When I walked into the restaurant, I was shocked by how familiar the main dining area looked. I felt as though I had stumbled onto the set of the show.

According to the restaurant's website, emulating the show was intentional. The kitchen, which was visible from the dining area, even had chefs broken up into red and blue "teams" — just like on the show.

My husband and I ate at Hell's Kitchen as part of our anniversary celebration, so we were surprised with complimentary glasses of sparkling wine.

The glasses were topped with strawberries pierced with toothpicks shaped like pitchforks, a nod to the show's logo. The theming didn't stop there — the lighting fixtures hanging from the ceiling were also shaped like pitchforks.

My favorite details were the bathroom doors marked with pitchforks resembling a "W" for women and an "M" for men.

It's no secret that a lot of screaming happens on the set of "Hell's Kitchen."

At the restaurant of the same name, however, I was pleased to see the chefs laughing and chatting with each other as they prepared our meals.

As fun as it is to see Ramsay shout on TV, I was happy not to hear yelling during our dinner.

When I think of "Hell's Kitchen," I immediately think of dishes like beef Wellington, scallops, and risotto. They're cooked often on the show and are some of Ramsay's signatures.

I was pleasantly surprised to find all these items and more on the restaurant's menu. And, yes, the risotto certainly lived up to the hype.

When we first made a reservation at Hell's Kitchen, I expected our meal would be quite expensive.

After all, my husband and I can easily spend $50 on dinner at our local diner, and this is a TV-famous restaurant serving some high-class dishes.

However, we got three appetizers, an entrée, and a dessert cocktail for $216, including tax and tip. Considering the quality of our meal and the immersive atmosphere, I thought this price was surprisingly fair.

A few years after making millions from a deal with his brother in 1999, Kimbal attended culinary school in New York.

The South African-born businessman later moved to Boulder, where he worked with chef Hugo Matheson at a restaurant on Pearl Street for a few years until the pair co-founded The Kitchen Restaurant Group in 2004.

Although it began in Boulder, the group now has restaurants in Chicago, Denver, and Austin.

Kimbal is also now somewhat of a local celebrity here. Many residents, including myself, have spotted him eating at The Kitchen's flagship location or walking around its surrounding area.

After not visiting The Kitchen for several years, I decided to pop in for a late weekday lunch to see what the seasonal menu looked like and if it continued to live up to its hype.

I went to the original location on West Pearl, a historic district with a pedestrian mall that's perfect for residents and visitors alike.

As a Boulder resident, I consider it the heart of the city. I love walking to the popular area to dine, drink, or shop.

When I arrived at The Kitchen, just a few other groups were dining.

Although the restaurant has been open since 2004, its interior looked like it had definitely been updated throughout the years.

The bar was well-lit and looked elegant with a mirrored wall and simple stools. The back dining area looked cozy and intimate, with dark woods, exposed brick, minimal decor, and artsy orb-shaped light fixtures.

The atmosphere felt casual but still upscale, which I appreciated.

The lunch menu at The Kitchen includes handhelds, plates, and sweets, with a wide variety of shareable dishes — crab fried rice, burrata, carrots, and lamb arayas, to name a few.

Despite the interesting choices, I stuck with my basic perennial favorite: hand-cut garlic fries. I got a large portion of fries served with a bearnaise aioli for $9.50.

Although I enjoyed the fries, the garlic was a little overpowering for my taste. The creamy, flavorful aioli was the best part of the dish.

During my visit, the lunch menu featured dishes like a fried-chicken sandwich, lobster roll, steak frites, Halloumi naan, quiche, and rigatoni.

Although many sparked my interest, I was most curious about the crispy cauliflower for $24.50. When my server told me it was one of his favorite dishes even though he doesn't like cauliflower, I knew I had to try it.

The breaded and fried cauliflower was paired with carrots, chickpeas, tamarind chutney, coriander chutney, mango, pickled red onion, and an herb salad.

I loved the combination of flavors, but the texture of the cauliflower stood out the most. It was perfectly crispy and almost resembled fried chicken.

The portion felt nearly too large, but I was happy to be able to take leftovers home.

To end my meal, I couldn't resist ordering the cheesecake with a brown-sugar pecan crust, poached pears, and fig coulis.

The slice was beautifully plated and I loved the fresh taste of the cheesecake, which didn't feel too heavy. The star, though, was the crisp brown-sugar pecan crust.

It seemed reasonably priced at $12.50 for a slice.

As a frequent solo diner, I've found restaurant service can be hit or miss when I'm alone. Sometimes, staff don't spend enough time checking in on me or ask me to sit at the bar instead of a table.

Fortunately, at The Kitchen, I was given the same level of service I'd expect if I'd been there with a group.

The professional, knowledgeable staff I encountered seemed available to answer my questions and bring me what I needed at any point during my visit.

