Archive | January 2019

Gordon Ramsay Burger

Las Vegas, NV

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When mentioning to an acquaintance about an upcoming trip to Las Vegas, she stated that she and her husband were going the same weekend that I was. She said, “the minute we land, my husband has to go get his Ramsay burger.” I had no idea what she was talking about.

I do now!

Gordon Ramsay Burger is located in the Planet Hollywood Resort Casino and next to the Miracle Mile Mall. It is pretty easy to spot by the 30-foot wall of fire display and by the line of people usually standing and waiting to get in.

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The stylish, open-concept restaurant is pretty impressive with bright colored walls, televisions, comfy seating, and an energetic atmosphere. The walls are covered with large pics of the one and only, Chef Gordon Ramsay. This restaurant is most well-known for its menu of high-end burgers, hot dogs, fancy drinks, gourmet desserts and shakes. My group decided to check it out the afternoon we arrived and managed to beat the regular dinner crowd (which is usually a 2 to 3 hour wait). We checked in with the hostess at 5:00 p.m. and only had a thirty minute wait. We were given a pager and explored some nearby Miracle Mile shops to kill the time. No biggie.

After waiting only twenty minutes, we were seated by one of the friendly hostesses. The menu had so much to choose from and we were all quite hungry. Decisions, decisions. We began with Cheddar Ale Soup, Beer Battered Onion Rings, Truffle Parmesan Fries, and Burnt Ends Poutine for all to share and “taste test.”

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Where to begin? The soup was served with crispy parma ham, pretzel croutons and fresh chives and was very tasty. The onion rings were sprinkled with parmigiano-reggiano and were served with chipotle ketchup and cheddar ranch dip. Yum! The hand-cut truffle fries were crispy and delicious and were served in a little British flag cone. The poutine was awesome! This popular Canadian dish consisted of a platter of fries topped with tender burnt ends (brisket), black pepper gravy, cheddar cheese curds, and pickled onions. I was in hog heaven!

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Soon we were moving on to our main course and trying hard to pace ourselves. Members of my group ordered the Ultimate Cheeseburger, the Blue Cheeseburger, the Ale Dawg, and the Lobster & Shrimp Burger. What a feast it was! All the burgers are prime cuts of meat, cooked over open flames, and served on delicious house-made buns. The Ultimate Cheeseburger had a slice of aged provolone, sweet dubliner cheese, and soft boursin cheese. It was rich, gooey, and delicious. The Blue Cheeseburger had crumbled blue cheese, manchego cheese, figgy jam, arugula, cider vinegar and mayo. This was easily my favorite burger. The figgy jam had such a delightful taste in combination with the other ingredients – what an inventive pairing.

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The Ale Dawg was fantastic and was HUGE! It came with a bacon-wrapped NYC Sabrett weiner (twice as long as the bun), cheddar ale sauce, caramelized onions, fresno chiles, and was topped with cheddar dusted potato crisps. Best. Hotdog. Ever.

The Lobster & Shrimp Burger consisted of a thick patty made from pan-seared lobster and rock shrimp and was topped with pickled veggies, an herb aioli, and fresh lettuce. Delish!

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Gordon Ramsay Burger is also well-known for their special shakes and desserts- but this group was way too full to try anything else. We were all stuffed to the gills but very satisfied! We actually ate here one last time before heading to the airport to fly back home. We enjoyed our second meal here as much as the first one days before.

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If you are planning a trip to Las Vegas in the future, I highly recommend dining at this little gourmet “burger joint.” Ramsay seems to have found a way to elevate traditional burgers by mixing regular ingredients with new fusions and coming up with some pretty spectacular combos. The prices are reasonable, portions are large, dishes are unique, and the food is great. Chef Ramsay cooks a #@%&*! great burger in my opinion. Loved it!!

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BNP Paribas Open

Indian Wells, CA

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BNP Paribas Living Wall

I am a huge tennis fan, a Roger Federer groupie to be more exact. One of my all-time favorite vacations has been to Indian Wells, California to watch the BNP Paribas Open each March. I have had the opportunity to attend this professional tennis tournament several times and would go again tomorrow if given the chance!

What makes this tennis tournament so special? How long do you have?

