Leslie and David's Wanderings: 6 September 2021 Hell’s Kitchen

We have watched several versions of Hells Kitchen on TV for several years and swore we would one day visit one. Well it just so happens Gordon Ramsay’s flagship Hells Kitchen is here in Las Vegas. When we first pulled in, we checked on reservations and there was no availability until mid August. But not knowing what our August schedule would look like we deferred this opportunity until things became clearer. In early August, we knew what our schedule would be and checked on reservations at Hells Kitchen Las Vegas. We decided on Labor Day Monday figuring the crowds from the weekend would be headed home by the evening. Well we were wrong! Hells Kitchen is located just in front of Caesar’s Palace Casino. Parking is in the rear, and you have to go through the casino to get to Hell’s Kitchen. We arrived a few hours early since we had not been in a casino yet and Leslie had to place a roulette bet for her niece. After parking, we decided to get a light lunch in Caesar’s Palace. We decided on Gordon Ramsay’s Pub as a good central location. The Casino was PACKED! We have not been immersed in these types of crowds in quite a while. We were very surprised by how many people there still were in the casino and restaurants. We really expected people to be headed home by now from the holiday weekend. We had a couple of drinks and some short rib nachos before heading back into the crowds. We were really surprised by the machines in the casino. The one arm bandits are very sophisticated computerized entertainment venues instead of the mechanical ones now. They even have roulette and craps machines now instead of real tables. But we wandered around until we finally found a good old fashion roulette wheel table. The minimum was $25, which surprised us a little, but Leslie placed a $25 bet on red for her niece, as promised, and she won! So she did it again and won another $25! Then Leslie decided she had fulfilled her promised and we cashed in the chips. We wandered our way around until we found our way to Hell’s Kitchen. We had a table by the windows overlooking the Las Vegas strip. Watching the people walking by was an endless source of entertainment. We are not professional food critics. But we had high expectations going into a Gordon Ramsay flagship restaurant. We went with the fixed signature menu with the wine pairing. For our first round, Leslie ordered the heirloom tomato burrata salad, which was outstanding!! The tomatoes were fresh, meaty and delicious. The fresh mozzarella paired with the dressing and basil complimented the tomatoes perfectly. David ordered the scallops, but they came back and said they were out. Who runs out of scallops on a holiday weekend? They offered the lobster risotto in its place. The wine pairing was perfect. The risotto was creamy, bright, just the right texture. Perfection. But the lobster tail was dry, rubbery and overcooked. The main was the signature Beef Wellington. Again the wine pairing was perfect. The Wellington was underwhelming. Although the filets were cooked correctly, there was very little flavor. The mushroom compote was bland, mushy, and did not help the flavor. The Wellington pastry was perfect! Just crispy on the outside and a nice firm texture that did not get soggy. Almost like a pretzel dough. The wine reduction was excellent but we could have used more of it. The potatoes were well executed. Desert was the sticky toffee pudding and ice cream. The pudding was outstanding! The ice cream was a bit bland, but with all the flavor of the pudding, you don’t want the ice cream to overshadow it. Again, the wine pairing was excellent. For what we paid, we really expected more from the Beef Wellington. There was none of the Hells Kitchen show type of drama (yelling) in the kitchen. The kitchen was quiet and well organized. Service was efficient and on point. But for over $400, we expected better food. But it was an experience of a lifetime.