for the delay.
You're welcome.
SUZANNE: I hope that I can show Chef Ressul
that it is definitely something that I am comfortable to do.
I need five lamb, please.
Where's my expediter?
If the expediter is screwing up or screwing you up,
then have a little chitchat and straighten her out..
Okay.
...because this is your responsibility.
Absolutely.
Ultimately, I need to take
control of this situation right now.
Yes, ma'am?
We are a team, okay?
You're this half. I'm this half.
We can do it together.
I'm not yelling, but we're yelling.
Yeah.
Right here.
If my staff is not able to do what I need them to do...
Send it out! Let's go!
...it's my job to motivate them.
One of each, just go. 47.
47.
Come on, pick it up. We're almost done, guys.
Keep pushing, keep pushing.
Two lamb, table 41.
Take these now.
BURRELL: I think she's regained her sense of self.
She's had a little trouble with the expediter,
but she's back on track.
This is a girl that's owning her dinner service,
and that's great.
Come on, guys, we can do this.
We're almost done, guys. Come on.
I'm working as fast as I can, and so are they.
Two more pastas.
I need you to plate up a bunch of lamb, please.
I'm so passionate about cooking, and this is what I love to do,
and I don't want to lose it
over silly things that can be fixed in the moment.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Good.
The lamb is really good.
Are these smiles of happiness about the food?
They are.
The scallops are really nice.
Oh, good.
Come on, guys, we're almost there.
Let's go. Push it out.
This dessert is really delicious.
It was well done.
Everything has been done very, very well.
Guys, last ticket.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Yeah, give it to me!
This is it. This is what I came here for.
I came here to get this job.
Everything is at stake right now.
Thank you, guys, so much, for all your help.
I couldn't have done it without you guys.
Great service, guys.
Down the line, down the line, down the line.
All right.
Thanks, guys.
So, Chef, how are you?
Are you?
Yes.
You're pre-shift was pretty horrifying.
Yeah.
But I have to say, you turned it around
and you pulled it out.
Everyone really liked your food, so brava.
Thank you.
I'm glad it worked out.
It's really exciting getting to dinner service,
but I feel nervous
because it's been a long time since I ran a dinner service,
so it's gonna be really intense.
I really need this for my family.
We all need it as a family.
We're broke. My mom's working two jobs.
Me helping out financially would be huge.
We need a cooked lamb.
We need a cooked duck breast.
Duck sauce with a cherry.
Hi. How are you?
Hi.
This is Chef Victor, and he is interviewing
for the chef de cuisine position at Tapenade.
Hi.
For my first appetizer, I did a panzanella salad
with heirloom cherry tomatoes, bocconcini fresh mozzarella,
and toasted croutons.
For my second course, I have house-made pappardelle
with corn, oyster mushroom, and a little mascarpone.
The dish is missing salt.
Salt? Okay.
For my third appetizer, I have a pan-seared scallop
with roasted apricot, frisée salad,
and a blood-orange gastrique.
I like it. It's really good.
Great flavor. I agree.
Thank you.
For my first entrée,
I have rack of lamb with couscous and yogurt
and cucumber dressing.
Okay.
For my second entrée,
I have crispy duck breast,
Brussels sprouts with shallots,
and then we have a fig-cherry demiglace.
You could have seared the skin a little bit more.
Make sure the skin is more crispy.
Okay.
And finally, for my dessert,
I have an espresso panna cotta
with chantilly cream and a berry compote.
This is very important to me.
Currently, my living situation with my mother --
She's older and has two jobs.
Getting this job
would really make a huge difference in our lives.
Chef, on behalf of the staff,
we all wish you the best tonight.
Thank you so much.
All right, good luck. Go have a great service.
Thank you for joining us tonight.
We have a red Cabernet.
I hope you enjoy your meal.
Chefs, come on over here, please.
I just want to thank you right now ahead of time.
I really need this job for my mom, my family, and myself,
and I just really appreciate your hard work and help.
All right, let's do this. Yeah!
Let's do it, baby!
Scallops are good?
I'm gonna get that then.
Crispy duck breast.