Before this, I'd had dinner at The Kitchen several times. I'd always enjoyed my experience but found the space could get crowded, so I'm glad I came here for a quieter lunch.

The prices felt very reasonable for the quality of the dishes, attentive service, and the amount of food I received — I spent $62 for a starter, main, and dessert, including a 22% tip.

Overall, The Kitchen lives up to the hype, with professional and friendly service, a great location, fair prices, and fresh, inventive dishes that left me wanting to return for another lunch.

I'm terrible with a tape measure, know nothing about piecing together cabinets into a cohesive and functional layout, and didn't have the time or eye to pick out the perfect tile — so I hired an interior designer.

We worked together to bring my vision to fruition and she to planned all the details of my remodel. I paid $525 for an initial consultation and $5,250 for the design development.

I have no doubt that if I'd tried to do this myself, I would've wasted a ton of time at stores being indecisive and I probably wouldn't have liked the end result.

This project was supposed to take about three weeks, but it actually went on for about three months.

My contractor had forewarned me just how messy and loud the demolition phase would be and that I wouldn't have access to a kitchen the entire time — so I booked three weeks of hotel stays to avoid the chaos.

Although it would've been easier, logistically, to stay in one hotel the entire time, I chased specials and discounted rates at some of the most luxurious resorts in Phoenix (the triple-digit summer heat means massive sales each year).

I work from home, so being able to work in peace at these hotels for a few weeks at the start of the project was priceless. I definitely had a tough time once I went back to living in my house during the rest of the remodel.

I knew I wanted quartz countertops, and my designer helpfully chose some options within my budget. The problem? I hated how cheap and flat they looked.

So, she showed me some upgraded samples — and, of course, I fell in love with how much more depth and richness they had.

I ended up paying about $11,000 for countertops, which was several thousand dollars over budget. I don't regret it because they have the "wow" factor I wanted.

One of my requested design features was a display area for my collection of colorful Le Creuset enameled cast-iron cookware — but each piece is so heavy and large that we weren't sure how to accommodate it.

My designer engaged a local millworker to custom-create three floating white-oak shelves that would enhance the overall design while providing functional storage space.

The project cost over $2,200, but the shelves are the focal point of the room — and I can see their beauty from my living room, too.

At first, I thought I might keep my 19-year-old stove and fridge for another year or two until I saved up for replacements.

However, once you design a kitchen around appliance measurements, it's not as easy to swap them out down the road.

So, I spent over $5,000 on a gorgeous LG stove and LG fridge I'd had my eye on. It was the right call — they look sleeker and more modern and are far superior to my old appliances.

The new fridge is enormous, and my new induction-style stove heats up twice as fast as the old electric one.

I'll admit that a slew of TikTok videos about task and mood lighting convinced me to install trendy under-cabinet lights.

Although I dig the vibe they give off, I just don't use them as often as I expected. One of the reasons is that I didn't spend even more money to have them put on a dimmer switch, so they're just too bright at night.

I could've saved a few thousand dollars if I hadn't bothered with them at all.

Hell's Kitchen is located inside the Caesars Atlantic City Hotel and Casino. We arrived at our reservation about 20 minutes early and checked in with the hosts, who told us they would text us when our table was ready.

To pass the time, we had drinks at the lobby bar, which featured a list of beer, wine, and specialty cocktails.

I chose the Fallen Angel ($19), which included a mix of gin, peach liqueur, watermelon juice, and lemon. The drink was slightly sweet but refreshing — and really aesthetically pleasing.

My husband ordered a drink called Notes From Gordon ($18), which was gin-based and featured green tea, almond-liqueur lemongrass, peach, and lemon.

The menu also promised a "message from Gordon" with our drinks, which came in the form of a rolled-up Union Jack flag attached to the side of the drink. When opened, it had a quote from the show, "There is more smoke in this kitchen than in Snoop Dogg's tour bus."

After getting a text that our table was ready, we closed our tab at the bar and headed to the host stand.

One of the hosts escorted us down a winding staircase and pointed out the wall displaying photos of all the show's winners.

The main dining area looked just like the set of the show. We could see the chefs — who were separated into the show's signature red and blue teams — cooking at the front of the restaurant. Luckily, they looked pretty happy and no one was getting yelled at.

After ordering our appetizers, our server brought us two glasses of sparkling wine and wished us a happy anniversary.

Both glasses were garnished with strawberries pierced with pitchfork toothpicks — another nod to the show and restaurant theme.

We both thought this was a thoughtful touch that made the experience all the more personal.

We decided to order two appetizers — pan-seared scallops ($29) and wagyu meatballs ($24).

Scallops aren't typically my favorite, but given they're such a contentious menu item on the show, I knew I had to try them. Plus, my husband loves them, so I knew they wouldn't go to waste.

