On the show "Beat Bobby Flay," chefs of all levels have tested their mettle against the celebrity chef and Food Network star, attempting to beat him with their signature dishes. Flay is quite the competitor and comes to win, and while that doesn't always happen, he has an impressive record for someone who isn't an expert in the dishes he's forced to whip up.
Tasting Table recently spoke with Flay, who just opened a new restaurant, Brasserie B, in Las Vegas. The conversation ranged from the brasserie to his new cookbook, but we also got to ask him about a theoretical matchup, namely, if he could beat his friend and fellow Food Network star Ina Garten in a cooking competition. "Oh, no, I would get killed," responded Flay. "Ina is the queen. I love her so much. And I'll tell you what, she's already beaten me."
As the Barefoot Contessa has not competed against Flay on "Beat Bobby Flay," it was a curious response, but, as he explained, she didn't have to set foot on a set to do it. It all stems from a time, years ago, Flay says, when his daughter Sophie, now a reporter in Los Angeles, was cooking him Father's Day breakfast. "I looked over to see which one of my cookbooks she was using," Flay remembers. "And of course, she was using Ina Garten's. There's only one Ina."
Read more: Ina Garten's 12 Best Cleaning Tips For A Mess-Free Kitchen
The Pair Are Colleagues And Longtime Friends
Flay and Garten have been friends and colleagues for decades, so it's no surprise that Flay has such respect for her person and her cooking. And Garten has returned that love in kind. In an interview with theFood Network, Garten waxed impressed about the staggering achievements and stamina of Flay. "He blows me away," she admitted. "He has restaurants all over the world, cookbooks, [and] television shows. I can't imagine how he does it, and he does them all well."
Garten is also a big fan of Flay's restaurants. When she and her longtime partner Jeffrey lived in Manhattan, they were regulars at Flay's Mesa Grill. Flay even made the couple a special sangria that Garten loved enough to include in one of her cookbooks, with a nod to her friend.
On TV, the pair have teamed up numerous times. Flay ducked into the "Barefoot Contessa" set for a Thanksgiving episode. Flitting about the kitchen, they made dishes such as 11-layer potato gratin, smoked turkey, lemon-ginger molasses cake, and sangria. She returned the favor as a guest on "Beat Bobby Flay," where she helped Flay and actor Neil Patrick Harris take on chefs Thomas John and Gail Arnold.
Click here for more information, or to make reservations at Brasserie B, located in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The restaurant is open daily from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for brunch and 4:30 to 10 p.m. for dinner.
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