What Hell's Kitchen Winner Rock Harper Is Doing Now
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If you're an OG fan of Hell's Kitchen, you've been watching Gordon Ramsay roast up-and-coming chefs since the beginning (i.e. since the show started in 2005). While you may not remember every contestant of all 19 seasons so far, you likely remember the winners — like Rahman "Rock" Harper, who took home the title of last chef standing on season three in 2007. When he won, he was given the executive chef position at Terra Verde in Las Vegas, with Ramsay praising Harper for his leadership skills as much as for his culinary ones.
"He can motivate staff, he can create, all those qualities are not easy to find in one chef," Ramsay said, per Fandom. "Rock holds all of them." But what has Harper been up to in the 14 years that have passed since his big win? Here's what the former Hell's Kitchen contestant and champion is currently doing with his life post-show.
Rock Harper had a lot of off-screen success
After his year contract at Terra Verde was up, ScreenRant reports that Harper moved to Washington, D.C., where he became the executive chef at Ben's Next Door. He went on to work at other restaurants in the area, before starting his own Southern soul food-inspired concept: Queen Mother's in D.C., where he serves up deliciously crispy fried chicken.
Harper's current resume includes more than being a chef, too. The Hell's Kitchen champ also started a podcast titled, The Chef Rock Xperiment (via Apple Podcasts). The podcast is described as "empowerment, education and entertainment for the food and beverage industry." Harper has even taken his love of all things culinary to the publishing world. In 2010, he wrote a best-selling book — 44 Things Parents Should Know About Healthy Cooking for Kids — which helps parents teach their kids about healthier food choices and eating.