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Gordon Ramsay to Open Second Restaurant in New York

YumSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:17:44 -0700

With a handful of hit shows, an international restaurant group, and 12 Michelin stars to uphold, Gordon Ramsay keeps piling more on his plate. The chef announced he will be opening a second venture in Manhattan, his US version of a laid-back, relaxed gastropub.

The casual concept, Ramsay defends, isn't due to the failing economy: "It's not because of the credit crunch or holding back. I just love that kind of alternative."

Gordon Ramsay at the London, his first stateside spot in midtown Manhattan, opened in 2006 to mixed reviews from critics, but the restaurant has proved resilient, earning two Michelin stars.

No word yet on when the café is set to open. Ramsay does have other things going on, after all: The new season of Kitchen Nightmares premieres tonight on Fox.

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Gordon Gets Chatty About Hell's Kitchen 4

partysugar — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:01:15 -0700

Although the fourth season of Hell's Kitchen doesn't begin until Tuesday, April 1, Gordon Ramsay has already begun hyping the show. This season the stakes are high and the competition is the most stressful to date for both the competitors and Ramsay. Unlike previous seasons, the wannabes are not competing to cook at some restaurant in a Vegas casino resort. This time around the winner will become the chef at Gordon's own, much-hyped restaurant, London West Hollywood in LA. I recently sat in on a conference call with the bad-boy chef. To hear what he had to say, read more.

On London West Hollywood:
Gordon Ramsay: I have to say, opening up in New York taught me a lot. London’s a tough market, Paris is a tough market, but New York, well, that’s extraordinary. Everything I learned and didn’t do in New York I would put into place here in the London West Hollywood. Here, in LA, trust me, there will be fireworks from the canapés right through to the desserts. It’s not going to be sedated, heavy, rich French cuisine; it’s going to be a light and American, California style with a bit of a Japanese influence.

The style, the feel and the décor of the dining room is vibrant. It’s very LA, very cool fabrics, lots of silver, lots of nickel, brushed stainless steel, and lots of cream fabric. It’s going to be fast, it’s going to be furious, and more importantly, we have that level of intimacy, that level of fun without being long winded. That’s really important.

On tasting the contestants crappy signature dishes:
GR: I get really frustrated because they know I’m coming. So when a chef is that incompetent or stupid or lazy in terms of health and hygiene. . . . When people say, “Oh, you’re doing that for the cameras,” no, I’m doing that because if you work in this industry and we’re going to spend 25 or 30 years in the kitchen trying to master our craft, how stupid do we have to be to put together a venison tartare with capers, shallots, parsley, lemon juice, egg yolk, and combine that with a scallop tartare with, again, ketchup, lime juice, and white chocolate bound together with caviar? What type of nut is going to actually come out and eat and pay top dollar for that level of stupidity?

It does hurt. You’d think they’d perfect it in a way that says right, keep it simple, focus on the ingredients, and when we go out for lunch or dinner, let’s be honest, it is the flavor that holds the memory. The presentation is one thing, but the execution of flavor is what draws you back to a restaurant.

On what celebrity he would absolutely love to cook for:
GR: I get excited cooking for anybody, to be honest. I’m cooking for Nelson Mandela’s birthday party in Hyde Park this summer. I suppose if I wanted something really fun and sexy, it’d have to be Cameron Diaz. She’s tall, she’s beautiful, and she loves pink meat.

On why he decided to give this season's winner a job at one of his restaurants:
GR: I cringe sometimes when everyone talks about a reality show with no integrity. So I thought about this idea of me looking for a chef. Is it promotional? No, of course it’s not! I’ve never been any form of marketing tool in order to promote my restaurant.

Sometimes I get a lot of criticism from the industry because it’s not the real deal. Well, it is in the premiere league. If you want to go to the top, then of course you have to weather the storm. It’s not all plain sailing, and it’s not all about creating little pitchers out of watermelons. I get very frustrated when things go wrong, clearly.

Putting my neck on the line and looking for a chef for my own restaurant was almost an investment, from my point of view, a way to make sure that we continue searching for talent and propelling it. Yes, I want to put my money where my mouth is and prove to the industry that any winner of Hell’s Kitchen is more than qualified and capable of standing alone in my kitchen, that’s for sure.

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Ramsay's Seeing Stars; Tom, Not So Much

YumSugar — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:27:11 -0700

I don't know if there's ever been a rivalry between "Hell's Kitchen" bad boy Gordon Ramsay and "Top Chef" judge Tom Colicchio, but there might be reason for one now.

The just published 2008 New York Michelin Guide struck a star off of Colicchio's Craft restaurant - bringing it to one star - and gave Ramsay's The London - his first U.S. venture - two stars.

Michelin Guide director Jean-Luc Naret recently told Reuters about the ratings. Here's more:

On The London: "Gordon Ramsay deserved two stars, not because of his name and TV fame, but because of the consistency of the multiple visits by inspectors throughout the year."
On Craft: "It doesn't mean that the chef has less talent. It's just that the consistency was not there."
About the star ratings:One star means "a very good restaurant in its category." Two stars signify "excellent cuisine, worth a detour" and three stars tout "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey."

