When you think of Las Vegas, what immediately comes to mind? Gambling, right?
Well, sure, that’s only reasonable, considering Nevada was the first state to legalize gambling, all the way back in 1931, partly as a way to generate revenue in the wake of the Great Depression, and it’s hard to picture Vegas without thinking of iconic casinos such as Caesars Entertainment's (CZR) Caesar’s Palace.
So what’s second? If you’re of a certain age, you might say “divorce,” as there was a time in this country’s history where it was the only place you could legally end a marriage, though that hasn’t been the case for a long time.
Live entertainment? Sure, that’s reasonable, as this year has seen both a Katy Perry residency and the music festival Life Is Beautiful, and the emo nostalgia festival When We Were Young is coming soon, as is (possibly) a Lady Gaga residency. And that’s without factoring in the stage magic and other only-in-Vegas shows that only Sin City can offer.
Vegas has so much going on, in fact, that the amount of great food offerings the town has to offer gets obscured by, well, everything else the city has to offer.
It’s unlikely that any new restaurant, even one by a celebrity chef, is going to change that status quo, but Gordon Ramsay is going to do what he can.
Reservations Available For Gordon Ramsay’s New Place
Television personality, author and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is set to open his sixth Las Vegas restaurant, and reservations are now available.
Ramsay’s Kitchen will be located at Harrah’s Las Vegas hotel, which is owned by Caesars Entertainment, and which promises that the menu will feature a “mix of original specialties infused with Vegas flair, specifically curated for the Entertainment Capital of the World.”
The 244-seat restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and will feature a seven-seat seafood counter, full bar and private dining room, and the menu includes Beef Wellington and Sticky Toffee Pudding.
Ramsay’s Vegas food empire also includes Gordon Ramsay Hell's Kitchen, which is a recreation of his television kitchen, Gordon Ramsay’s Pub & Grill, Gordon Ramsay’s Fish & Chips, Gordon Ramsay Burger and Gordon Ramsay Steak. (No points for guessing what those last three serve.)
To fund his rapidly expanding restaurant empire, in June 2019 Ramsay began a five-year investment deal with Lion Capital LLP for $100 million, each party retains 50% ownership in Gordon Ramsay North America.
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Ramsay Has Plenty Of Company
Is Gordon Ramsay not your thing? Does he yell too much for your comfort?
Well, you have plenty of options when you’re in Vegas. And if you would like to stay safely enclosed in the warm embrace of the celebrity chef world, Guy Fieri, the Mayor of Flavortown himself, has several Vegas restaurants, including Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen & Bar, Guy Fieri’s Dive & Taco, Guy Fieri’s El Burro Borracho, Guy’s Highball Lounge, Guy Fieri’s Chophouse, Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse, Guy Fieri’s Pizza Parlor, Guy’s Barbeque Joint, Guy’s Sammich Joint, Guy’s Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que, and Guy Fieri’s Trashcan Nachos.
Again, you can probably guess which each place specializes in, and by this point you know whether Guy is or is not your thing, or if the dude gets a bad rep in some corners and knows how to make high quality calorie bombs.
Seemingly every celebrity chef you can name, assuming you’re the type to know the names of chefs that aren’t also TV hosts, has a place in Vegas, including Buddy Valastro, Giada de Laurentiis, Tom Colicchio, Pierre Gagnaire, Nobu Matsuhisa, Guy Savoy, Wolfgang Puck, Mario Batali, Joël Robuchon, Michael Mina, and José Andrés. Even Thomas Keller, who you might think is a bit too upscale for this sort of thing, has the Bouchon at The Venetian - Las Vegas.
Of course, everyone has their haters, and plenty of people love to roll their eyes at celebrity chefs and claim its about fame, not food. And taste, in all senses of the word, is subjective, but Bobby Flay's Italian concept Amalfi opened last year to rave reviews, with the Seattle PI saying it's “worth the hype.” Hey, a good review is a good review.
