Gordon Ramsay is known for two things: his incredible cooking skills and his wild, expletive-filled rants in the kitchen. In recent years, social media has revealed the truth that his fierce, sometimes downright rude behavior was all a joke, and his colleagues have revealed that he's actually a lovable, inspiring guy. But it's even more entertaining (and less jarring) to watch Ramsay spew some truly flamboyant language in the kitchen. This behavior is part of what makes shows like Ramsay's “Hell's Kitchen” competition series so fascinating. The TV show led to a mini-chain called Hell's Kitchen, part of Ramsay's restaurant empire. And now, apparently, the chef's antics are influencing the dishes on the menu at some of those locations.
The Idiot Sandwich is on the menu at three of Hell's Kitchen's seven locations: Miami, Washington DC, and the posh Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut that opened last year. It sounds delicious: braised short rib, gruyere and cheddar cheeses, roasted mushrooms, and spicy tomato chutney smothered on sourdough bread. But it's the name that really catches your eye. You can expect good food from Ramsay, but you should probably also expect a sandwich named after the cantankerous chef's insult. Scanning through a Hell's Kitchen menu, the words “Idiot Sandwich” still make me do a double take and laugh. As it turns out, there's more to the dish's name than Ramsay's reputation.
The meme that launched an actual sandwich
In 2015, Gordon Ramsay appeared on “The Late Late Show with James Corden.” Showing his willingness to poke fun at himself, he participated in a parody of “Hell's Kitchen” in which Corden and Julie Chen Moonves played culinary rivals. As expected, the sketch featured Corden and Chen Moonves causing a culinary mess that Ramsay repeatedly became enraged about. In the sketch (via YouTube), titled “Hell's Cafeteria,” he takes two slices of bread and places them on either side of Chen Moonves' face, causing her to say, “I'm a stupid sandwich, Chef Ramsay.” The clip became a huge hit, became a meme, and is so beloved that it's still referenced nearly a decade later. Ramsay has even said that he sometimes brings bread to cookbook signings and is asked to do the same thing he did to Chen Moonves.
Stupid Sandwich mania has inspired merchandise such as bread slice-shaped earmuffs to be sold at Hell's Kitchen Las Vegas. Now, in fall 2023, Ramsay has announced that he will be hosting a YouTube competition series to judge contestants' various interpretations of what they think would be a great Stupid Sandwich. While the winning “Stupid Sandwich” may be thought of as a monstrosity in a loaf of bread, Ramsay has made it clear that he is looking for a recipe for a great sandwich. The series is currently available to watch on YouTube. If watching makes you hungry, plan a trip to Foxwoods, Miami, or Washington DC to indulge in what is arguably the best version of Ramsay's own “Stupid Sandwich.”
