An exclusive interview with Gordon Ramsay at the launch of his latest restaurant concept in A.C.

A chat with the master

While actual sightings of celeb chefs at celeb chef-branded restaurants are rare, I lucked out on my most recent trip to Hell’s Kitchen, as I actually had a chance to sit down face-to-face with Ramsay himself and pick his brain for a bit before dinner.

Ryan Loughlin: Hell’s Kitchen is your third restaurant in Atlantic City. What makes this area such a great fit for what you do?

Gordon Ramsay: I remember coming to the area back in 2005 and spending time shooting "Kitchen Nightmares" and noticing the gravitas – there is less arrogance and more realism. It’s one of the very few cities that is very well suited to me. Everyone thinks it's London, Paris or New York, but I didn’t come from that side. And from the minute we opened the Pub & Grill, the turnout was extraordinary. They made me feel warm and welcome. I’ve been around the world 12 times and there is no greater reception than right here.

RL: For folks who have visited your other restaurants in town, why should they come to Hell’s Kitchen? What makes it different?

GR: There is a lot of nostalgia behind this concept (of Hell’s Kitchen). The show been on the air for nearly two decades, and 22 seasons later the viewers still would like more, so the restaurant was a sort of culmination of how successful the show was because of the viewership. If a series launches today and you get to season 6 it's considered a huge success, but season 22? It’s sort of part of the DNA of the country now. The restaurant on set is exactly the same as the one we have built here, from the (colors of the) red and blue teams to the banquets to the chef tables. And then there is the food – everyone is desperate to eat those scallops!

RL: How often do you find yourself cooking with family at home?

GR: A lot. The holidays are just around the corner, and we do celebrate Thanksgiving because we have so many friends in America. I taught the kids to cook early on in life because I think it’s a skill that is as important as English or math. It’s not about posh food or expensive food, it’s about learning to look after yourself.

RL: Do you have any guilty pleasure foods that you enjoy that might surprise people?

GR: Yeah – I’m a sucker for (West Coast-based chain) In-N-Out Burger, especially at midnight after a long night at work. Those things are off the charts! You walk in and you see them hand cutting the chips and there are boxes of potatoes stacked on the floor. Its almost 2023 and we’ve got a fast food restaurant with boxes of fresh potatoes that they are slicing in front of you. How cool is that?

RL: Name three ingredients that you would be heartbroken to not have in your kitchen.

GR: A Madagascar vanilla pod, because that can go savory or sweet. Second would be a capellini. The amount of things you can do with a capellini on the fly when you need stuff ready in 5 minutes is incredible. It cooks in 90 seconds. And then the third one would be a great citrus. Anytime we’ve got citrus in the household we are zesting oranges, limes and lemons.