Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen opens doors on Saturday at Foxwoods Resort Casino
The cooks in Hell’s Kitchen plate dishes with fire in their eyes.
On Thursday, a grand opening celebration provided an early preview of some of Gordon Ramsay’s famed dishes and gave a first look at a luxurious dining room — the latest addition to Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut.
On Saturday, the restaurant will open its doors at 4:30 p.m. to the general public at the casino’s Grand Pequot Tower.
The restaurant is modeled after the hit television show where cooks compete to win cash prizes, but more importantly, work at one of Ramsay’s acclaimed restaurants. Aspiring chefs are put through Ramsay’s grueling paces and often crumble under pressure on TV.
Not at Foxwoods. The cooks expertly and deftly churn out dish after dish behind the open kitchen layout. Their boss, after all, has earned a combined 17 Michelin stars throughout his career.
As you can imagine, the standard is high.
The dining room is meant to give diners the sense that they are on set. Cooks in white coats with red and blue bandanas — just like the show — are plating behind the line. They carefully add sauces, garnishes and the final touches to signature dishes such as the beef Wellington or the crispy skin salmon.
Each side of the kitchen is lit up with blue and red lights to resemble the show.
The dining room will seat a total of 260 guests and there is a chef’s table and a large bar. Images of Ramsay are hung throughout the restaurant. A large screen with a video of a life-size Ramsay greets guests at the front entrance. The Ramsay recording asks patrons for a selfie.
“Everybody that visits his restaurant is going to have that feeling as if they’re on set,” said Christina Wilson, winner of season 10 and a driving force behind the restaurant’s opening in Foxwoods, on Thursday. “The good thing is you actually get fed here. That’s never guaranteed when you are on set.”
Wilson, vice president of culinary for Gordon Ramsay North America, has been instrumental in opening Hell’s Kitchen locations around the globe.
“You could ask the team – we’ve been kicking their ass for about five weeks now” in preparation for the opening weekend, Wilson said. Locations of Hell’s Kitchens and Ramsay’s various restaurants — he owns more than 50 — might be varied, but one thing remains the same, Wilson said: “the standard of Gordon Ramsay.”
The restaurant hired more than 100 new staff members prior to opening. There is a massive display of 300 wine bottles that divides the main dining room with a 40-seat private dining area.
The casino plans to open another 400 slot machines, a 45-seat slot bar, 24 table games, and a new bar in the area outside of the restaurant, according to Jason Guyot, Foxwoods’ president and CEO.
Foxwoods represents a “massive integrated resort destination” between Boston and New York, Guyot said, and bringing in Ramsay’s restaurant — “the ultimate celebrity chef,” he said — continues to build out Foxwood’s footprint and brand. Plus, his appeal crosses over various demographics and age groups, he said.
Those interested can start making reservations ahead of the opening. However, the first reservations available aren’t until Aug. 1. The restaurant will be walk-in only until then.
Ramsay also opened a restaurant in Boston on July 5. Gordon Ramsay Burger opened inside Canopy by Hilton Hotel at 111 North St. Another one of Ramsay’s restaurants, known as Ramsay’s Kitchen, opened in Boston on Jan. 24, 2022, at the Mandarin Oriental.
Will patrons catch a glimpse of Ramsay at Foxwoods?
On Thursday, he appeared via a pre-recorded video and said Guyot and his team’s work over the last five months has been “nothing short of extraordinary.”
“Sorry I can’t be there, but I will be there shortly,” Ramsay said.
