Gordon Ramsay Steak in Baltimore
Because of my fascination with true crime, I often think about what I would want my “death row-style” last meal to be. I think about all the amazing dishes I’ve had from restaurants all over the world. It wasn’t until my Christmas Eve dinner at Gordon Ramsay Steak that I could come up with a decisive answer.
Gordon Ramsay’s newest restaurant, at Baltimore’s Horseshoe Casino, replaced Jack Binion’s Steak. While Jack Binion’s was good, Gordon Ramsay, a world-renowned Michelin-starred chef, brought a needed touch of refined cuisine to the casino.
The menu at this location carries similar dishes to his Las Vegas location, like the Roasted Bone Marrow, Rib Cap and Beef Wellington. The Baltimore restaurant is farm-to-table with roughly 20 percent of the menu locally sourced, according to Jay Lattimer, vice president of food and beverage for Horseshoe Casino. The beef cheeks in the gnocchi are from Roseda Farm, the honey used in cocktails is local and, of course, the crab meat used in the crab cakes are from Maryland as well.
The Christmas Eve dinner was not just a celebration of delicious steak, but also my father’s birthday. My aunt and uncle came into town, and when the 24th arrived, I made sure my entire family knew that I was NOT going to miss this reservation.
When we arrived to the restaurant, the hostess let us know it would be a few minutes before our table was ready. As we waited, my friend Elyse, her family and friends walked in as well. We all stood in the large waiting area next to the bar chatting. Mid-conversation, a (tipsy) woman walked by and slurred “you’ve got to try the Sticky Toffee Pudding.” We all looked at her like, “sure, Jan,” and continued our conversations.
As soon as we were seated in the intimate dining room, my family immediately began discussing which of the “Perfect Ten” specialty cocktails to order. My father and uncle ordered The Drifter. After one or two small sips, their eyes widened. They didn’t anticipate how strong the Knob Creek bourbon and Canton Ginger liqueur would be. However, our server Corey did warn them that it’s a drink that will “put some hair on your chest.”
My mom and I sipped on the Sparkling Rosemary Champagne Cocktail. It had a touch of acidity from grapefruit, but was light and refreshing. My aunt ordered the GG Espresso Martini with Kahlua instead of Bailey’s. The espresso and Grey Goose drink was garnished with a chocolate truffle that she saved for the end.
Later in the dinner, Corey asked us if we wanted any more cocktails, we all said no, but he recommended the Farm to Shaker Martini. “The aromatics are amazing,” Corey said. Since it was my dad’s birthday dinner, and he’s been known to enjoy a cocktail, he ordered it. As soon as my dad put it up to his nose, he said, “it smells just like fresh cut grass!” I am not a mixologist, so I won’t pretend to know anything about how the aromatics work with the sage-infused Kettle One and St. Germain. When I sipped the martini, I was reminded of cucumber-infused spa water. The smell was very similar to the Harry Potter jelly beans of my childhood—fresh cut grass indeed.
We decided to skip appetizers (even though I desperately wanted the Berkshire Pork Belly) to make sure we had room for our entrees. We did, however, indulge in the bread that was offered. Three types of bread were served with butter topped with Hawaiian black salt. My favorite of the breads were the apricot and the one infused with lemon. Honestly, I’d probably eat my finger if I could spread that black-salt butter on it.
We filled the time during and after bread with conversation. The warm lighting in the dining room made our experience relaxed and comfortable. The room was smaller than I expected, but that guaranteed attentive service from the friendly staff.
We chatted with our server Corey and the additional waitstaff. Corey told us how part of his training included a trip to the farm where the beef comes from. Another server joked with us about how they should stop leading with the fact that beef cheeks are used in the Herb Gnocchi appetizer. Part way through our meal, the assistant general manager, Dalaina Ray, stopped by our table to see how we were doing. Everyone was so friendly, it was almost as if I was eating at a local “mom and pop” restaurant. That was until the food came, and I remembered the caliber of restaurant I was eating at.
Once the entrees arrived, the majority of our table consisted of the 20-ounce Bone-in Ribeye. I cut into my first bite of the steak, cooked medium, and was filled with euphoria. The ribeye was perfectly seasoned with salt, pepper and other herbs.
The menu describes that all of the prime cuts of beef are dry aged for a minimum of 28 days. All of the care that went into seasoning, cooking and resting the steak showed as I savored each glorious bite. While I didn’t need any steak sauce for my flavorful cut, I couldn’t resist spreading on a little horseradish sauce. The horseradish was different than most creamy sauces, as it didn’t have as much of an intense bite to it.
My aunt ordered the signature Roasted Beef Wellington. If you’ve ever seen an episode of Hell’s Kitchen or any other Gordon Ramsay program, you’d know that Beef Wellington is his most famous dish. It is a traditional British dish with seared filet mignon. Gordon Ramsay Steak does not stray from this classic dish, serving it with glazed root vegetables, potato puree and a red wine demi-glace.
My mother, who is not a carnivore like myself, opted for the Atlantic Salmon. It was dressed with artichoke, oyster mushrooms and a garlic soy broth. She loved the layers of flavor on the moist, flaky salmon.
By the end of our entrees, we were all full and couldn’t even fathom the idea of dessert. Here comes Corey with his recommendations. He implored us to order the Sticky Toffee Pudding. This is a sweet pudding cake with brown sugar toffee, drizzled with caramel, and served with a brown butter ice cream.
I have to say that I owe the drunk lady, who suggested this dessert to us, an apology. Maybe she was drunk off this luscious cake. All five of us shared the dessert, and looking back, I wish I had ordered one for myself. The brown butter ice cream was shaped just like a stick of butter, and was just as smooth. This dessert is another signature at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants aka a must-have.
The delectable dinner menu and top shelf cocktails are complemented by the unmatched service and affability of the staff. If I could only eat one more meal on this earth, it would be my entire dinner from Gordon Ramsay Steak. Actually, maybe I’d go for the Royal Long-Bone Chop. My gluttonous stomach would deserve all 32 ounces if I were going to kick the bucket. Until the next mouthwatering meal, I’ll be talking about this one for a LONG time.