Dining with Gordon Ramsay: An inside look at the exclusive F1 trackside lunch experience
Gordon Ramsay is a lifelong fan of Formula 1 racing. He attends several Grand Prix yearly, often with family members, and owns several retired F1 race cars. This year, during the F1 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Ramsay hosted a Trackside Lunch at Caesar’s Palace Hell’s Kitchen restaurant close to the section of the Las Vegas Strip that converted to the Grand Prix race circuit each night.
I was among a small group of journalists invited to enjoy an array of top-tier, all-inclusive race-viewing locations, entertainment, and hospitality experiences. A highlight of our luxury tour was the four-course Trackside Lunch. The restaurant was packed with F1 and Gordon Ramsay enthusiasts, and we were fortunate to have a table directly in front of Ramsay’s working staff of chefs and assistants.
Gordon Ramsay was an active host
Gordon Ramsay walked into the dining room shortly after the event began. He high-fived his cooking staff and gave a short welcome speech about his shared love of F1 and cooking. He then greeted everyone, going from table to table in what appeared to be a capacity crowd in the 300-seat restaurant, a replica of the set on the Hell’s Kitchen TV show.
The meal lasted about 90 minutes, and Ramsay stayed the entire time, laughing and talking with guests about the food, the race, and the Grand Prix overall.
What Gordon Ramsay served
The first course, an amuse-bouche, was a Tartare Cone, a tiny cone containing raw bluefin tuna, black truffle, and avocado. The purpose of an amuse is to stimulate the diner’s appetite and hint at the chef’s creativity.
Next, we were served Seared Diver Scallop, an appetizer topped by a razor-thin section of Jamon Iberico (cured leg of pork from black Iberian pigs), potato espuma, Royal Osetra caviar, sauteed leeks, and citrus beurre blanc (a rich French butter sauce).
The entre was Beef Wellington, a Ramsay signature dish, served with white truffle, potato puree, and a red wine sauce
Substitutions were allowed at the luncheon, but each course had vegan alternatives. I asked for the vegan entree, Beet Wellington, which was a look-alike to the meat mainstay.
The dessert was Sticky Toffee Pudding, a tasty concoction topped with speculoos ice cream (speculoos is a flavor similar to but more complicated than cinnamon).
Gordon Ramsay was a wonderful host, and the Trackside Lunch was tasty. The pacing, the enthusiastic atmosphere, and the perfectly prepared courses combined for a memorable experience.
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