Bay Area chef ready for a winning start on Gordon Ramsay’s new show

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Gordon Ramsay, the infamous snide mega-chef, went out of his range Sunday night after the Super Bowl as he mentored the San Francisco chef at the Fox series season 2 premiere. Next Level Chef. Tucker Riccio cooked the best meal on the Sunday night episode, which Fox said drew 15.7 million viewers, capitalizing on the crowded Super Bowl audience and making it the most watched cooking show in television history.

A San Jose native and Le Cordon Bleu alum, Rikkio has built a national reputation for her work with San Jose Bay Area startup Truffle Shuffle, which provides home chefs with deluxe meal kits they can prepare while traveling with chefs like Rikkio.

The season premiere introduced viewers to Rikkio’s charismatic personality and low-key sense of humor. In an Instagram video she posted before the episode aired, Rikkio expressed her excitement about competing under Ramsay’s tutelage.

“It’s an absolute pleasure and privilege to be chosen – handpicked – by Gordon Ramsay, which is why we represent Team Ramsay all the time,” she said.

Ramsay hosts a cooking competition with Eater video host and chef Naisha Arrington and British chef Paul Ainsworth. Three chefs lead their teams in a weekly competition for a chance to win a year of official mentoring and a $250,000 prize. The show, named after the three-tiered set, takes place in a poorly stocked pantry with crappy pots and pans downstairs, an average kitchen in the middle, and a state-of-the-art cooking lab upstairs.

The 31-year-old Bay Area chef, known as Chef Tuck, entered the restaurant industry in San Francisco, working under chefs such as Suzette Gresham at Michelin-starred northern Italian restaurant Acquerello. In a YouTube video she posted on her channel, she acknowledged that women have historically been excluded from Michelin-rated establishments, calling them “the boys’ club”. During the season premiere, Rikkio said she hoped to inspire young gay people in the restaurant industry.

Rikkyo’s team started the episode in a mid-level kitchen. By the end of the evening, the judges named Rikchio’s scallops as the best dish overall, calling them beautiful and wonderful. Fortunately for Ramsay, her victory saved his team from relegation. Now they are top notch.

The pressure continues, Gordon.

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