On the road again: Fiery foodies on a new culinary tour.
Three fiery ‘foodies’ feel the heat on a culinary tour of America. Jim Maloney reports.
After the almost constant bickering on their last trip across their three homelands – Scotland, Italy and France – you might think that chefs Gordon Ramsay, Gino D’Acampo and maitre d’ Fred Sirieix would have said, “Never again”.
But the three couldn’t be happier to be travelling across the United States and Mexico for Gordon, Gino And Fred’s Road Trip.
Ramsay says America is a “second home” to him. He is as popular there as he is at home in Britain.
“The route was a breath of fresh air for all of us,” he says. “We had a vague connection to some of the locations but, truly, we were all experiencing a lot of things for the first time. I was looking forward to Mexico the most.
“I haven’t explored that part of the country so much but was ready to see what their food, wine and culture had to bring to the table.”
With D’Acampo’s hair-raising drive along the Amalfi coast in the last series in mind, he adds, “One thing is for sure, I was not going to let Gino drive.”
With a mix of sight-seeing, sampling food, and taking part in a variety of activities, the trio visit Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Texas and Tijuana.
“My favourite time was in Mexico, wrestling with the Luchadores,” says Ramsay.
“You see these overweight guys jumping on each other and think it’s not that hard but, trust me, it is.
“And the moment when you’re fighting, and the crowd is cheering, is truly an incredible experience and one that I’ll never forget.
“I think the best experience food-wise had to be at Snow’s BBQ in Texas – some of the most incredible meat I’ve ever had.
“The worst had to be the tequila. I am not a big tequila drinker but when you give it to Fred and Gino, a tasting turns into a fiesta.”
But he can’t help but pick on his companions’ most irritating habits.
“Gino needing a nap or a cappuccino on standby and Fred is always taking selfies. Whilst I, of course, was an angel.”