By TOM IACUZIO and AUDREY PARENTE
Staff Writers
Local contestant Danny Veltri has cooked his way into the finale of the Fox reality TV cooking competition "Hell's Kitchen."
"To have all my friends with me as I made it into the finals is really amazing. I'm really happy," said Veltri, after watching the show with former contestants at Flip Flops Grill and Chill in New Smyrna Beach on Thursday night.
After fighting off tears brought on when celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay surprised the contestants with a visit from their families, Veltri failed to impress a room full of Los Angeles' top chefs with his baked halibut dish.
At dinner service, the three remaining chefs got a chance to run "Hell's Kitchen," and after a slow start, Veltri seemed to hit his stride.
And while the night certainly had its rocky moments for Veltri, his excellence throughout the competition was enough to carry him into next Thursday's finale.
Just wanted to wish Danny good luck.We will be watching this Thursday.