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Roger Federer – greatest of all time

The location is spectacular! Indian Wells is located in Southern California in the gorgeous Coachella Valley. You can fly into Palm Springs or Orange County and easily drive to beautiful Indian Wells. This is the perfect setting for tennis in early spring and includes snowcapped mountains, blue skies, palm trees, citrus trees, colorful bogainvilleas, and dessert breezes.

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on the grounds at the Renaissance

The hotels and resorts located around the Indian Wells Tennis Garden are all top-notch. We have had the opportunity to stay at the Renaissance and the La Quinta resorts and both were enjoyable in their own way. The Renaissance is a favorite of the tennis pros and coaches and you get to “rub elbows” with some of the world’s top players on a daily basis. A beautiful pool, fantastic breakfast buffet, firepits, ping pong tables, and great restaurants make this a great choice. The elegant La Quinta is more spread out and provides you with a private “casita” and beautiful desert-landscaped grounds. Each set of 8 casitas surrounds their own private pool. There are several restaurants, bars, and grills on the property as well as nightly music in the common area. The spa and tennis center are both very upscale and everything here is near perfection.

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fire pit at the Renaissance

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view from our room at the Renaissance

Transportation to and from the tennis matches is a breeze. This tournament has been going on since 2000 and travel options around the event are well-orchestrated. The local resorts offer bus service every 20-30 minutes. When staying at the Renaissance, we walked right out of the hotel lobby and caught a bus that dropped us at the gate. We purchased a parking pass when staying at the La Quinta and drove our own rental car and parked in VIP parking each day. We pulled into the designated lot and our car was valet parked for us – very nice! We left the grounds one day just to go have lunch in the town of La Quinta and enjoyed the freedom that a car provided us.

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behind our casita at La Quinta

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La Quinta Tennis Center

The Indian Wells Tennis Garden is one of the best on tour. The 29 courts, the 16,000 seat main stadium, the grounds, the shops and restaurants, and the activities make this my “hands-down favorite” tennis venue. Try out tennis racquets, watch some pros warm up on the practice courts, buy some new tennis clothes, get some great vendor “freebies,” take photos in a special photo booth, register to win prizes, or sip champagne under the palm trees. When you tire from all those activities, pull up a chair and watch matches on the big outdoor screen or grab a bite to eat from one of the various eateries and sit at a picnic table and enjoy people-watching. You may also see James Blake signing autographs, the Bryan brothers on stage with their band, Rod Laver walking around, or Chrissie Evert having a question-and-answer session with the crowd. The grounds are alive and happening!

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night tennis

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maybe I can hit the ball with this!

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practice courts

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Chris Evert

Now for the best part – the tennis! I have had the opportunity to see my favorite players play (and win!) only a short distance from me. Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovich, and Juan Martin Del Potro, etc. all speak about how much they enjoy this tournament every year and it is easy to see why. The stadiums give you the feeling of being “up close and personal” with the top players in the world. After having attended Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, I can honestly say this is by far my favorite tennis venue.

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Roger Federer

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Juan Martin Del Potro

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enjoying a match

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Rafa Nadal

There are also many interesting and fun things to see and to do while in the Indian Wells and Palm Springs area, so be certain to add a few days to the beginning or end of your tennis time here. Check out all the little restaurants and shops in Old Town La Quinta. Ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway for great views of the Coachella Valley. Explore Joshua Tree National Park for great hiking and rockclimbing opportunities. Drive into downtown Palm Springs for a great meal, a museum visit, and see the Walk of Stars. Drive a few miles to The Cafe at Shields Date Garden for a great meal on the patio, see the “date sex” movie, and have a delicious date shake. Take a day and drive over the mountains to Temecula and enjoy exploring and winetasting at some of the finest Southern California wineries. Take a guided jeep or ATV tour and visit a desert oasis. Many possibilities await you!

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enjoying chardonnay in Temecula

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bacon-wrapped stuffed dates at Shields Date Garden

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view of Palm Springs from the San Jacinto Mountains

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cozying up to Sonny Bono in downtown Palm Springs

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the Palm Springs Aerial Tram

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a joshua treet in Joshua Tree National Park

For all of you tennis fans, I hope that you get the opportunity to visit Indian Wells for the BNP Paribas Open at least once. We have had four great experiences and loved each and every visit (we book through Steve Furgal’s Tennis Tours and let them handle the hotels, additional days, and tennis tickets).

If you are interested and or would like more information, I will be glad to give you my two cent’s worth.

Go Roger!!

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sunset at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden