Bobby Flay
Bobby Flay is a fourth generation Irish-American, celebrity chef, and restaurateur. He is the owner and executive chef of five restaurants: Mesa Grill and Bar Americain in New York City, Mesa Grill Las Vegas (Caesars Palace), Mesa Grill Bahamas (Atlantis Paradise Island, Nassau), and Bobby Flay Steak (Atlantic City, New Jersey).
Flay has hosted six Food Network television programs, and has appeared regularly on a seventh. He has appeared as a guest on other Food Network shows and has hosted a number of Food Network specials.
Until recently, Flay was known to hate lentils. "An early draft of Bar Americain's menu had a beet and goat cheese salad with lentils, but Mr. Flay rejected it before the restaurant opened. 'When I go on vacation, they run specials on lentils,' he said." However, Flay stated that he has "made peace" with lentils. Flay also dislikes fiddlehead ferns, indicating that to him they "taste like grass (as in the kind you mow)."
Bobby Flay dropped out of high school at age 16. After a short time working on the floor at the American Stock Exchange, Flay took a job working as a cook in the kitchen at Joe Allen Restaurant in the Theatre District of New York City, where his father was a partner.Joe Allen was impressed by Flay's natural ability and decided to pay his tuition at the French Culinary Institute.
Flay was a member of the first graduating class of the French Culinary Institute in 1984 where he received a degree in Culinary Arts. After culinary school, he worked with restaurateur Jonathan Waxman at Bud and Jams. Waxman introduced Flay to southwestern cuisine, which defined his culinary career. Flay's first job as executive chef was at Miracle Grill in East Village, Manhattan where he worked from 1988-1990. This caught the attention of restaurateur Jerome Kretchmer, who ate at the restaurant a number of times. Impressed by Flay's food, Kretchmer offered him the position of executive chef at Mesa Grill which opened on January 15, 1991. Shortly after, Flay became a partner. Flay then partnered with Laurence Kretchmer to open Bolo Bar & Restaurant in November of 1993 in the Flatiron District, just a few blocks away from Mesa Grill.
Bobby Flay opened a second Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, Nevada, in Caesars Palace in 2004. In the spring of 2005, Bar Americain, an American Brasserie, opened in Midtown Manhattan. He continued to expand his restaurants by opening Bobby Flay Steak in the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This was followed by a third Mesa Grill in The Bahamas, located in The Cove at Atlantis Paradise Island, which opened on March 28, 2007.
Bolo Bar & Restaurant closed its doors on December 31, 2007 to make way for a new condominium.
In addition to his restaurants and television shows, he has been a Master Instructor and Visiting Chef at the French Culinary Institute. Although he is not currently teaching classes, he does occasionally do a demo or stop in when his schedule permits. Flay personally selects the recipient of an annual scholarship he has established for a New York City high school student to attend the French Culinary Institute.