Who is Bobby Flay?
Bobby Flay (Born: Robert William Flay) is an American celebrity chef, reality television personality, and restaurateur. He is the owner and executive chef of several restaurants which include: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas and Nassau; Bar American in New York and at Mohegan Sun; Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City; Gato in New York, and Bobby’s Burger Palace in 19 locations across 11 states. He is featured on the Great Chefs television series.
Bobby asked for an Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas at the age of 8 and despite his father’s objections, he got it together with a G.I. Joe which his father thought would be more gender-appropriate.
He dropped high school at 17 years. His first jobs in the restaurant industry were at a pizza parlor and Baskin-Robbins and then took a position making salads at Joe Allen Restaurant in Manhattan’s Theater District, where his father was a partner. The owner, Joe Allen was impressed by Flay’s natural ability and agreed to pay his partner’s son’s tuition at the French Culinary Institute.
Flay went ahead to receive a degree in culinary arts and was a member of the first graduating class of the French Culinary Institute in 1984. After school, he started working as a sous-chef and quickly learned the culinary arts.
While he was at the Brighton Grill on Third Avenue, he was handed the executive chef’s position after a week when the executive chef was fired. He then quit when he realized he was not ready to run a kitchen. He, however, took a position as a chef working for restaurateur Jonathan Waxman at Bud and Jams. Waxman introduced Bobby to southwestern and Cajun cuisine which then came to define his culinary career.
How Old Is Bobby Flay?
Robert William Flay was born on 10 December 1964 in New York City, U.S. He is 55 years old as of 2019.
Bobby Flay Family
Flay was born a fourth-generation Irish American to Bill and Dorothy Flay. He was raised catholic on the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan and attended denominational schools.
Bobby Flay Girlfriend
Flay has been dating Canadian actress, singer, and dancer Heléne Yorke since February 2016.
Bobby Flay Wife
Bobby has been married and divorced three times. In 1995, Bobby married his second wife, Kate Connelly, and have a daughter. The couple separated in 1998 and later getting divorced. On February 20, 2005, Flay married actress Stephanie March and according to media reports, the couple separated in March 2015. Their divorce was finalized on July 17, 2015. Flay got married to Debra Ponzek, a fellow chef on May 11, 1991. The couple divorced in 1993.
Bobby Flay Kids
Flay has a daughter Sophie Flay from his second marriage to Kate Connelly.
Bobby Flay Restaurants
Flay caught the attention of restaurateur Jerome Kretchmer, who was looking for a southwestern-style chef who was impressed by his food and offered him the position of executive chef at Mesa Grill, which opened on January 15, 1991. Flay became a partner shortly after. He partnered with Laurence Kretchmer to open Bolo Bar & Restaurant in November 1993 in the Flatiron district which was just a few blocks away from Mesa Grill.
Bobby Flay Restaurant Las Vegas
In 2004, Flay opened a second Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and then opened Bar Americain, an American Brasserie in Midtown Manhattan in 2005. Flay continued to expand his restaurants
The Las Vegas Nesa Grill earned him his only Michelin Star in 2008, which was then taken away in the 2009 edition. The company did not publish a 2010 or 2011 Las Vegas edition, so the star could not be re-earned.
Bobby Flay Restaurants NYC
Flay’s original Mesa Grill which was in New York closed in September 2013 following a proposed rent increase by the landlord.
Bobby Flay Burger
On July 15, 2008, he opened Bobby’s Burger Palace (BBP) in Lake Grove, Long Island at the Smith Haven Mall. He opened a second one on December 5, 2008, at the Monmouth Mall in Eatontown, New Jersey. Flay continued opening new locations and in total BBP has nineteen locations in eleven states and the District of Columbia.
Food Network Bobby Flay
Bobby has hosted fourteen cooking shows and specials on Food Network and Cooking Channel. Eight of the show continue to run.
- Boy Meets Grill
- BBQ with Bobby Flay
- Throwdown!
- The Best Thing I Ever Ate
- Brunch @ Bobby’s
- The Main Ingredient with Bobby Flay
- Bobby’s Dinner Battle (Premiered January 16, 2013)
- Beat Bobby Flay (Premiered August 24, 2013)
Throwdown With Bobby Flay
On the program, the chief challenges cook renowned for a specific dish or type of cooking to a cook-off of their signature dish. Harlem chef Melba Wilson and Bobby squared off on Episode 5 of Season 4 over who had the best chicken and eggnog waffles.
Bobby Flay Iron Chef
Bobby is an Iron Chef on the show Iron Chef America. When the original Iron Chef show traveled to New York for a special battle in 2000, Flay challenged Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto to battle rock crab. After an hour battle, Bobby stood on top of his cutting board and raised his arms in what one journalist wrote was “in premature victory” Being offended by Flay’s flamboyant gesture, Masaharu criticized his professionalism, saying that Flay was “not a chef” Flay lost the battle and he challenged Morimoto to a rematch in Morimoto’s native Japan winning this time.
The two teamed up to take on fellow Iron Chefs Mario Batali and Hiroyuki Sakai in the Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters “Tag Team” battle which he won.
Bobby Flay Giada
On November 12, 2006, on a special episode of Iron Chef America, Bobby and Giada De Laurentiis faced off against and were defeated by, Batali and Rachael Ray. It was the highest-rated show ever broadcast on Food Network.
Bobby and Michael Symon defeated the team of Iron Chefs Cat Cora and Masaharu Morimoto in a special episode titled “Thanksgiving Showdown,” which initially aired on November 16, 2008.
Food Network Beat Bobby Flay
It is a half-hour series pits select chefs against host Flay to see if they can create dishes that are better than his. Being his most successful series on Food Network the prior season, episode 5 of season 17 which featured Debbie Gibson and Katie Lee was rather chosen as the 2018 lead-out show for season 14 of Food Network Star.
Bobby Flay Cookbook
Flay has authored several cookbooks, including:
- Bold American Food
- From My Kitchen to Your Table
- Boy Meets Grill
- Cooks American
- Boy Gets Grill
- Grilling For Life
- Mesa Grill Cookbook
- Grill It!
- Burgers, Fries and Shakes
- Bar Americain Cookbook: Celebrate America’s Great Flavors
- Throwdown
- Barbecue Addiction
Bobby Flay TV Shows
Some of Bobby’s TV Shows include:
- Throwdown with Bobby Flay
- Beat
- Food Network Star
- Worst Cooks in America
- The Bobby and Damaris Show
- SBrunch @ Bobby’s
- Barbecue Addiction
- Thanksgiving at Bobby’s
- Top 10 Restaurants With Food Network Magazine
- Grill It!
- Grillin’ & Chillin’
- Bobby’s Dinner Battle
- 3 Days to Open
- Bobby’s Ireland
- The Main Ingredient
- Dear Food Network
- Cable in the Classroom
- BBQ
- FoodNation
- All-Star Kitchen Makeover
- Hot off the Grill
- Chef Mentor
- Best of Worst Cooks in America
Bobby Flay Horses
Bobby has a personal interest in Thoroughbred horse racing. He is also the owner of more than one graded stakes race winner. They include More Than Real, who won the prestigious 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and is also part owner of Creator, who won the third jewel of the triple crown the Belmont stakes.
Flay serves on the Breeders’ Cup board of directors and was a candidate for chairman in 2014, but was not elected.
Bobby Flay Height
The millionaire chef stands at a height of 1.79 m.