Not every 8-year-old boy in Long Island asks for an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas, despite his father’s insistence on a more traditional G.I. Joe. But then again, most 8-year-old boys don’t grow up to be one of the most recognizable television chefs and restaurateurs in the country. This is exactly what Bobby Flay did, and I believe I can speak for most hungry Americans when I say I’m glad he got that Easy Bake Oven.
This master chef has fully infiltrated American cuisine. He has a strong presence in cooking shows and the Food Network, having hosted seven shows as well as making regular appearances on an eighth. He has written ten cookbooks, covering a variety of cooking styles and dishes. He owns and serves as executive chef in three restaurants and owns several chain locations that span from coast to coast.
Just a few weeks ago, I was looking for a place to eat lunch at the Mohegan Sun
casino in Uncasville, CT. I ended up having to choose between two of Flay’s restaurants
on location: Bar Americain or Bobby’s Burger Palace. This Tex-Mex master chef
presents within the same building two options: an upscale brasserie offering a wide array
of distinctly American dishes and a more relaxed burger joint modeled after diners of the
50’s. It’s hard to turn on a cooking show without seeing Bobby or noticing his hand in
the production team. Seeing how far he has come, it is fascinating to see where he has
been.
Cooking up his own education
Flay showed an interest in food at an early age, preparing complex after-school
snacks and helping organize his mother’s grocery list. His interest in food was apparent,
as his Christmas list clearly showed. His focus stayed in the kitchen, however, and he did
not do very well in school. After a string of unsuccessful transfers to various parochial
schools in the Long Island area, Bobby dropped out of high school at age 17.
His first restaurant job came in 1982, when his father, a manager at Joe Allen’s
sent him to there to work. His dad grew tired of the lazy teen’s lifestyle, so he started
him as a busboy. Bobby bussed tables for some time, but his lucky break came when a
kitchen aid called out sick. Flay was tossed into the lion’s den, quickly having to adapt
to the fast-paced work of a line cook. He quickly gained attention due to his hard work
and natural affinity for working with food. He moved from kitchen aid to line cook
then to sous chef. Climbing the ranks of restaurant employees came easily for him as
he expanded his knowledge and expertise in the kitchen. The owner of Joe Allen’s
paid for him to attend the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan, where he earned the
Outstanding Graduate Award upon the completion of his education in 1984.
Turning up the heat
After graduation, young Bobby began working with Jonathan Waxman at Bud
and Jams, from 1988-1990. During his time there, he found his love for the heat of
southwest food and spice. This opened up new doors for Flay as he explored the
possibilities of Cajun and southwestern styles. He excelled on the grill, mixing spices
and seasonings to deliver dishes that delighted the dining crowd in New York.
It was this success and innovation that earned him the position of executive chef
at Miracle Grill in the East Village when he was twenty-five. As he perfected his craft,
he met many other promising young chefs, names that would later gain renown as he did,
like Wolfgang Puck and Jeremiah Tower. After finding more success and establishing a
name for himself as a prominent Southwest-style chef, he caught the attention of
Laurence Kretchmer, a restaurateur looking for someone with Flay’s skill set and
repertoire. In 1991 he offered Bobby the executive chef spot at Mesa Grill, a new
restaurant featuring Southwest and Tex-Mex dishes.
It was not long before Bobby partnered with Kretchmer at Mesa Grill and opened
a second establishment, Bolo Bar & Restaurant, in the Flatiron District. Here he
introduced more Spanish-inspired dishes, expertly combining American fare with more
heat and spice than traditionally seen. The innovative Mesa Steak Sauce spiced up any
dish, giving a New York Strip Steak spice and kick like none other. Dishes like Chile-
Crusted Rabbit and Blue Corn Pancakes were never seen before in this region, and Flay
capitalized on offering something not available elsewhere. He was quickly making
moves in dominating the New York restaurant scene, developing his spicy style of
cooking that was spreading further.
Cooking across America
At age forty, Flay had already made quite a name for himself in New York, but
decided to reach farther. In 2004 he opened the second Mesa Grill location in Caesar’s
Palace in Las Vegas. Over the next five years, he opened four more restaurants and a
chain of casual burger joints.
The first Bar Americain opened up in New York. It is a unique combination of an
intimate brasserie setting with hearty and varied dining options that encompass many
distinctly American flavors. One can choose from entrees that pull from regional styles
across the country. There are not many restaurants in which one could order Florida-
style Grouper or California Goat Cheese Lasagna. The menu is a true cross-section of
the great region-specific meals in the nation. The second location opened in 2009 in the
Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.
