Bobby Flay facts for kids
Flay in 2007
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| Born | Robert William Flay December 10, 1964 New York City, U.S. |
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| Cooking style | Southwest |
| Education | French Culinary Institute |
| Spouse |
Kate Connelly
(m. 1995; div. 1998)Stephanie March
(m. 2005; div. 2015) |
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Current restaurant(s)
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Previous restaurant(s)
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Television show(s)
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Robert William Flay, known as Bobby Flay, is a famous American chef. He was born on December 10, 1964. Bobby Flay is also a food writer, restaurant owner, and a well-known television personality.
He owns and runs several restaurants, including Bobby's Burger Palace, Bobby's Burgers, and Amalfi. Bobby Flay has been on the Food Network since 1995. He has won four Daytime Emmy Awards and even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Bobby Flay's Early Life
Bobby Flay was born in New York City on December 10, 1964. His parents were Bill and Dorothy Barbara Flay. He grew up in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. His family has Irish roots, and he was raised Catholic.
When he was 8 years old, Bobby asked for an Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas. His dad thought a G.I. Joe toy would be better. But Bobby got both!
Bobby Flay's Culinary Journey
Bobby Flay left high school when he was 17. His first jobs in the food world were at a pizza place and a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop. Then, he started making salads at Joe Allen Restaurant in Manhattan. His father was a partner in this restaurant.
The owner, Joe Allen, was impressed by Bobby's natural talent. He offered to pay for Bobby to go to the French Culinary Institute. Bobby Flay graduated from the French Culinary Institute in 1984. He was part of the very first class to graduate from that school.
Learning and Growing as a Chef
After culinary school, Bobby worked as a sous-chef, which is a chef who helps the main chef. He quickly learned a lot about cooking. At a restaurant called Brighton Grill, he became the main chef just one week after the previous chef was fired. However, Bobby realized he wasn't ready to run a whole kitchen yet, so he left.
He then worked for another chef, Jonathan Waxman, at a restaurant called Bud and Jams. Jonathan Waxman introduced Bobby to Southwestern-style cooking. This type of cooking became a big part of Bobby's career.
Opening His Own Restaurants
After a short time working at the American Stock Exchange, Bobby returned to cooking. He became the main chef at Miracle Grill in the East Village from 1988 to 1990. There, he caught the eye of Jerome Kretchmer, who was looking for a chef who specialized in Southwestern food.
Jerome Kretchmer was very impressed with Bobby's cooking. He offered Bobby the job of executive chef at Mesa Grill, which opened on January 15, 1991. Soon after, Bobby became a partner in the restaurant. In 1993, Bobby Flay and Laurence Kretchmer opened another restaurant called Bolo Bar & Restaurant.
Bobby Flay opened a second Mesa Grill in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 2004. In 2005, he opened Bar Americain, an American-style restaurant, in Midtown Manhattan. He kept opening more restaurants, including Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He also opened a third Mesa Grill in the Bahamas in 2007.
The Mesa Grill in Las Vegas earned Bobby Flay a Michelin Star in 2008. This is a very special award for restaurants. The Bolo Bar & Restaurant closed in 2007 to make way for new buildings.
Teaching and Scholarships
Besides his restaurants and TV shows, Bobby Flay has also taught at the French Culinary Institute. He was a master instructor and a visiting chef. He doesn't teach classes all the time now, but he visits when he can.
In 2003, Bobby Flay started the Bobby Flay Scholarship. This scholarship helps a student from the Long Island City Culinary Arts Program go to the French Culinary Institute for free. Bobby helps choose the student every year.
Bobby's Burger Palace and Other Changes
Bobby Flay opened his first Bobby's Burger Palace (BBP) in Lake Grove, Long Island, on July 15, 2008. At one point, there were nineteen BBP locations across eleven states.
The first Mesa Grill in New York closed in 2013 because the rent became too high. In May 2021, the Mesa Grill in Caesars Palace was changed into an Italian restaurant called Amalfi by Bobby Flay. He also updated the menu and changed the name of his Las Vegas Bobby's Burger Palace to Bobby's Burgers. As of 2025, he has four Bobby's Burgers locations in Las Vegas and New York City.
