Banger? I Hardly Know Her.
So the evening is proceeding quite swimmingly Friday night. We’re ensconced on the second floor of Gordon Ramsay Steak, watching Ramsay work the crowd like a master, chatting everyone up, posing for pictures and stopping by every table — basically charming the pants off the lassies while impressing the lads about what a down-to-earth bloke he is.
The VIP party isn’t swarming with the usual D-listers, and we’re getting more than our fill of tasty little bites of everything from beef Wellington to nicely seared yellow fin.
Ramsay sits with us for a spell and remarks how much we look like Alain Ducasse:
…while we ask him what his biggest challenge in Vegas will be. “Consistency,” he says. “That’s the problem in any restaurant, but in a high volume place like Las Vegas, maintaining your standards in the face of big numbers is always a daunting prospect.”
He then tells us he spent 279 days last year in America, and now has a house in Bel Air, California, which means we’ll be seeing quite a lot of him in the near future as he gets this place up to speed.
A little later, he stops by a booth we’re sharing with Norm! and his lovely fiancee Cara, for a quick interview:
…and impresses us further by spending some quality time talking about his apprenticeships with Guy Savoy and Joël Robuchon and his profane persona.
We’ll leave the exact quotes to Norm!, but suffice it to say that everyone asks him about his swearing and his temper, and he readily admits he plays them both up for his television shows. But there’s no doubt he’s a passionate guy who really cares about teaching people how to be better cooks — and even though he might come off like a kitchen tyrant, mean-spirited he is not, and a big part of his popularity no doubt comes from his being the type of dude you’d love to share a pint with.
While Norm! was conducting his interview (and we were taking the snaps above), we decided to get a little cheeky with the following tweet:
.@gordonramsay01 explains his spotted dick to @norm_reviewjournal.com http://pic.twitter.com/a0FVFZmi
Innocent enough, wouldn’t you say?
If you think about it, ELV could’ve said “gordonramsay01 explains his cock-a-leekie to Norm.”
Or “explains his bubble and squeak to Norm.”
Or “puts his toad in Norm’s hole.”
The mind reels…
As any foodie knows, British food is full of colorful and obscure names — the vocabulary is a veritable Eton mess of treacle and black puddings that only a fool would be alarmed by — all of which lend themselves to adolescent tittering and jokey puns.
So it would seem, but nobody told the dimwits who act as Ramsay’s publicists — who went ballistic when ELV’s tweet was posted.
First came the “please take it downs,” followed by the “demand to take it down,” followed by the “if you don’t take it down you will never have access to Gordon Ramsay again!!”
Pretty stupid, huh?
ELV’s final response to a series of ever-increasing angry texts was to question whether Ramsay was offended or just a know-nothing, hyper-ventilating p.r. wag who needed to justify their job for the evening.
Because the chap we met seemed to have quite the sense of humor…and the sort who would be a pretty tough to offend.
And seemd like someone who could make one helluva spotted dick if he wanted to.
Which we hope he does when he opens his gastropub in Caesars Palace later this year (you heard it here first).
Because publicist or not, we’re looking forward to his food.
GORDON RAMSAY STEAK
In the Paris Hotel and Casino
702.946.7000
Restaurant reviews, quips, picks and pans-with some seriously salivating history-from the man who eats his way through Sin City every day.
May 14th, 2012 at 7:49 am
A picture is worth 1000 words:
http://stupormkt.tumblr.com/post/5955629273/talk-about-food-porn-some-products-just-sell
May 14th, 2012 at 8:37 am
As a member of the media I am sure that you realize that it is the job of the publicist to attempt to steer the flow of information coming from you. I am sure that you knew when you started in on your innuendo laced tweets that it would be pushing the limit, don’t be snarky now because your wrist was slapped. Chef Ramsay is intense about his food and his image, as you described. His restaurants are likely to bring cash and jobs to the area so let’s cut his publicists some slack for not laughing at your tweet and move on.
May 14th, 2012 at 9:29 am
ELV responds: Oh…how wrong can you be Adam.
Just what “limits” are you referring to? And how were they pushed?
Wrist slapped? By a p.r. person? When hell fucking freezes over…(as GR might say).
One of the big problems with food writing in Vegas is how p.r. people have too many writers at their beck and call.
Just because some of you have to kowtow to these twits doesn’t mean the rest of us have to.
May 14th, 2012 at 10:11 am
Publicists are scum – bottom feeders that deserve to be treated as the lowest form of life.
May 14th, 2012 at 11:12 am
I just think that a man that has dedicated his life to perfecting his food deserves a little respect. The limits I refer inferred limitations that you knew existed between Ramsay and making fun of his food and food titles from his country. I do not kowtow to publicists or PR people, but I know that they have their role, and I do not feign surprise when they do their jobs.
I guess I also don’t expect anyone to kowtow to me because I have a blog and a Press pass either.
I like your work. I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this one.
May 14th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Shouldn’t a Chef’s image be a mirror of the food they create and the dining experience they offer? IMO,Who cares about if someone tweets an offhanded or profane comment. Seriously, who even watches twitter anyway.
May 14th, 2012 at 4:44 pm
“I have to go home and warm-up my pussy.”
Mrs. Slocombe, ‘Are you Being Served,’ BBC, 1974
May 14th, 2012 at 9:36 pm
Long-time reader; first-time commenter. Bravo, as always, Mr. Curtas, for tweaking established conventions and seemingly having fun with the entire food critic experience. I believe you are correct that Mr. Ramsay would have had a good chuckle with that tweet had he not been insulated from, you know, actually *seeing* it, by a team of sycophants.
Additionally, I appreciate your thorough reviews, as they’ve led me to some great dining experiences when I’m in Vegas, at both mainstream and far-flung joints.
One quibble, and it’s just my career coming out: Unless you think Adam is hauling strandad bovines somewhere, the correct word is “kowtow”.
Peace, and keep on kibitzing those that think they set the standard! :)
May 15th, 2012 at 9:52 am
Adam, in all due respect, I think you’re missing one of ELV’s points when you say “it is the job of the publicist to attempt to steer the flow of information coming from you.” Does that include intimidation and threats to be “banned” from ever interviewing a Chef because a writer is being honest? One hopes that isn’t a prerequisite for a Journalism degree. Attempting to “steer” the flow of information is a type of influence that won’t sway a writer with integrity and honesty–and a playful sense of humor.
I suppose those who know more about the latest line of Christian Louboutin heels aren’t expected to know the history of British cuisine-albeit the fact they’re representing arguably the most well-known British Chef of the day.
So let’s just all stick our tongue’s in Eve’s Pudding and try to focus on what’s important–Gordon’s food.
May 23rd, 2012 at 9:16 am
His pudding at the grand tasting was really something special (even to not a real dessert-lover like myself), and I was lucky enough to get a “Hey” from GR to my ever-tactful point and “GUH! WOAH!”.
Definitely looking forward to the opening!