He opened Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City, which offered classic steakhouse
fare and new innovative dishes that incorporated his unique grilling style. He included
styles from the Northeast, Southwest, and Cajun traditions of cooking. Mesa Grill was
expanded even further, this time with a location in the Bahamas. Finally, with the
creation of Bobby’s Burger Palace(BBP), Flay launched a chain of casual burger joints.
Now with eight locations, BBP serves up affordable and diverse grill favorites, drawing
on Bobby’s extensive travel experience to capture the local flavors from all over. The
extensive menu includes the Buffalo Burger(buffalo sauce and blue cheese), the Santa Fe
Burger(queso sauce and pickled jalapenos), and the Miami Burger(pressed with ham,
Swiss, and pickles), along with other region-specific tastes and ingredients. My personal
favorite is the LA Burger, which is topped with avocado relish and tomatoes. Another
truly brilliant innovation which might seem minor to some is the ability to “Crunchify”
your burger. This is a free option of adding fresh crisp potato chips to your burger for an
extra crunch—something many other competitors have since embraced.
The grill on-screen
Bobby started working with the Food Network in 1994, a fledgling cable network
that wanted to bring real, accessible cooking options to the American home. His first
show, “Grillin’ and Chillin’,” aired in 1995. The charismatic Long Islander won over
audiences with his laid-back style and zesty recipes. He presented options that were
simple in process but complex in flavor, and rose to be one of the network’s biggest stars.
Since then, he has hosted a string of shows, including “Hot off the Grill,” “Boy
Meets Grill,” and “Grill it! With Bobby Flay.” These have all highlighted the chef’s
mastery and provided viewers with easy to follow recipes that focus on regional fare
from across the nation.
In addition to his cooking programs, he also stars in three challenge-style
shows: “Iron Chef America,” “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” and “Food Network Star.”
These programs are competition and showdown style shows, pitting chefs against each
other. Bobby continues to keep a consistent presence in all of these shows, and has
become one of America’s most recognizable chefs.
From his kitchen to yours
Bobby has written nine cookbooks, covering grilling recipes, tips, and ideas, as
well as recipes from his restaurants and covered in his shows and TV specials. He can be
seen on the Food Network throughout the week, his restaurants can be found throughout
the nation, and his own recipes can be found in your own home. Bobby Flay has proven
true staying power in the cooking world and does not show any signs of slowing down.
This master chef has fully infiltrated American cuisine. He has a strong presence in cooking shows and the Food Network, having hosted seven shows as well as making regular appearances on an eighth. He has written ten cookbooks, covering a variety of cooking styles and dishes. He owns and serves as executive chef in three restaurants and owns several chain locations that span from coast to coast.
Just a few weeks ago, I was looking for a place to eat lunch at the Mohegan Sun
casino in Uncasville, CT. I ended up having to choose between two of Flay’s restaurants
on location: Bar Americain or Bobby’s Burger Palace. This Tex-Mex master chef
presents within the same building two options: an upscale brasserie offering a wide array
of distinctly American dishes and a more relaxed burger joint modeled after diners of the
50’s. It’s hard to turn on a cooking show without seeing Bobby or noticing his hand in
the production team. Seeing how far he has come, it is fascinating to see where he has
been.
Cooking up his own education
Flay showed an interest in food at an early age, preparing complex after-school
snacks and helping organize his mother’s grocery list. His interest in food was apparent,
as his Christmas list clearly showed. His focus stayed in the kitchen, however, and he did
not do very well in school. After a string of unsuccessful transfers to various parochial
schools in the Long Island area, Bobby dropped out of high school at age 17.
His first restaurant job came in 1982, when his father, a manager at Joe Allen’s
sent him to there to work. His dad grew tired of the lazy teen’s lifestyle, so he started
him as a busboy. Bobby bussed tables for some time, but his lucky break came when a
kitchen aid called out sick. Flay was tossed into the lion’s den, quickly having to adapt
to the fast-paced work of a line cook. He quickly gained attention due to his hard work
and natural affinity for working with food. He moved from kitchen aid to line cook
then to sous chef. Climbing the ranks of restaurant employees came easily for him as
he expanded his knowledge and expertise in the kitchen. The owner of Joe Allen’s
paid for him to attend the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan, where he earned the
Outstanding Graduate Award upon the completion of his education in 1984.
