The infamous fiery-tempered TV chef currently has three Las Vegas restaurants, with a fourth in the pipeline, but his relationship with the city stretches back several years prior to their arrival and to Seasons 2 and 3 of "Hell's Kitchen," which were filmed in 2006 and 2007 at the former Terra Rossa (Red Rock Resort) and Terra Verde (Green Valley Ranch) restaurants, respectively. Having gotten a taste of Sin City, in 2010 Ramsay announced his intention to open one or more restaurants here, but it took a couple of years for the plan to come to fruition.
Ramsay was here, in person, for the grand opening of his eponymous and much-lauded steakhouse at Paris in May 2012, and again for the debut of his Pub & Grill at Caesars Palace seven months later. In between, Gordon was spotted enjoying a tour of the latter property's Bacchanal Buffet, while a review posted on TripAdvisor.com in October 2012 gushed about how "when Gordon Ramsay actually appeared at the restaurant we [were] more than a little excited! He was very gracious, very cute and took the time to speak to a large number of the clients."
According to the menu at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill, which opened at Caesars Palace on Dec. 18, 2012 it's about "great times with great blokes, including Gordon Ramsay himself when his favorite football team is playing...So if you think the guy sitting at the end of the bar looks a lot like Gordon, well, it just might be." However, according to local restaurant blog Eater Vegas, the previous two sightings of the chef, including the night before his pub debuted, were both at SushiSamba in the Shoppes at Palazzo...
In a rare feat, a mere four days later, on Dec. 22, Ramsay debuted his third Las Vegas restaurant, Gordon Ramsay BurGR, at Planet Hollywood. We'd wager that Gordon was active behind the scenes in the weeks leading up to his double-debut week, but if he was around it was very much behind the scenes, and he gave both venues a few weeks to get into the groove and past the "Holiday Season," before hosting a joint Grand Opening event on January 27, 2013.
In addition, during 2012-'13, Gordon was also in town separately to film Seasons 10 and 11 of "Hell's Kitchen" at his steakhouse and pub venues and was spotted, among other places, dining out with his kids at the former Sugar Factory celebrity hotspot at Paris.
In July of 2013 he hosted the "Hell's Kitchen" Season 11 finale and viewing party at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars Palace, then in December was in town once more to celebrate the first anniversaries of both his Pub & Grill and Gordon Ramsay BurGR. We'd take a guess and say that Gordon will almost certainly be here for the opening of his latest venture, Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips, set to open at The LINQ in August (after some postponements and a venue change).
The shifting of Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips' opening to August may not be entirely unplanned, however. It seems more than a coincidence that both Caesars Palace and Gordon Ramsay celebrate their 50th birthdays this year, and while the chef's actual birthday isn't until November, he's stated for the record that he intends to piggyback on the iconic casino's celebrations and host his own fête in tandem. And with good reason: While regular Total Rewards members who happen to be turning 50 this summer can receive a $50 food and beverage credit with their stay during the "Summer of Caesars" promo period, Gordon's been promised some special treatment in the form of a no-expense-spared (we're talking seven figures) birthday bash, with a star-studded guest list that includes Sir Elton John, Britney Spears, and the Beckhams, and the host hotel is eating the entire tab! (With the exception of any minibar bill the birthday boy may run up in his expansive suite, although he still gets a nice discount even on that as part of his contract for the Pub & Grill.)
The announcement about the party came not long after the details of Gordon Ramsay's renegotiated contract with the bankrupt casino giant came to light, which among its terms and conditions states that, in order to be eligible for his $340,000 salary (from Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill alone), he's required to visit the restaurant "at least once a year" (among other things), and for 24 consecutive hours. Tough gig.
Presumably some similar stipulation is made in each of the contracts for his other two restaurants, but fortunately for would-be Ramsay spotters Gordon seems to like Sin City and puts in more time than the bare-minimum required. In a recent interview, he stated that he visits Las Vegas up to 12 times a year. "We have a house in LA, so it’s an easy haul," he observed, and has even speculated about buying a home here and opening a culinary academy.
For the past several years he's been a staple attendee at the annual Vegas Uncork'd culinary festival, too, which takes place each May and offers multiple (if pricey) opportunities to get up-close and personal with your favorite celebrity chefs. (We note that Chef Ramsay seems to have a penchant for The Cosmopolitan, with sightings at Marquee Dayclub and STK steakhouse during recent Uncork'd attendances, and was also spotted partying at Hakkasan at MGM Grand.)
So, all we can say is keep an ear to the ground and check in regularly with Gordon Ramsay's social media accounts (on which he is active) and those of his Las Vegas restaurants, as it sounds like there should be plenty of opportunities for potential sightings in the months ahead, with early August likely to offer rich pickin's, with the double whammy of a restaurant opening and a birthday extravaganza. (Just don't involve him in any marriage proposal you may be planning in the Wedding Capital of the World, or it could all end it tears...)
