Every single Vegas vacation we will go to Caesar's Palace and end up spending most of our time here: Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill.  Chef Ramsay opened this location, dead centre on the casino floor,  about a year and a half ago.  We've been coming since the first week it opened.  Literally.    During our traditional christmas getaway in 2013 we learned that he was opening BurGR in Planet Hollywood and GRPG within just a few days of us arriving.   I was over the moon.  I secretly hoped that Mr. Ramsay was still in town and when we went to his restaurant he'd be there.   I could swoon over his tousled blond hair and striking blue eyes....maybe he'd come over to me and I could introduce myself and then we'd run away to Tahiti together.  Oh.  Sorry M.  Love you!

The Pub was, and still is, packed any time we are there and to be fair we haven't ever sat in the dining room, so I can't speak to any service levels in that regard.  We always head straight for the bar, for a few reasons.   On our first visit we saw three men, jovially working the bar who looked like they were having fun.  That's inviting right there.  On top of that, the restaurant was full and the seats at the bar were available.  We're sold because we want to drink immediately, and eat at our leisure.   Now, we do sit at the bar frequently when we go out, and it not entirely because I love the side of  M's face (I do though, truly).  It just allows us to eat at drink at our own pace.  In Vegas you've got nothing but time to kill and money to burn.  If you're in a servers section she's on a mission to get you in and out as fast as she can, whereas the bartenders don't' mind if you take 2-3 hours.   And its entertaining.   People watching is always a fun pastime for us.  So many walks of life, from the traveler who might be down on his luck to the business man who'd rather be at home or the couple who believes this is fine dining, its interesting if nothing else.  We will always start dinner with some delicious, yet ludicrously expensive drinks.  Something like the Ramsay Tonic: Tanqueray no. ten gin, st-germain, fever-tree tonic, fresh cucumber & grapefruit juice and then I'll drink 3 of them!  M will usually start with a beer, and after a while we get a little more fancy.  The bartender we see every time, Tom, is great for coming up with drink ideas, or putting together something to "surprise" me.

While we take in the sights we will snack on something. The first time we were there we ordered the Duck Confit Poutine.  It was incredible!  The food runner brought it to our seat and began to describe the dish as he set it down. We joked about being from Canada and it stopped him dead in his tracks.  He said something to the effect of  "okay, well you know how to do poutine right, I hope we don't disappoint you".  And they did not.  The fries were so crispy, and the gravy was perfectly seasoned, the cheese the best kind of melty.   Nailed.  It.   But they've taken it off the menu, so sorry.  We can only reminisce and you can only dream.

The next adventurous item was the deep fried oysters. Staying true to this theme, I'd never had oysters before and I was very skeptical.  It was actually my choice to order them, and I am damn glad I did.  To be totally fair, I'm not entirely sure how much oyster I was actually eating/tasting but it was a bit salty, very crispy and the dip that accompanied them made the whole thing amazing.  Note: that salt on the bottom is not edible.  Trust me, I tested it.  Since then, Chef Ramsay has taken these off the menu as well.  God damnit,  two for two here. 

 
I will say though, that maybe these were a stepping stone for us. On our next visit to the city we went to see Penn & Teller's show at the Rio and before stopped in at Buzio's Seafood and downed two dozen (non deep fried!) oysters.  Delicious!

As long as you get the right kind, and learn the best technique to eat them, they are delicious.   Who's this guy, Gordon Ramsay, making me like all kinds of new things? Pfft.   

Over the years that Pub & Grill has been open the menu and changed a few times and I feel bad writing to you about all the incredible food that you can't try.  But there is one staple on the menu that better not ever go anywhere.  You hear me Ramsay?  Never!!  

This Sticky Toffee Pudding has changed my life.  And my that I mean that I never was much of a dessert girl; I've always liked salty more than sweet.  Give me a bag of dill pickle chips and I'm yours.  But this dessert has changed me.  If its on a menu in a pub I order it (I never, ever used to order a dessert).  It's sort of like a drug.  I'm always chasing that dragon, trying to find one here in Calgary that stands up to the amazement that is Chef Ramsay's creation.  It is warm, and dense.  The house-made ice cream gives that tiny bit of chill when you take a full bite.  And the caramel drizzle for the top just brings everything together.  I probably could eat one of these as my dinner and then another as my dessert.   And I don't give a shit if you judge me.  

While I am devouring this M has discovered a new drink.  If you drop a shot of Fireball into a cider, preferably the one from Angry Orchard, and give it a stir it's going to taste like apple pie.  That right there is M's favourite dessert and if you can make it into an alcoholic drink then even better.  I shared a bite of my pudding and he offered me a sip of his.  At the end of the meal we are so content.  We leave full, and tipsy.  Quite a bit poorer as GR restaurants are not known to be cheap, but they are well worth it.  I highly, highly recommend this Vegas restaurant.  But please for my sake, sit at the bar, take your time, engage the bartenders (they are great people to chat with) and order a damn dessert!