Influencing the American Table with Bold Flavors and Big Ideas
Bobby Flay’s culinary versatility is evident in the multiple talents he brings to the field: as critically-acclaimed chef/restaurateur, award-winning cookbook author and television personality. However his first priority always remains with his restaurants, Mesa Grill (102 Fifth Avenue, 212 807-7400), Bolo (23 East 22nd Street, 212 228-2200), Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas (3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702 731-7731) and his new American brasserie, Bar Americain (152 West 52nd Street, 212 265-9700).
Flay discovered his culinary identity at the age of 17, working as a cook at the famed theatre district haunt, Joe Allen's. The job had been arranged by his father, who was a partner in the restaurant. After a short time, Joe Allen himself became so impressed by Flay’s emerging talents that he paid the young cook’s tuition to The French Culinary Institute. Flay obviously 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, Flay worked with restaurateur/owner Jonathan Waxman at Buds and Jams, where he first discovered the sweet-heat of Southwestern ingredients. It was at these burgeoning restaurants that Flay met other icons of the era – Wolfgang Puck, Jeremiah Tower – who he credits with spawning an entire generation of chef. “Chefs like Wolfgang [Puck] and Jonathan [Waxman] gave a lot of chefs in my generation a career,” says Flay. “They created a genre that proved good food didn’t have to be fussy; that food could be delicious and creative while embracing great colors and textures.” After Jams, Flay debuted as Executive Chef at the East Village's Miracle Grill where he caught the attention of restaurateur Jerome Kretchmer. Kretchmer offered the 25 year old an opportunityto create his own sensations at Mesa Grill which opened in 1991.
"I'm hoping to put a new and colorful twist on southwestern cuisine," said Flay just before Mesa Grill’s launch. He certainly did and since then the flame-haired chef from Manhattan has earned widespread acclaim, including the “Best Restaurant 1992” award for Mesa Grill by New YorkMagazine’s Gael Green. The restaurant's two-star review in 2000 by New York Times Critic William Grimes raved that "the sassy fare at Mesa Grill surpasses anything of its kind elsewhere in New York. Mr. Flay, to his credit, has seized on the Southwestern idiom and made it a natural part of his cooking language.” In the wake of such critical success, the young chef was made partner. Soon after, Flay teamed with businessman Laurence Kretchmer to open Bolo in November 1993 in the Flatiron district.
For Bolo, Flay drew inspiration from the bravado and complexities of Spanish food, deftly blending the unique flavors of Spain with more familiar American ingredients. That same year, Flay 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. William Grimes declared that “Mr. Flay brings color, life, and creativity to every dish he touches.” Underscoring this assessment, Bolo continues to be dubbed the top Spanish-inspired restaurant in New York City by the Zagat Survey.
More recently, Flay has brought his unique amalgam of innovative food and inviting hospitality to Las Vegas with the opening of Mesa Grill at the legendary Caesars Palace in 2004. The city’s upbeat urban energy provides the perfect backdrop for Mesa Grill’s lively cuisine.
The recognition Flay has gained at Mesa Grill and Bolo 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, Flay 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 (Warner Books, 1994), won the 1995 International Association of Culinary Professionals award for design. Five more cookbooks soon followed: From My Kitchen to Your Table (Clarkson Potter, 1998), Boy Meets Grill (Hyperion, 1999), Bobby Flay Cooks American (Hyperion, 2001) and Boy Gets Grill (Scribner, 2004) and his most, Bobby Flay’s Grilling for Life (Scribner 2005) each lending a unique urban-inspired approach to grilling, proving yet again that there is no limit to what can be cooked on the grill.
Since debuting on Food Network in 1996, 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” and the beloved “FoodNation with Bobby Flay” – an adventure through America’s diverse cooking regions. Flay was crowned Iron ChefAmerica in 2003 and has since participated in 10 Iron Chef Competitions. Flay is also Food Correspondent for “The Early Show on CBS” where he regularly informs a national audience about seasonal dishes and ingredients.
As passionate about New York as he is about food, 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. Working closely with budding young chefs in Long Island City High School’s C-Cap (Careers through Culinary Arts Program), Flay personally selects the student with the greatest potential to be the recipient of this annual scholarship. Flay documented this experience in his Food Network special “Bobby Flay: Chef Mentor”which earned him a James Beard Foundation award for a National Television Food Show in 2005.
Flay’s newest project, Bar Americain opened in March 2005. Here Flay’s vision takes the intimacy of a mid-town brasserie and injects it with authentic American flavors and style. Drawing exclusively from regional American ingredients, Flay’s dishes rejuvenate old classics and celebrate the abundance of America’s diverse and delicious heritage.
Flay possesses a remarkable ability to create and retain the individual character of each of his projects, insisting on uniqueness and integrity. He works tirelessly to challenge diners’ expectations and influence the way Americans view and taste food - making it bold, zesty and always fun. The future is very bright for Bobby Flay, and as a result, for the American table.
