Does Gordon Ramsay Steak Live Up to Its Reputation?

“When a man like [Gordon] Ramsay opens a restaurant in your hood, he damn well better deliver,” says Max Jacobson at Vegas Seven. Jacobson admittedly is not a steakhouse guy, but he compares Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas to Wolfgang Puck’s Cut at the Palazzo. “In my humble opinion, the barometer for a great Las Vegas steakhouse — only Gordon Ramsay Steak, new at Paris Las Vegas, offers so many surprises and delights.”

In the first printed review of the new restaurant, Jacobson found little to quibble with. The Caesar salad contains Scotch eggs, “In this case, sausage-wrapped quail eggs—an inspired gastropub trick.” That smoked beef tartare, “delicious, but under-spiced and not as smoky as the menu implies.” The bone-in New York aged 28 days by Pat LaFrieda — “terrific.” The famed beef Wellington, “mushroom duxelle stands between the pastry and the beef in this kitchen; no foie gras here.” The fish and chips decked out with sea bass “the lightest, crispiest version I’ve ever tasted, just like a first-rate tempura in Tokyo.”

His only complaint? Dessert. “Although the sticky toffee pudding with brown-butter ice cream is amazing, if there is one weak spot here, it is dessert.”

Overall Jacobson says the hefty price tag of some of the dishes is worth the price. “All I can say at the moment is, ‘Yes, chef!’”

Star power was all over the dining reviews of this week. Al Mancini at CityLife check out Megan Romano’s new Chocolate & Spice Bakery. “Romano is one of the few pastry chefs in town whose name carries as much cachet in the restaurant world as her executive chef counterparts.” The restaurant and bakery has been humming to chefs, food writers and foodies since opening, and Mancini says, “I'm happy to report, the hype is well-deserved.” [CL]

Heidi Knapp Rinella at the Las Vegas Review-Journal visited Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Not sure what to make of this trend of reviewing the Spicy Pickle, Carnegie Deli and now Five Guys, but HKR says, “As a newbie, I figured the bacon cheeseburger ($6.89) sounded good?And then I bit in — and heard the angels sing.” She liked the fries, too. “They were very good, skin-on, thick and perfectly cooked, with more character than those at In-N-Out, but I think part of the attraction is that they give you enough to feed a developing nation for a few days, at least.” She gave Five Guys an A-. [LVRJ]

Brock Radke at the Las Vegas Weekly wanted to see if Todd’s Unique Dining lived up to the hype. “Change is the only constant, which makes a place like Todd’s stand out even more. It’s still as friendly and delicious as you remember, probably even better.” [LVW]
Gordon Ramsay Steak [Photo: Paris Las Vegas]