Guess I can get the first one out of the way...
Gordon Ramsay Steak
3655 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
United States
What can I say? I'm a sucker for Gordon Ramsay and the chance to try one of his restaurants after seeing his shows was too much to pass up. Luckily, Gordon Ramsay Steak was in my hotel, so it wasn't much hassle to just walk right in there and get seats. It was crowded, but if you don't mind sitting at the bar, you shouldn't have an issue getting seats. Unfortunately, (or fortunately?) Ramsay wasn't there, so I didn't get a chance to see him and get a picture with him.
Decor
I didn't take a lot of pictures, and the picture on the website that I stole isn't very indicative of how it looks. We went at night and they darkened the entire room; using very little lighting to provide a more intimate atmosphere. We sat at the bar, and right on the first two seats on the right edge of the circular bar area. Though it wasn't a booth, the circular structures on the side did provide a bit of a booth experience and did give you some privacy despite being right in front of the bartenders. While I liked it, I don't think the bartenders appreciated the set up since they had to constantly duck under the door or go out of their way to open it when they had to go through.
Service
Service was a good mix of friendliness and promptness without being overbearing, which surprised me since the place was extremely busy. The kitchen was right out in the open and you could see everything they were doing; I didn't actually go watch, and I didn't hear any screams of "you donkey!", so they were all very professional there. I must say, this is the ONLY place I've ever been to where they take the cleanliness of the glasses so seriously. It was nice to see the bartenders ALWAYS check the glasses against the light to see if there were any smudges or residue left over before using the glass. While my food came out fine, I noticed the gentleman across from me didn't like his steak. He complained it wasn't made to his liking (he said it was too overcooked), the waiters took it away and said it looked fine, but they didn't hassle him at all and just got him another meal.
Drinks
My wife got a mojito and I got a Vesper (the James Bond drink) and also an Innis and Gunn draught. The mojito was really good, but the Vesper was a bit too bitter and strong for my taste; maybe that's the way Bond likes his women? On the other hand, I was extremely pleased with the Innis and Gunn and it left a very pleasant caramel aftertaste after each sip. It's definitely one of my go-to drinks and to have it on tap there was special.
Appetizer
Not much to say here, we didn't go nuts on the apps since we were looking forward to the mains. We got the gnocchi and came away disappointed; there wasn't much there and it was kinda chewy without a lot of taste. With all the hype they built up on the shows for the gnocchi, you'd think it'd be ambrosia, but I didn't like it.
Mains and Sides
FINALLY! After watching all those Hell's Kitchen episodes where they royally messed up the Beef Wellington, I finally got to try it myself (I haven't come across restaurants here in Toronto that have it). I didn't go in with any expectations, however, and I came away disappointed; it was a cut of meat inside a pastry that fell apart as soon as I cut into it. The side you see there is a nice cut of foie gras and it was quite tasty. Just fair warning that it is quite intense with the saltiness, so take it easy if you do ever order foie gras; I made the mistake of eating a whole piece thinking it was a pepper when I was in Montreal, and it's still working itself through my veins...
On the other hand, my wife got the Prime Beef Steak (I believe it was the Bone-in Rib Eye) and it was exquisite. I have steak quite often at home and this cut and cook was expertly done; likely the best I've had outside in a long time. She had asked for it medium rare, and it was nice and juicy with just the right amount of tenderness and flavour. Her steak was definitely much better than my Beef Wellington.
We kind of went overboard with the sides though, and I wish we had cut one or two out, but on top of the Welly and the steak, we also had Mac & Cheese, Sautéed Mushrooms, and Asparagus. These were incredible and the highlight of the meal for me. The Mac & Cheese had a nice smokey flavour to the cheese and it really enhanced the overall taste. The mushrooms were tiny pieces of a pretty intense flavour, so I imagined whatever they coated it with really kicked the taste up. The asparagus was grilled to perfection and had a nice crunch and texture to it with just the right amount of seasoning.
Overall
We paid about 280 USD for one appetizer, 3 drinks, 4 sides, and 2 mains. I regret getting the gnocchi, the Vesper, and should've cut it down to 2 sides so that we could've saved some money. For that much, I think there are better places to try in Vegas if you're ever headed there.
