Gordon Ramsay Wimps Out, Won't Cook vs Bobby Flay

Back in March there was a bit of shit talking between chefs Bobby Flay and Gordon Ramsay — it all came down to who could out-cook who — and today Flay tells Eater Vegas that Ramsay "wasn't interested" in competing in a charity cook off in Las Vegas.

Ramsay kicked off the feud in a profile for Men's Journal when he said that he could out-cook Bobby Flay. "That's why I laugh when they say, 'Let's see if he's a real chef. Let's get him up against Bobby Flay on 'Iron Chef.',' said Ramsay. "I'm like, 'Fucking do me a favor...come on. I've forgotten more than he's known!'"

Flay fired back and challenged Ramsay to a cook-off: "Disappointed but noted. Let's settle this like men, in the kitchen! No words, just knives. Show up or shut up." Ramsay talked even more shit and said he could out-cook Flay even with a 45-minute head start. Tweeted Ramsay in March: "RT 1hr cook off you've got a 45min Head start !!!!! DONE !"

The story went cold until today, when Flay said:

It was mostly in good fun. He said something about me in a magazine. I thought it was a little bit of a cheap shot. I just went back to him and said, 'Let's do something good. Let's not make something dumb and negative out of this. Let's do something positive.'

Since both chefs have restaurants in Caesars Palace — Flay with Mesa Grill and Ramsay with Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill — and since Caesars Palace "is home of the great heavyweight boxing matches," Flay reasoned that they could compete in some sort of Iron Chef-like contest. "Why don't we create some kind of kitchen stadium outside on the Strip in front of Caesars Palace," said Flay. "Get some sponsors and Caesars to put up a bunch of money winner takes all to their favorite charity?"

But it appears as though Ramsay chickened out. "I think the Iron Chef people reached out to Gordon and he wasn't interested," said Flay. "It's all right. He's got his own thing going on."

· Bobby Flay on Gordon Ramsay and His New Burger Joint [Eater Vegas]
· All Bobby Flay Coverage on Eater [-E-]
· All Gordon Ramsay Coverage on Eater [-E-]