The lamb is gonna come prepared medium rare.
Medium?
Yeah.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
You go here. Two scallops.
First ticket.
Four scallops, one panzanella -- Sorry, two panzanella.
One lamb, medium rare.
Got it? All right.
I'm gonna set up your plates, all right?
Thank you.
WOMAN: Chef Ressul!
Pleasure. Thank you so much for coming.
It's so wonderful being here.
I've noticed, though,
that there really isn't an option for me tonight
on the menu because I'm gluten-free...
...and vegan.
Um, I will speak with the chef.
We'll see what we can do.
Thank you.
Okay, don't burn those, all right?
I got it. I got it.
Chef, I have a young lady here.
She's one of the best customers we had.
She's vegan.
She cannot do gluten or nothing.
For entrée, we can do the lamb.
She cannot have meat.
No meat?
Okay, so we're doing a vegetarian pasta for her.
Oh, no. No dairy, huh?
Okay. Um...
Okay.
Fish?
The pressure of the service to Chef Victor
get to him very quickly.
I was not so happy about it.
No pappardelle, no fish.
No lamb, no duck.
I sound like I don't know what I'm talking about.
Okay.
This is my job on the line here.
Oh, man.
[Bleep] Okay.
BURRELL: Chef Victor is in charge of Tapenade for the night.
A successful service could mean a new chef de cuisine job.
She's vegan.
She cannot do gluten or nothing.
For her entrée, we can do the lamb.
She cannot have meat.
Okay. Um...
Okay.
I had so many things running through my mind.
I don't know what to do. I need to get it together.
For their appetizer, panzanella, no bread?
She cannot do milk or dairy.
No burrata, and then for entrée,
we'll do a nice vegetable plate for her.
Thank you.
Chef, what table?
It's table 67.
Panzanella, no bread, okay?
I really want this job,
and I want to make my mom proud, so I need to get it out.
Red wine vinegar, salt and pepper in here, okay?
How soon for the vegan plate?
Coming right now.
Hello, ladies.
I have the gluten-free panzanella.
Oh, wow. Thank you.
It's beautiful.
I need four lamb -- Three medium, one medium rare.
Six duck *** all day.
Okay, I'm gonna leave these duck for you, okay?
These duck for you, okay?
More scallops, more scallops.
Seven, okay? Seven. Yeah.
Hot, hot, hot.
Victor is definitely getting his exercise tonight.
I mean, he could not have things set up further apart.
Hey, you -- You dice it,
I'll put it in the oven for you, okay?
I definitely felt like, "I'm screwing this up."
Four lamb -- Three medium, one medium rare.
Victor starts having a problem
with lambs not being cooked very well.
This lamb is waiting on three duck ***.
Three duck, no problem.
Duck isn't being rendered well,
and attention to detail is not there.
What temperature are these ducks supposed to be cooked to?
We're going with medium, okay?
All right, well, which one is supposed to be medium?
And which one is supposed to --
That one -- What is that?
Sorry about that. Okay. All right.
The duck *** are just brown on the outside.
They are not rendered at all.
The duck breast has a nice layer of fat.
You get all that ducky, fatty goodness,
and the skin is really golden brown and crispy.
These have been seared incorrectly.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Hi, ladies. How is everything?
This was supposed to be crispy duck,
but there's no crisp to the duck.
Can I take it back to the kitchen
and see if we could try to crisp up some duck for you?
All right.
RASSALLAT: Sir, how is it?
The skin's not crispy at all.
Would you like me to take it back?
Okay.
BURRELL: Chef.
Yes?
I need three ducks that are crispy right now.
Three ducks, crispy. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Yes?
The skin is not crispy. They cannot eat it.
I'm sorry, Chef. I will replace that, okay?
It started with the duck coming back,
and I'm losing control little by little.
I need to come back from this.
We just need to get a hard sear on these, okay?
A hard sear.
Sir? How is your lamb?
Would you like me to cook it more?
Yeah, I want it medium.
Okay.
Let's pull some of that lamb out, okay?
Yes?
The temperature here -- He asked for medium.
It's almost rare.
