Community Corner

Andora Chef Debuts on TV's 'Hell's Kitchen'

Chef at Scott Township restaurant on hit television show.

Elise Wims is making her television debut Monday night on “Hell’s Kitchen” as a contestant on the show that matches aspiring restaurateurs with the fiery-tempered celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay.

Wims, 27, a 2002 Woodland Hills High School graduate, stars in the ninth season of the FOX show featuring aspiring chefs competing for the head position at BLT Steak in New York City.

“I am really nervous to watch myself on TV—it’s nervous excitement,” Wims said. “Hell’s Kitchen is a very intense atmosphere and Chef Ramsay is intense. He has a heart of gold but he is serious about food.”

Wims, who grew up in Forest Hills and now lives in the Swissvale area of Regent Square, studies at the Foodservice, Lodging and Recreation Management program at the Community College of Allegheny County Boyce Campus.

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"I am excited to see my ups and downs because I always pick myself back up," she said of the show. "It was a great experience."

Wims will host a party Monday night at Andora, a Scott restaurant where she is a catering chef, at 1928 Cochran Rd. She will share a special tapas dish, along with a signature cocktail she created called "Red Team Pucker," in honor of her Hell's Kitchen crew. The party is open to the public and starts at 7 p.m.

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She said having the opportunity to work with a chef of Ramsay's caliber taught her more about what it means to work in the industry.

"When I was working with Chef Ramsay, it made me learn a lot about the desire to be a perfectionist in everything you do," Wims said. "There were some people there who helped me to pick up new terms and techniques. Also, when you’re put into a situation like that, the real characters come out and people did whatever they needed to do to stay on the show."

Wims' professors are not surprised about her success in making it onto the show.

“Elise is a dynamic, outspoken student full of personality,” said Michele Wehrle, PhD, CCAC professor of Hotel/Restaurant Management in a news release. “From the day I first met her, I knew she was going to be successful in the hospitality industry. However, I never dreamed she would become a reality show star.”

Wehrle noted that in the 20 years she has led the department, other students and alumni of the program have made noteworthy achievements—including a Pittsburgh Chef of the Year and one alumnus who served as private concierge to the prince of Saudi Arabia during the G20 Summit.

Wims said that she earned an audition for “Hell’s Kitchen” when her friends submitted photographs of her culinary creations to the program. Her success in the first round led to additional auditions and eventually a spot on the show. There was only one problem: the show’s filming this spring in Los Angeles would cause her to miss three weeks of class. She was granted an exception, however, and made up her coursework.

While the cooking skills that earned her a spot on “Hell’s Kitchen” were not a focus of Wims’ management degree at CCAC, she said that her education has helped to prepare her to lead a restaurant kitchen of her own.

In “Hell’s Kitchen,” Ramsay puts 18 competitors through rigorous challenges—especially his temper—to see who has the skill and passion to win head chef positions at headlining restaurants. The ninth season premiers at 8 p.m. Monday.

This story originally appeared on Forest Hills-Regent Square Patch


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