The scallops sat in a streak of pea purée and were topped with braised bacon lardons, pickled fennel, and chives. When I took a bite, the scallop immediately melted in my mouth.

When I asked my husband what he thought of them, he replied, "Absolutely perfect. No notes."

But, for me, the meatballs were the real star of the show. Served with tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, and crispy basil, these meatballs were some of the best I've ever had — which is saying a lot since I grew up in an Italian family.

They were also served with polenta croutons, which were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

When I found out we'd be dining at Hell's Kitchen, I looked up the menu and immediately locked in on the lobster risotto ($31). Risotto is one of my favorite meals to order when we go out to eat, so I was really excited to order it.

Although it was listed as an appetizer, I saw a woman next to me order it as her meal. The portion looked generous, and because I knew we were ordering a few starters to share, I decided to get it as my entrée.

The dish, which included a butter-poached lobster tail, braised fennel, lemon zest, and Parmesan, tasted incredible.

Beef Wellington ($70) is another one of Ramsay's signature dishes, so I planned on trying a bite of my husband's meal when he ordered it. However, as someone who likes my steak cooked to a medium temperature, I took one look at the dish and knew it wasn't for me.

The beef, wrapped in a delicious-looking pastry, looked like it had been cooked to a rare temperature, much to my husband's delight.

He said it was tasty and cooked perfectly, but he found the pâté inside a little too rich. He ended up removing some of it before fully digging in.

He also enjoyed the potato purée and glazed root vegetables that came on the side.

I almost always find room for dessert, but after enjoying my meal, I knew I was too full to eat another thing.

My husband, however, got the English-toffee coffee ($15), which consisted of whiskey, coffee, toffee syrup, whipped cream, and toffee pieces.

After tax and tip (and not including the drinks we paid for at the bar), our bill came to $216 for two appetizers, our meals, and a dessert cocktail.

Although we wouldn't typically spend this much on a night out, we thought the pricing was fair, considering the quality of the food. After all, we can typically spend up to $100 eating at chains like The Cheesecake Factory.

Overall, we had a great experience at Hell's Kitchen and definitely plan to return the next time we have something to celebrate.

Kasandra Rafter, interior designer and founder of Canyon Creative, told BI she has noticed an uptick in all-white kitchens, which she finds cold and sterile.

If you're going to do an all-white kitchen, consider steering clear of cool-toned whites. Warmer off-whites and soft taupes still allow your other design elements to shine but create a more inviting atmosphere.

"It's a simple shift that brings warmth and depth to a monochromatic palette," she said.

Andy Yates, principal designer of Andy Yates Design, told BI that open shelving has the potential to make kitchens more airy and accessible.

But for many people, they actually ended up making a cluttered mess.

"Keeping them looking styled is a chore, and they can be impractical for everyday use in a lot of homes," he said. "Instead, consider glass-front cabinets, which offer the same airy look without the pressure to keep everything so picture-perfect."

Joyce Huston, lead interior designer and cofounder at Decorilla Online Interior Design, said smart gadgets have infiltrated kitchens.

"I've noticed homeowners are opting to fill their kitchens with every smart gadget available, from AI-powered fridges to voice-activated faucets," she told BI. "While tech can improve the functionality, too much of it can make a kitchen feel cold — plus it will be outdated in a few years."

Instead, she suggested only incorporating smart features that actually improve your daily routines or opting for ones that can be easily swapped out.

Diana Viera, design expert and the managing partner of interior-design firm ITALKRAFT, told BI she doesn't like the current tiled-backsplash trends.

"Tiled backsplashes have been incredibly popular this year, but their elaborate design combined with other patterns or colors in the room can lead to a cluttered or overwhelming look," she said.

She recommended opting for a solid-marble backsplash for a more luxurious and seamless touch.

Jane Lockhart, the principal designer at Jane Lockhart Design, said this year's uptick in clear lighting over kitchen islands was a misfire.

"They often require regular cleaning and extra attention to avoid streaks," she told BI. "Seeing the actual bulb can also be a harsh addition to an otherwise polished design."

If you want your kitchen to feel clean and polished, try matching your lighting fixtures to your appliances or decor instead. This can create a seamless look without the extra hassle.

Although it was popular this year, Raftner said, mixed cabinet hardware in the kitchen was not a successful trend.

"While mixing hardware can be playful, it can often lead to a chaotic, disjointed look that lacks longevity," she said. "Focus on statement pieces like a freestanding console where unique hardware can be a standout feature without overwhelming the space."

Lockhart said deep pantry cabinets aren't as effective as many people hoped they'd be.

"Small items like soup cans and jars can be difficult to find in a deep cabinet and sometimes never end up seeing the light of day," she told BI.

If you're going to go for deep cabinets, consider adding pullout drawers and shelves that can keep them organized and make items more accessible.