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| - My prejudice against celebrity chef restaurants is that they're good enough, but way too expensive for what you're getting. After all, you're paying for the name, right? Well, I was happy to be proven wrong at Gordon Ramsay Steak.
First, the prices are about the same as any other fine steakhouse on the Strip (granted, most of those are celeb chef joints as well). But in light of the quality of the food, service, and experience, I thought GRS was actually pretty darn reasonable. We started with the seared foie gras app, which I order almost everywhere it's offered. The GRS version is a goat-cheese-stuffed popover and apricot sauce with the seared foie - altogether simply amazing. Then we split the Beef Wellington for two (a bargain at just a hundred bucks), and after the first bite I understood why this is the GRS signature dish. The duxelle, prosciutto, and puff pastry really enhance the flavor of the meat, which was the most tender tenderloin I've ever had (and I've eaten at a LOT of steakhouses). We also split the asparagus side dish, totally fresh and yummy. My dinner companion was slightly disappointed by the signature dessert, the sticky toffee pudding with brown butter ice cream, but I thought it was amazing, every bit as good as advertised. I had the peanut butter chocolate crunch, which was drop-dead awesome (and I don't even like chocolate!).
The service was first-rate, always attentive, very well-informed (knew every detail of the menu like the back of their hand), and didn't even blink when I asked for a weird check split (I agreed to pay for the alcohol, my dinner companion paid for the food). The only downer was that I didn't much care for the interior of the place. I read about the Chunnel-themed entrance that cost an arm & a leg to build, but it didn't look nearly as cool as it did in photos. I also thought the music was a bit loud; it made conversation a bit difficult. But the food and service were so top-notch that those are minor quibbles. I would definitely go back to Gordon Ramsay Steak again (and again).
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