Gordon Ramsay Steak puts pursuit of excellence on front burner
By Brock Radke
Photos by Peter Harasty
American Kobe rib cap
A fury for flavor. That’s the feisty way the new Gordon Ramsay Steak is being advertised on billboards all over Las Vegas. Thanks to his empire of TV shows (Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef, to name but two) and an even larger collection of restaurants, Ramsay is one of the most recognized culinary figures in the world today, never failing to live up to expectations as a passionate, frequently fierce kitchen commander. That’s the fury.
Experience Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas and you’ll get the flavor. Oftentimes the celebrity chef factor can play against the restaurant, with fame overshadowing cuisine. Not the case at Ramsay’s first foray onto the Strip. The beef is big and boldly satisfying. The side dishes are hearty and flavored powerfully. And the signature Ramsay dishes on the menu, most notably beef Wellington, are simultaneously rustic and refined. His Wellington is perfectly medium rare, with lovely texture and lots of juiciness, encased in a delicate pastry crust. It’s a study in a classic re-imagined, not to be missed.
Also re-imagined is this sleek, strong new restaurant space. Formerly home to Les Artistes Steakhouse, this casinoside escape begins with a trip through “the Chunnel,” virtually transporting you from Paris to London. Grab a stiff martini at the hip bar—just spritzed with vermouth—before taking your seat in the two-story dining room, augmented by a shining rendition of the Union Jack on the ceiling. The wild neon sculpture installation above you was inspired by the quick, cutting hand movements of Ramsay himself. How’s that for a personalized space?
Fish and chips
The menu is a hybrid of British favorites and classic steakhouse fare. Begin with a shellfish platter stocked with tiger prawns, oysters, clams and lobster, or opt for onion soup flavored with Boddingtons Pub Ale and accompanied by a cheesy bite of Welsh rarebit. The roasted beet salad is a perfect summer starter, incredibly fresh and tender beets with house-made ricotta cheese and oyster mushrooms in a crisp champagne vinaigrette. The new restaurant already has some favorite appetizers,
including fried Blue Point oysters with crème fraîche tartar sauce and butter-poached, chorizo-stuffed Maine lobster.
Ramsay’s place is only the second steakhouse in Las Vegas to make use of legendary New York butcher Pat LaFrieda’s beef, dry aged for at least 28 days. The highlight cut is the Royal long-bone chop for two, 32 ounces of beefy bliss. One of the more unique steaks on the menu is the American Kobe rib cap, an 8-ounce selection that boasts the decadent flavor of a ribeye with a seemingly lean, velvety texture you would find in a filet. Rounding out the entrée options are fish and chips—with delicate loup de mer and truffle-flavored fries—and braised short ribs with potato purée and wild mushrooms.
Gordon Ramsay Steak is also building a reputation for amazing desserts, and the unmissable choice is the sticky toffee pudding with brown butter ice cream, another classic flavor reworked into a sumptuous, addictive treat. It’s a power closer for a power steakhouse, a new Vegas restaurant that makes good on the promise of its fearless leader.
Paris Las Vegas
5-10:30 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 5:30 p.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat. 702.946.7000