So there you have it. Ramsay's The London, despite lukewarm reviews from critics, is worthy of a detour, while Colicchio's Craft is just "very good."

What do you guys think? Do you even care about star ratings? Which restaurant would you go to?

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The London Opens in LA, No HK Chefs in Sight

partysugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:15:15 -0700

Gordon Ramsay's Los Angeles restaurant, the London, opened last night with a star-studded dinner service. However, the cheftestants from Hell's Kitchen were nowhere in to be found. This makes me wonder if the HK prize - to be chef of the London - is a little exaggerated. Perhaps they merely get to be a line cook there? Items from the menu are far more sophisticated than the dishes made on the reality show. The menu includes:

Baked foie-gras custard, crispy duck tongue, micro greens
Monkfish with crispy chicken skin, lemon-thyme consommé
Smoked pork belly with roasted Scottish langoustine, celeriac, and apple

For some reason I can't imagine Bobby, Jen, or Corey making any of these dishes. What do you think? Does one of the HK contestants really work at the London?

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Ramsay Missing From the World's Best Restaurants List

partysugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:15:44 -0700

Yesterday Restaurant magazine and S. Pellegrino announced its famed list of the world's 50 best restaurants. The list is developed by a large panel of well-regarded international judges consisting of 806 chefs, restaurateurs, food critics, and journalists.

For the fourth year in a row, Ferran Adriá's experimental Spanish restaurant, El Bulli, has been named the best eatery in the world. Coming in at sixth, Thomas Keller's Per Se is the highest-ranking US restaurant.

The most shocking news, however, is that Gordon Ramsay's flagship London establishment, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which was number 13 on last year's list, is totally absent from this year's. To check out the complete list, read more.

El Bulli, Spain
The Fat Duck, UK
Noma, Denmark
Mugaritz, Spain
El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
Per Se, US
Bras, France
Arzak, Spain
Pierre Gagnaire, France
Alinea, US
L’Astrance, France
The French Laundry US
Osteria Francescana, Italy
St. John, UK
Le Bernardin, US
Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville, Switzerland
Tetsuya’s, Australia
L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, France
Jean Georges, US
Les Creations de Narisawa, Japan
Chez Dominique, Finland
Ristorante Cracco, Italy
Die Schwarzwaldstube, Germany
D.O.M., Brazil
Vendome, Germany
Hof van Cleve, Belgium
Masa, US
Gambero Rosso, Italy
Oud Sluis, Netherlands
Steirereck, Austria
Momofuku Ssam Bar, US
Oaxen Skaergaardskrog, Sweden
Martin Berasategui, Spain
Nobu UK
Mirazur, France
Hakkasan, UK
Le Quartier Francais, South Africa
La Colombe, South Africa
Asador Etxebarri, Spain
Le Chateaubriand, France
Daniel, US
Combal Zero, Italy
Le Louis XV, France
Tantris, Germany
Iggy’s, Singapore
Quay, Australia
Les Ambassadeurs, France
Dal Pescatore, Italy
Le Calandre, Italy
Mathias Dahlgren, Sweden

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Gordon Ramsay Under Fire For Pre-Prepared Meals

YumSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:00:28 -0700

Gordon Ramsay is under fire - for the way meals are prepared in his own kitchen. The Sun posted a slideshow of dishes from coq au vin to sausage rolls to fishcakes made in mass at a production site, then transported to several of Ramsay's gastropubs.

Although the star of Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares wasn't available for comment, his spokeswoman, Jo Barnes, contended that it's "common in the business" for small dining establishments to prepare dishes offsite. But in a contrasting 2007 interview, the celebrity food personality extolled the virtues of just-prepared food: "I can't understand how on earth people can ignore fresh food. Using fresh ingredients is the only way to guarantee a great taste."

The claim isn't the first time the world-famous chef has been in the public eye this year. It was off to a rough start with speculation that his culinary empire might be going bankrupt. Then a Scottish newspaper reported that most of the restaurants he revamped on Kitchen Nightmares are now closed. As if things couldn't get worse, one of his London restaurants was under investigation after a reality TV star claimed to have choked on a piece of cling film. He also recently sold his West Hollywood and Paris restaurants - and rumors are flying that his New York outpost may not remain for much longer.

What do you think of The Sun's newest claim - is it wrong or reasonable for small restaurants to prepare things ahead of time at a different location? What kind of advice would you give to Gordon to turn things around?

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Christina on Her Hell's Kitchen Win

partysugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:15:41 -0700

Yesterday I spoke with Christina, the young culinary school graduate from the Midwest, who won this season's Hell's Kitchen. Elated about her win and eager to get started at Gordon Ramsay's Los Angeles restaurant, Christina was bubbly and confident. She's kept in touch with Vanessa, but isn't friendly with runner-up Petrozza. To see what she had to say and find out what her real job title at the London will be, read more.

PartySugar: How did it feel to be the winner?
Christina: It feels really good. I've known for a long time now. When I won it was so strange, at that moment I couldn't think anything. I have no idea what Chef Ramsay said to me. I can't remember anything except thinking, don't fall down the steps.