Other Projects
Food Network and Television Shows
Bobby Flay has hosted many cooking shows and specials on Food Network and Cooking Channel. Some of his popular shows include:
- Boy Meets Grill
- BBQ with Bobby Flay
- Throwdown! with Bobby Flay
- Beat Bobby Flay
- Brunch @ Bobby's
- Iron Chef America
- Worst Cooks in America
- Bobby's Triple Threat
Bobby Flay has also been a judge on shows like The Next Food Network Star and The Next Iron Chef.
Throwdown! and Iron Chef
On Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, Bobby challenges other cooks who are famous for a certain dish. They have a cooking competition to see who makes the best version of that dish.
He was also an Iron Chef on the show Iron Chef America. In 2000, he competed against Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. After the cooking battle, Bobby stood on his cutting board, which upset Morimoto because chefs consider their tools sacred. Bobby lost that battle. Later, Bobby challenged Morimoto to a rematch in Japan, and this time, Bobby won!
In a special episode of Iron Chef America in 2006, Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis competed against and lost to chefs Batali and Rachael Ray. This episode was the most-watched show ever on Food Network at that time.
On Beat Bobby Flay, other chefs compete against Bobby to see if they can cook a dish better than he can.
Other TV Appearances
Bobby Flay has also hosted a cooking segment on CBS's The Early Show. He hosted a reality TV show called America's Next Great Restaurant on NBC in 2011. On this show, he helped choose a restaurant team to open a new restaurant.
Acting Roles
Bobby Flay has made some guest appearances in movies and TV shows.
- He had a small role in the Disney Channel movie Eddie's Million Dollar Cook-Off.
- He appeared on the game show Pyramid with fellow chef Mario Batali.
- He was a judge on the CBS show "Wickedly Perfect."
- He had a small role in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
- He played himself in the 2006 film East Broadway.
- He was impersonated in an episode of the cartoon South Park called "Crème Fraiche".
- He had recurring appearances in the final season of Entourage.
- He appeared on Portlandia and Younger.
- In 2018, he voiced Fred Jones' uncle in the animated movie Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost.
- In 2022, he played a food critic in the TV movie One Delicious Christmas.
Made by Nacho Cat Food
In April 2021, Bobby Flay launched a special cat food company called Made by Nacho. It's named after his own Maine Coon cat, Nacho Flay. The company sells different types of cat food, including wet food, dry food, and treats. Made by Nacho sells its products online and in PetSmart stores. Bobby Flay also started the Made By Nacho Charitable Fund to help animals.
Books
Bobby Flay has written many cookbooks. Some of his books include:
- Bobby Flay's Bold American Food
- Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill
- Bobby Flay Cooks American
- Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook
- Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries and Shakes
- Bobby Flay Fit: 200 Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle
Bobby Flay's Personal Life
Bobby Flay has been married three times. He first married chef Debra Ponzek in 1991, and they divorced in 1993. In 1995, he married Kate Connelly, and they had a daughter named Sophie. They divorced in 1998. His third marriage was to actress Stephanie March in 2005, and they divorced in 2015. As of March 2025, Bobby Flay is in a relationship with fellow chef Brooke Williamson.
Bobby Flay loves cats and has had several Maine Coon cats. His cats include Nacho, Stella, and Canelo. Sadly, Nacho passed away in October 2023.
Horse Racing
Bobby Flay is also very interested in thoroughbred horse racing. He owns several winning racehorses:
- More Than Real, who won a big race called the 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
- Creator (he was a part-owner), who won the Belmont Stakes in 2016.
- Pizza Bianca, a filly he bred himself, who won the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Awards and Achievements
Bobby Flay has received many awards for his cooking and television work:
- New York Magazine Gael Greene's Restaurant of the Year – Mesa Grill (1992)
- French Culinary Institute Outstanding Graduate Award (1993)
- Four-time Daytime Emmy Award winner for his TV shows (2005, 2009, 2014, 2015)
- Three-time James Beard Foundation Award winner, including Rising Star Chef of the Year (1993)
- Inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame (2015)
- Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2015)
See also
In Spanish: Bobby Flay para niños
