A celebrity chef known as much for his disses as his dishes has a new restaurant in an iconic downtown St. Louis dining room.
Chef Gordon Ramsay, the British chef turned foul-mouthed television personality, has opened his newest “Ramsay’s Kitchen” location inside the Four Seasons Hotel.
The restaurant replaces Cinder House, a Brazilian steakhouse by local chef Gerard Craft that closed early this year.
The fifth installment of the concept, Ramsay’s Kitchen does not present the same menu as in his seven Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe, nor does it bear any blatant references to the reality TV shows like “Hell’s Kitchen” or “Next Level Chef” for which Ramsay is best known for in the U.S. Ramsay’s Kitchen sells itself as a “glimpse into Chef Gordon Ramsay’s culinary experiences across the globe.” Entrees on the local menu include a signature Beef Wellington, chickpea tikka masala, and in this case, a take on St. Louis-style ribs.
In town for the grand opening celebrations of the restaurant, Ramsay spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Abby Llorico.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Abby Llorico: Chef, you are an internationally recognized global star with a globally recognized brand. Why add St. Louis to that portfolio?
Gordon Ramsay: Yeah, that's a pretty good question. I mean, first of all, I love what I do. I think that's pretty obvious. And then I've just spent the last two decades building this incredible company to highlight talent. St. Louis was calling five years ago, we were set back, sadly due to COVID. And now we've got that grassroots effect: the devastation of so many restaurants closing, and that's what you read about. The negativity of how they can sustain paying rent, rates, labor costs. And so when this opportunity came along, I've always been a big admirer from Chicago, downwards. What St. Louis stands for, the DNA – ribs, sauces, the farm-to-table, ethnic sort of multi-melting pot that goes on here. So to be part of this vibrant scene has been a bit of a long-term goal. And the timing is right. The position is amazing. We're right on the Mississippi. Chefs don't ever get the dream of having restaurants in this location often. So the stars are aligned.
Llorico: And so it sounds like you were well aware that St. Louis considers itself a foodie town.
Ramsay: Oh my god. Yeah, it's been bustling. It's almost like one of the sort of sleeping beauties in the culinary world because it's in a league of its own. No one tampers with it. And it's done in a unique way without being arrogant. And it's a very confident style of cooking. Having dinner last night at Vicia just highlighted the local talent. Chefs thrive on product, produce. Going through those seasonal aspects. It's unspoiled, it's untampered with. And so that was a prime example of where restaurants should be today. It was humble, it was delicious. It was handcrafted. And yeah, stunning. I mean, really stunning. So they've raised the bar. To be part of that scene? Honestly, that's the ambition.
Llorico: That being said, we have quite a scene, we have plenty of local options with people who are quite rooted here. So why should people, when they only have so many meals to eat, and frankly, so much money to spend on a meal out, be coming to your restaurant?
Ramsay: Yeah, I think should ask the customers that question rather than ask me. But from my perspective, customers vote with their feet. We have a unique setting. We have an amazing menu. Incredibly local team, talented local team. The R&D and the kind of research that's gone into the menu has been extraordinary. We tailor it to what's happening locally. So it's not just cut and paste, and we move Boston’s menu to St. Louis, we're not that stupid. So this is a unique setting and a unique offering. And Ramsay's Kitchen is around family. Family, whether it's a ten top, six top, Sunday lunch, Saturday dinner, date night: There's something for everybody here. And it's been, it's been a long time in the making. It just hasn't been, you know, a label slap where you stick your name above the door and things happen. The most exciting thing for me is what's going on in the kitchen and the dining room. When you see the talent, how hungry they are to learn and how keen they are to progress and elevate themselves. This restaurant is a platform for them.
Llorico: You mentioned that the idea of coming back, after the past several years we've had with the restaurant scene, it did have a major impact on St. Louis kitchens. Have you gotten to talk to some of the staffers here and some of the people working in the kitchen, even front of house, and how have you found this "Midwest nice" version of your restaurant?
Ramsay: Yeah, that's a good question. Midwest is super supportive. They are hardworking, and they're focused. And they're not carried away. They haven't got the flashing lights of New York City or Miami, South Beach. It's a very humble setting. When you start talking to the teams, and you see that kind of devastation that's left on their life, on those amount of closures and what got shut down, you know, literally three years ago. It's nice to be part of that grassroot moment. So we opened the reservations six weeks ago, and we took 30,000 bookings in our first 10 days. So you only get to hear that with stadiums and not in restaurants. So, it's a double-edged sword. We have to maintain those standards and make sure that we pace ourselves and don't get carried away. So there's a great support team from us, in St. Louis, in a way that we will guide, support, help. And when we move with a new special, a new dish, a new menu, we move together. And that's crucial for me.
Llorico: You've noticed that this dining room is not just in a wonderful geographic location. It's in an important geographic location, in the heart of downtown, we have the riverfront, we have the Arch – which by the way, what do you think about the Arch?,
Ramsay: It's iconic. I mean, really is. I'm lucky to have some incredible restaurants all across well, but for me, this is one of the most beautiful settings. And also it was built in 1963, and it was a symbol of repositioning St. Louis. And so to be given the opportunity here to have this restaurant? Ramsay's Kitchen is a serious restaurant. We're the gateway to this part of the area. Incredible.
Llorico: And right now our downtown in St. Louis is not what it has been like so many downtowns, we are facing a bit of an uphill climb. And this location being part of that. Especially people who are really rooting for the continued success or the positive momentum of downtown St. Louis – why should they place trust in an outsider with such an important location in an important part of our city?
Ramsay: Well, first of all, don't consider ourselves as outsiders. We're downtown. And if you think about the employment this business generates and what it does to families and how important that income is, it's crucial. The restaurant prior to me, sadly, was dying, and so to regenerate and create 250 jobs, with further restaurants potentially, to be opened within the Gordon Ramsay group here. I'm excited. So this is not a separation. This is an amalgamation of relighting that fire and being part of that beacon coming back with that grassroots effect. So like I said, we've done enough of the negativity. The city's been hit badly. And just like sadly, when the Rams left, we have to dust ourselves down and bounce back. And Ramsay's Kitchen is part of that bouncing back. But if you see the excitement every morning – I spoke to the prep chefs yesterday, they arrived at 4 a.m., a dozen young kids, and they're here to midday, and they're going off to study at culinary college. It's pretty significant. They're locals, and they are putting every ounce of effort into this restaurant, and they'll be recognized for that.
Llorico: There are going to be some people who say, but it has a celebrity chef’s name on it, and they make up their mind about what that means. For some people, it's, I don't need to bother because I have seen him on TV and I know what to expect. There are going to be people who make the trip because they know who they believe they know who you are because of your television personality. What is going to be unexpected for both of those groups when they arrive and eat here?
Ramsay: Customers are front and center. They vote with their feet. They don't ring you and tell you they're not coming back. They just don't come back. What can they expect? A unique standard. An exciting offering of service with amazing food, a big focus on local produce, and unintimidating settings and something that is going to be a unique offering. With some fun. We do need fun. You know, our country’s heading towards another election, and there's a lot of unsettlement. And so breaking bread on a neutral ground and having fun with friends and family is what Ramsay's Kitchen is all about.