I just feel this job
just totally slipping through my fingers,
and I'm just --
I'm gonna be an utter disappointment to everybody.
No, sir.
Okay, I need that food, please. Come on!
No, sir.
Okay, I need that food, please. Come on!
This is not me, and this is not how I cook,
and I'm not gonna go out like this.
I need four ducks on the fly, okay?
Rápido. Gracias.
Is your duck gonna be too fatty?
Put them on this side and drain the fat in there, okay?
I got with my guy
and made sure he wasn't using overcooked duck.
How long on crispy duck?
All right.
All right, so, let's try take two.
The duck, Chef, the duck, Chef.
Here you go. Your duck, Chef.
Okay.
BURRELL: Yes?
Hurray! Okay.
Let me know what you think.
All right.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
It's good. Good crust.
Thank you so much.
All right, let's regroup, guys, okay?
I need to come back from this,
and I need to come back from this right now.
I need one lamb, medium.
We got it. We got it.
Here you go. What do you think, Chef?
Okay.
I'm finishing 53.
We got to push entrées, okay?
We're not getting anything coming back, okay?
RASSALLAT: I hope this time the temperature is much better.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Is it better?
Are you sure?
Thank you.
Seeing those smiling faces out in the dining room
gave me the strength,
and now I can finish out strong,
make my mom proud, make my family proud,
and do it for me and do it for them.
All right, guys, come on.
We're almost done. We're almost done.
Let's go, let's go, let's go. Doing good.
Those are your mediums, okay?
Okay, very good.
Chef, you're the best. Thank you.
Things got fixed,
and he really dug in and owned it.
Guys, last ticket! All right!
Thank you, guys. Thank you.
The pappardelle was fantastic.
I had the scallops. They were amazing.
Delicious.
Mmm.
Victor, how are you?
I'm good. I'm good.
Yeah? You survived?
I did, yeah.
Overall, had some definite successes.
So that's a good thing.
Yeah, it is. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
Congratulations. Good job.
Thank you.
It's been a wild few days, huh?
We saw two very different dinner services.
I like the way Chef Victor held up till the end.
We did get into some serious wait times,
and it did seem to me that a number of dishes came back.
But he held with it, and he stuck with it.
Chef Suzanne was a little bit nervous in the beginning
and tried to adjust what we were asking them to do.
Her lamb was great. Had some great flavors.
Her salad and her soup was wonderful.
For me, always following direction
is very important.
So, do you guys think you know what you'd like to do?
I believe so. We've made our decision.
All right, shall we go tell the chefs?
Absolutely.
All right. Let's go let them know.
Okay.
As I promised, it was going to be a very intense
and aggressive job-interview process.
So, these guys have deliberated.
So, would you like to tell us about your decision?
Chef Suzanne and Chef Victor, the decision we made,
it was not easy.
We were looking for the chef understand our direction.
Suzanne, you started a little bit weak,
but you pulled together.
Chef Victor, I know you started very strong,
but in the middle of the service,
you were having difficulty to pull together.
At the end, you did.
We saw some good things from each of you,
and we saw some things that concerned us.
And at the end of the day,
there can only be one chef de cuisine for Tapenade.
The chef whose job interview ends now is...
[ Dramatic music plays ]
...Chef Victor.
Thank you. It was a pleasure.
Thank you so much for everything.
Thank you so much. Chef Anne, thank you.
Thank you.
I knew in my heart I didn't get it.
I didn't feel like I deserved it
for what I did in that dinner service,
so I think it was the right decision, 100%.
This is only gonna make me stronger, really,
because sometimes you got to get knocked down to get back up.
Oh, man!
[ Laughter ]
Let me put it on for you.
Oh, my God, are you kidding me?
I got it.
I'm so grateful to be able to do this
and to do something that I love
and to be chef de cuisine of a restaurant.
Are you kidding?
Congratulations, doll.
Yeah. You did a great job.
[ Cheers and applause ]
SUZANNE: To be able to make a name for myself,
it's everything that I've worked so hard for,
and to finally be the one on top
instead of being the one passed over is priceless.
BURRELL: For updates and more, go to...
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.