Turning up the heat
After graduation, young Bobby began working with Jonathan Waxman at Bud
and Jams, from 1988-1990. During his time there, he found his love for the heat of
southwest food and spice. This opened up new doors for Flay as he explored the
possibilities of Cajun and southwestern styles. He excelled on the grill, mixing spices
and seasonings to deliver dishes that delighted the dining crowd in New York.
It was this success and innovation that earned him the position of executive chef
at Miracle Grill in the East Village when he was twenty-five. As he perfected his craft,
he met many other promising young chefs, names that would later gain renown as he did,
like Wolfgang Puck and Jeremiah Tower. After finding more success and establishing a
name for himself as a prominent Southwest-style chef, he caught the attention of
Laurence Kretchmer, a restaurateur looking for someone with Flay’s skill set and
repertoire. In 1991 he offered Bobby the executive chef spot at Mesa Grill, a new
restaurant featuring Southwest and Tex-Mex dishes.
It was not long before Bobby partnered with Kretchmer at Mesa Grill and opened
a second establishment, Bolo Bar & Restaurant, in the Flatiron District. Here he
introduced more Spanish-inspired dishes, expertly combining American fare with more
heat and spice than traditionally seen. The innovative Mesa Steak Sauce spiced up any
dish, giving a New York Strip Steak spice and kick like none other. Dishes like Chile-
Crusted Rabbit and Blue Corn Pancakes were never seen before in this region, and Flay
capitalized on offering something not available elsewhere. He was quickly making
moves in dominating the New York restaurant scene, developing his spicy style of
cooking that was spreading further.
Cooking across America
At age forty, Flay had already made quite a name for himself in New York, but
decided to reach farther. In 2004 he opened the second Mesa Grill location in Caesar’s
Palace in Las Vegas. Over the next five years, he opened four more restaurants and a
chain of casual burger joints.
The first Bar Americain opened up in New York. It is a unique combination of an
intimate brasserie setting with hearty and varied dining options that encompass many
distinctly American flavors. One can choose from entrees that pull from regional styles
across the country. There are not many restaurants in which one could order Florida-
style Grouper or California Goat Cheese Lasagna. The menu is a true cross-section of
the great region-specific meals in the nation. The second location opened in 2009 in the
Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.
He opened Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City, which offered classic steakhouse
fare and new innovative dishes that incorporated his unique grilling style. He included
styles from the Northeast, Southwest, and Cajun traditions of cooking. Mesa Grill was
expanded even further, this time with a location in the Bahamas. Finally, with the
creation of Bobby’s Burger Palace(BBP), Flay launched a chain of casual burger joints.
Now with eight locations, BBP serves up affordable and diverse grill favorites, drawing
on Bobby’s extensive travel experience to capture the local flavors from all over. The
extensive menu includes the Buffalo Burger(buffalo sauce and blue cheese), the Santa Fe
Burger(queso sauce and pickled jalapenos), and the Miami Burger(pressed with ham,
Swiss, and pickles), along with other region-specific tastes and ingredients. My personal
favorite is the LA Burger, which is topped with avocado relish and tomatoes. Another
truly brilliant innovation which might seem minor to some is the ability to “Crunchify”
your burger. This is a free option of adding fresh crisp potato chips to your burger for an
extra crunch—something many other competitors have since embraced.
The grill on-screen
Bobby started working with the Food Network in 1994, a fledgling cable network
that wanted to bring real, accessible cooking options to the American home. His first
show, “Grillin’ and Chillin’,” aired in 1995. The charismatic Long Islander won over
audiences with his laid-back style and zesty recipes. He presented options that were
simple in process but complex in flavor, and rose to be one of the network’s biggest stars.
Since then, he has hosted a string of shows, including “Hot off the Grill,” “Boy
Meets Grill,” and “Grill it! With Bobby Flay.” These have all highlighted the chef’s
mastery and provided viewers with easy to follow recipes that focus on regional fare
from across the nation.
In addition to his cooking programs, he also stars in three challenge-style
shows: “Iron Chef America,” “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” and “Food Network Star.”
These programs are competition and showdown style shows, pitting chefs against each
other. Bobby continues to keep a consistent presence in all of these shows, and has
become one of America’s most recognizable chefs.
From his kitchen to yours
Bobby has written nine cookbooks, covering grilling recipes, tips, and ideas, as
well as recipes from his restaurants and covered in his shows and TV specials. He can be
seen on the Food Network throughout the week, his restaurants can be found throughout
the nation, and his own recipes can be found in your own home. Bobby Flay has proven
true staying power in the cooking world and does not show any signs of slowing down.
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