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Fair From Bellmore to ‘Hell’s Kitchen’
Food truck owner to appear on Fox reality show
Chrissa Schmerler, 35, has brought her grilled cheese truck to the Bellmore Family Street Festival since 2012. As word spread across the community about her business, now known as the Big Cheese, lines at the fair grew. The wait for her savory sandwiches and other comfort food creations could exceed an hour.
Schmerler’s business is a one-woman operation, so she has had to contend with the crowds alone. But now, when she’s feeling under pressure at next year’s street festival or on a busy day at the Big Cheese, Schmerler said she will tell herself one thing: “You did ‘Hell’s Kitchen,’ you got this.”
“You learn that you can’t get overwhelmed or freak out about it — you just have to go for it,” she said. “Going there really allowed me to grow. I learned a lot about myself and that I can overcome a lot.”
Schmerler was one of 18 aspiring chefs vying for a head chef spot and the “Hell’s Kitchen” title on season 14 of the popular Fox program, executive-produced and hosted by award-winning chef Gordon Ramsay. The Bellmore native said she would take the lessons she learned as a contestant on the show, which was filmed last year, to her business.
“Hell’s Kitchen,” which Nielsen statistics show averaged 3.78 million viewers each week last season, is an unscripted culinary boot camp that features the drama of aspiring chefs battling for Ramsay’s approval and the chance to become America’s next culinary star. Ramsay, who has earned multiple Michelin stars, has opened a string of successful restaurants across the globe, from Italy to the U.S.
Contestants will face grueling challenges throughout season 14, according to Fox, including fishing for crabs, serving a speed lunch for motorcyclists, preparing delicious dishes for a high school homecoming and a charity night with Fran Drescher of “The Nanny” fame. As the competition progresses, the competitors will winnow down until only two are left to compete for the title.
The season premiered after press time, on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Although Schmerler could not say how close she came to winning the $250,000 grand prize, she said she was honored to compete on “Hell’s Kitchen.”
