Philly’s New Hell’s Kitchen Winner Kyle Timpson Says Pat’s and Geno’s Cheesesteaks Are Trash
An interview with the North Philly chef, who just won the show.
Kyle Timpson, the Philadelphia chef who is the new winner of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen / Kyle Timpson photograph by Stevie Chris / Hell’s Kitchen host Gordon Ramsay photo via Getty Images
The 23rd season of the Gordon Ramsay TV show Hell’s Kitchen ended on Thursday night. And Philadelphia chef Kyle Timpson is the winner. Here, Kyle Timpson tells us all about Gordon Ramsay’s screaming fits and why he’s no fan of Pat’s or Geno’s cheesesteaks.
My full name is … Kyle Patrick Timpson — as Caucasian as it gets, which is weird since my dad is Black. And my mom’s name is Assunta Concetta.
I would describe myself as … a chunky Teletubby who is both shy and an attention whore.
When I won Hell’s Kitchen, I celebrated by … being covered in six magnums of really good champagne and getting drunk.
I was born in … Cape May County. Grew up fishing and getting fresh oysters out of the water. I moved to Philly in 2021, and I never want to live anywhere other than Philadelphia.
The most underrated restaurant in Philly is … Ting Wong in Chinatown. The most perfect shrimp dumplings.
My longest-lasting restaurant job has been at … Moshulu. I was there for three years.
I knew I wanted to be a chef … since I was little. Actually, the earliest memory I have is smashing my finger in the microwave in our wooden play kitchen in kindergarten. Later, I remember my great-aunt, who is now 101, teaching me how to make ravioli, and I was hooked. And now I’m a fat kid who loves pasta, so thanks for that.
The hardest part about Hell’s Kitchen is … getting out of your own head.
Gordon Ramsay’s reputation as a screaming, vulgar guy is … absolutely true, but he’s also incredibly nice and actually wants you to succeed. It’s not just crazy chaos.
Gordon Ramsay and Philadelphia chef and new Hell’s Kitchen winner Kyle Timpson in a promotional image (image via Kyle Timpson/Instagram)
One restaurant trend I am so over is … ramen. I’m a pho person.
Pineapple on pizza is … disgusting, foul, and gross.
If I could work at any restaurant in Philadelphia, it would be … Forsythia. Exquisite.
You cannot beat me at … Monopoly. It might take six hours, but I will bankrupt you.
My go-to karaoke song is … “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips. It’s so awful.
When someone tells me they want to be a chef … it’s usually because they saw some TikTok reels. Being a chef is not that. It’s blood, sweat, and tears. A profession of sweating.
My standard Wawa order is … the terribly bad for you but delish and greasy pepperoni and cheese on a bagel.
If you come to my house for dinner, I will make you … a fat steak from the Reading Terminal or scallops paired with my ham jam.
I like to hang out in … the Gayborhood for the drag queens at the sports bar 254 and the edamame dumplings at Sampan.
When I want to relax … I put up my feet, roll a big joint, and smoke the whole thing.
If you come to my house for dinner … please stay the hell out of my kitchen.
I am deathly afraid of … drowning. Someone jumped on my back in the pool when I was a kid and sat there a little too long.
My secret talent is that I can … outfish every straight man on the boat.
My relationship status is … available. I’m on the apps, but I prefer meeting people in person.
The last time I tried to go on a diet … I said, fuck it, I’m taking Ozempic. And it’s working!
Next up, I am … considering the opportunities Hell’s Kitchen has brought me, but eventually, I would like to open a seafood restaurant in Philadelphia.
In a game of Fuck, Marry, Kill with Pat’s, Geno’s, and John’s … I would fuck John’s, marry Del Rossi’s, and kill Geno’s. I went to Geno’s once and there was a fly in my steak. They accused me of putting it there. And don’t even ask me about Pat’s. Pat’s and Geno’s don’t deserve to be mentioned here. They are both trash.
Published as “One of Us: Kyle Timpson” in the March 2025 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