PartySugar: Why did you win?
Christina: The thing about the competition is that at some point you see the worst and best of everyone. Gordon said I won because of my potential, but I think I won because of a combination of things. My ability to deal with stress, my quick wit, and my potential are all reasons why I won.

PartySugar: What was it like when you went back to culinary school, but couldn't tell anyone about the win and your experience?
Christina: That was horrible. Being on the show I was constantly challenged. To go back to culinary school was really hard. It wasn't exciting and I didn't feel challenged. The hardest thing about the show was not being able to rely on the formulas, recipes, and time frames they spend so much time teaching at culinary school. On the show you had to constantly create things off the top of your head. It only became easier when I realized I could do this without a recipe.
PartySugar: Have you started working at the London yet?
Christina: I haven't started there yet, I hope I do soon. Right now I am doing things like this, appearances in public. After graduating from culinary school I was working in a restaurant, but I quit my job on Tuesday. I'm getting everything in order to move. I haven't had a detailed meeting with the staff to know exactly what I will be doing at the London, but I do know my title is "Senior Chef."

PartySugar: What is it like to be a female in the kitchen?
Christina: I think a lot of the things you hear about being a female in the kitchen are not true. I don't think of it like it's hard and "boo-hoo, I'm a female in the kitchen I'm treated differently," females are treated differently in a lot of ways. Being a female in the kitchen gives me strength. Women are amazing multitaskers and it's beautiful to see a woman in that role.

PartySugar: On a previous episode of HK Ramsay said, "Nice girls don't make great chefs." Do you consider yourself a nice girl?
Christina: I don't think so. I come across sweet, I'm from the Midwest, but I'm mean as sh*t. Maybe I'm nicer than Ramsay is when he's in the kitchen, but I don't consider myself nice or mean. I consider myself fair.

Photos courtesy of Fox.

The Stink Piles Up for Ramsay

YumSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 02:58:19 -0700

Gordon Ramsay sure is causing a stink. Actually, make that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) sure is causing a stink for Gordon Ramsay. PETA UK demonstrators dressed up as horses and dumped a ton of horse manure in front of his London restaurant Claridge's. Ramsay has been putting himself in the bad graces of PETA, first by dragging a slain deer through his restaurant and then by suggesting that people should eat horse meat. In an upcoming episode of his show The F-Word, Ramsay admits to eating horse.

"I've eaten horse", and says that it is healthy, with lots of iron and half the fat of beef and far more Omega 3 essential fatty acids. He describes horse meat as "slightly gamey" and "packed with protein".

Some are calling the horse meat statement a "ratings gimmick," and others say it's perfectly viable to consider other red meat sources. Either way I bet Ramsay didn't think it would cause such a stink.

Source: The Telegraph and Metro UK

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Let's Dish: Hell's Kitchen 4.11

partysugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:00:42 -0700

The battle to be Ramsay's executive chef is on! Last night's episode of Hell's Kitchen was an odd mix of bimbos, bloopers, and bad tempers. It was the first time in HK history that contestants taught non-chefs how to cook. It was also the first time the losers had to witness the challenge winner enjoy the prize.

I'll admit I was a little surprised by the outcome of the elimination; were you? To discuss this and more, read more.

Will Jen be her own undoing?
Didn't you want to taste Ramsay's scrumptious-looking lobster pasta?
Where did they find those ~~trashy housewives~~ Hawaiian Tropics models?!
When the models walked in, whose drooling was more disgusting: Bobby's or Petrozza's?
Will Jen ever be a team player?
Who would you have nominated for elimination?
Can you believe Petrozza has made it to the final four?
Wouldn't it be fun if the final two were Christina and Corey?

And now, a few words of wisdom from good old Gordon Ramsay:

On being a great chef [Do you agree?]: That's the essence of becoming a great chef: becoming a great teacher.
On Bobby's burnt Wellingtons: Hey Bobby! What the f*** is that? Bobby yeah, look burnt on the bottom! And you haven't even trimmed the f***ing backs. F***ing wake up please.
On Jen's John Dory: Hello Jen? It's f***ing raw, it's raw yeah? It's raw! It's rubber! It's overcooked! First you undercook it, now you overcook it?!
On the dinner service: We completed the service, but here's the thing, it was too painful. And being the final five I seriously expect more.
On the final five contestants: One of you is going to be my executive chef at the London West Hollywood! [Are they really?]

Photos courtesy of Fox.

Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmare

YumSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 04:38:19 -0700

In a strange, but true tale, GQ UK's Chef of the Year, Gordon Ramsay, has burned his man-bits. In what can only be described as his own personal kitchen nightmare, Ramsay stood a little too close to the stove and burned himself.

"The other day I was standing too close to the stove when I was cooking. I was wearing these cotton trousers and underneath I was going commando, suddenly, I felt this searing heat. I went, 'F**k me, bollocks to that."

Once the accident happened, he was rushed to London's private Cromwell Hospital where an ultrasound was performed. His right testicle was burned and Ramsay was said to be in "absolute agony."

In other news, Ramsay will be expanding his dining empire by adding ten more pubs to his collection.

Source: TMZ and My Park Magazine
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