All stories about "London Hotel"

We just got another recap of someone's meal at Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood in the EaterWire Inbox---hits and misses in both food and service, which seems to be the consesus so far---and in a move that seems as scripted as the show itself, after a tour of the kitchen, a staffer supposedly "spilled the beans" about the Hell's Kitchen winner joining the Ramsay ranks this September. (SPOILER: An Eater commenter says the winner is already in the house). But let's push all that marketing ploy aside for the real news: Tipster also says Ramsay will grace his new WeHo kitchen with his presence for the entire month of August. Considering the lackluster response the restaurant's received so far, and August should be just about the time Miss Irene gets her review out, this is to be expected. But oooh, chefs: Time to jump on those treadmills.
· Hell's Kitchen: Almost LA's New "Celebrity Chef" [~ELA~]
· All Gordon Ramsay Coverage [~ELA~]

After one reader's preview of Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood, it wasn't clear if the restaurant would be ready for prime time by May 27, but we received a few reports from last night's soft opening that suggest otherwise. Two things we know for sure: Ramsay is not here for the opening week, as previously suggested, but we hear his New York chef de cuisine, Josh Emett, is. Emett, of course, has worked with Ramsay for years and took over at the London New York when opening chef Neil Ferguson "left." And that circles right back to why Ramsay is not in town: He doesn't have to be. Consider that at least one of these preview/reviews has a high shill likelihood and act accordingly.

In case you took it too seriously

Ah, springtime: Trees bud, flowers bloom, seasonal menus change, and not only do we get a new season of Top Chef, but Gordon Ramsay makes his return with Hell's Kitchen, too. As we know, El Gordo wrapped two seasons back to back here in LA last year, but unlike the last three seasons, we won't see a Los Angeles contestant---too bad after all the fun we had with runner-up Bonnie Muirhead last year. There's still a huge LA connection: The winner will be named "executive chef" of Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood.

There's limited info on the contestants, but we note enough contenders with real titles (sous, exec) that Ramsay would probably hire even without the donkey calling and shenanigans of HK. We can't see a stay-at-home-dad picking up from South Carolina to help run a Ramsay kitchen in Los Angeles, for instance. But "executive chef" has many meanings in the world of Hell's Kitchen. Season two winner Heather West was to become "executive chef" at Terra Rosa at the Red Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, but landed with a "senior chef" position instead. She fared better than season one winner Michael Wray: He was supposed to win his own restaurant but was basically offered an internship at one of Ramsay's restaurants (he took a cash prize and kitchen equipment). Only season three winner Rock Harper got what he was promised, head chef at Terra Verde in Vegas. Considering what happened at New York's London Hotel outpost, you'd think Ramsay wouldn't take staffing too lightly. But here he is, whoring his new West Hollywood restaurant with aplomb. The new season premieres on Tuesday, April 1, 9pm, FOX.

While Gordon Ramsay has shuttered yet another of his restaurants overseas, we still await the debut of his eponymous dining room at the London Hotel (the former Bel Age) in West Hollywood. The hotel opens on April 1, and last we heard the restaurant would be ready to go. Unfortunately, not so. A reader tried to make a reservation for his family staying at the London in mid-April, but got this response from guest services:

At this point in time we have not determined the precise date of the opening for the Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood. It is forecasted for the mid June but has not yet been finalized. I am sorry that we will not be able to take reservations for April as the restaurant will not be open at that point.