Biography

Call 1.800.966.1380 to contact Bobby Flay booking agent, publicist, manager, pr firm, representative and management company if you would like to hire Bobby Flay for a speaker appearance, autograph signing, endorsement deal or corporate event. Here you can find speaker fees, booking fees, costs, availability and schedule information. As a critically acclaimed chef, restaurateur, award-winning cookbook author and television personality, Bobby Flay\'s culinary versatility is evident.

However, his first priority always remains with his restaurants: Mesa Grill, Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Bar Americain, Bobby Flay Steak at Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, Mesa Grill at The Cove, Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas and his latest opening, Bobby\'s Burger Palace.

Bobby Flay discovered his culinary identity at the age of 17, working as a cook at New York City\'s fames theatre district haunt, Joe Allen\'s. After a short time, Joe Allen himself became so impressed by Bobby\'s emerging talents that he paid the young cook\'s tuition to The French Culinary Institute. Bobby excelled and later received the Institute\'s first Outstanding Graduate Award in 1993, and now serves there as Master Instructor.

Following his graduation in 1984, Bobby worked at Buds and Jams, where he first discovered the sweet-heat of Southwestern ingredients. After Jams, Bobby debuted as Executive Chef at Miracle Grill, where he caught the attention of restaurateur Jerome Kretchmer. Kretchmer offered the 25-year old the opportunity to create his own sensations at Mesa Grill, which opened in 1991.

\"I\'m hoping to put a new and colorful twist on Southwestern cuisine,\" Flay said just before Mesa Grill\'s launch. Since then, he has earned widespread acclaim, including the Best Restaurant 1992 award for Mesa Grill by New York Magazine\'s Gael Greene. Soon after, Flay teamed with businessman Laurence Kretchmer to open Bolo in November 1993.

During Bolo\'s reign, Bobby Flay drew inspiration from the bravado and complexities of Spanish food, deftly blending the unique flavors of Spain with more familiar American ingredients. He was voted the James Beard Foundation\'s Rising Star Chef of the Year 1993, an award that honors the country\'s most accomplished chef under the age of 30. A decade later, its menu reenergized by the introduction of tapas, Bolo was awarded a rare three stars by The New York Times.

In 2004, Bobby Flay brought his unique combination of innovative food and inviting hospitality to Las Vegas with the opening of Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace.

At New York\'s Bar Americain, which opened in March 2005, Bobby Flay\'s vision takes the intimacy of a midtown brasserie and injects it with authentic American flavors and style. Bar Americain has received rave reviews from the press, including two-stars from The New York Times.

The recognition Bobby Flay has gained for his stellar dishes has built his reputation as a major force not only in New York but also nationwide. In addition to his restaurants, Bobby shares his knowledge and enthusiasm for food through his cookbooks and cooking programs on Food Network.

His first book, Bobby Flay\'s Bold American Food, won the 1995 International Association of Culinary Professionals award for design. Five more cookbooks soon followed: From My Kitchen to Your Table, Boy Meets Grill, Bobby Flay Cooks American, Boy Gets Grill and Bobby Flay?s Grilling For Life. In October 2007, Flay released Bobby Flay\'s Mesa Grill Cookbook: Explosive Flavors from the Southwestern Kitchen, and in April 2008, his eighth cookbook, Bobby Flay\'s Grill It!

Since debuting on Food Network in 1996, Bobby Flay has continuously hosted programs that bring cooking tips and information on American regional fare to a national audience. His shows include BBQ with Bobby Flay, the Emmy-winning Boy Meets Grill, FoodNation with Bobby Flay and Throwdown with Bobby Flay. Bobby was crowned Iron Chef America in 2003 and continues to participate in Iron Chef competitions. He is also Food Correspondent for The Early Show on CBS and CBS Sunday Morning, where he regularly informs a national audience about seasonal dishes and ingredients.

In March 2007, Bobby brought his Southwestern cuisine of Mesa Grill to The Cove, Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas. The restaurant is Bobby\'s first outside of the United States. Shortly following the opening, the James Beard Foundation inducted Bobby into its Who\'s Who of Food & Beverage in America at its Awards ceremony, recognizing his significant and lasting achievements and national impact within the culinary industry.

Bobby Flay has found a unique way to give back to the community by establishing a culinary scholarship for New York City high school students through his alma mater, The French Culinary Institute.