'Hell's Kitchen' finale: Paul or Will -- who took the prize?

By Rick Porter

September 20, 2011 2:22 AM ET

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"Hell's Kitchen" crowned its latest winner Monday (Sept. 19): Did Paul Niedermann or Will Lustberg survive the final service?

Both chefs had to come up with an original menu for their last chance to impress Gordon Ramsay, with eliminated contestants working as their staff for the night. When all the plates were cleared, Niedermann, a 26-year-old junior sous chef from Davie, Fla., walked away with the prize.

Well, "walked" may not be exactly the right word. When his door opened and Will's didn't, Paul let out a series of screams -- which extended to his first post-victory talking head -- and bounded down the stairs and into the arms of his brother.

For his efforts, Paul gets the "head chef" position (the quotes are FOX's) at BLT Steak in New York, at a salary of $250,000. We don't know why the quotes are there, exactly, but it makes us think that what was presented on TV might be a teensy bit of an oversell.

Those real-world details, however, can be left to the real world. Congratulations to Paul -- do you think he deserved the win?

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Photo/Video credit: FOX

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