Robert William "Bobby" Flay (born December 10, 1964) is an American

celebrity chef A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become a celebrity. Today, chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations, usually through the media of television and radio, or in Books, printed publications. While telev ...

food writer Food writing is a literary genre that focuses on the cultural and historical significance of food. It encompasses various forms, including recipes, journalism, memoirs, and travelogues, and can be found in both fiction and non-fiction works. Food ...

restaurateur A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspe ...

, and

television personality Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...

. Flay is the owner and

executive chef A chef de cuisine (, French language, French for ''head of kitchen'') or head chef is a chef that Supervisor, leads a kitchen and its cooks. A chef patron (feminine form ''chef patronne'') (French for ''boss chef'') or executive chef is a chef ...

of several restaurants and franchises, including Bobby's Burger Palace, Bobby's Burgers, and Amalfi. He has appeared on

Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery, who manages and operates it as a division of the Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Networks Group. The channel airs both televi ...

since 1995, which won him four

Daytime Emmy Awards The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

and a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

Early life

Flay was born on December 10, 1964, in New York City, to Bill and Dorothy Barbara (McGuirk) Flay. He was raised on the

Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the boroughs of New York City, borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded approximately by 96th Street (Manhattan), 96th Street to the north, the East River to the e ...

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. He is a fourth generation

Irish American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...

and was raised Catholic, attending denominational schools. At age 8, Flay asked for an

Easy-Bake Oven The Easy-Bake Oven is a working toy oven introduced in 1963 and manufactured by Kenner and later by Hasbro. The original toy used a pair of ordinary incandescent light bulbs as a heat source; current versions use a true heating element. Kenner ...

for

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

. His father thought that a

G.I. Joe ''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), A ...

would be more appropriate. Despite his father's objections, he received them both.

Career

Flay dropped out of high school at age 17. He said that his first jobs in the restaurant industry were at a pizza parlor and

Baskin-Robbins Baskin-Robbins, Inc. is an American multinational chain of ice cream and cake specialty store, specialty shops owned by Inspire Brands. Baskin-Robbins was formed in 1945 by Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins in Glendale, California.Joe Allen Restaurant in Manhattan's

Theater District A theater district (also spelled theatre district) is a common name for a neighborhood containing a city's theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences ...

, where his father was a partner. The proprietor, Joe Allen, was impressed by Flay's natural ability and agreed to pay his partner's son's tuition at the

French Culinary Institute The International Culinary Center (originally known as the French Culinary Institute) was a private for-profit culinary school from 1984 to 2020 headquartered in New York City, New York. The facilities included professional kitchens for hands- ...

. Flay received a degree in culinary arts and was a member of the first graduating class of the

in 1984. After culinary school, he started working as a

sous-chef A sous-chef is a chef who is second in command of a kitchen, ranking directly below the head chef in the Kitchen Brigade system developed by Auguste Escoffier. In large kitchens, sous-chefs are typically left in charge of managing members of th ...

, quickly learning the culinary arts. At the Brighton Grill on Third Avenue, Flay was handed the executive chef position a week after the executive chef was fired. Flay quit when he realized he was not ready to run a kitchen. He took a position as a chef working for restaurateur Jonathan Waxman at Bud and Jams. Waxman introduced Flay to southwestern and Cajun cuisine, which came to define his culinary career. After working for a short time on the floor at the

American Stock Exchange NYSE American, formerly known as the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), and more recently as NYSE MKT, is an American stock exchange situated in New York City. AMEX was previously a mutual organization, owned by its members. Until 1953, it was known ...

, Flay returned to the kitchen as the executive chef of Miracle Grill in the East Village, where he worked from 1988 to 1990. He caught the attention of Jerome Kretchmer, who was looking for a southwestern-style chef. Impressed by Flay's food, Kretchmer offered him the position of executive chef of Mesa Grill, which opened on January 15, 1991. Shortly after, he became a partner. In November 1993, Flay partnered with Laurence Kretchmer to open Bolo Bar & Restaurant in the

Flatiron District The Flatiron District is a neighborhood in the borough (New York City), borough of Manhattan of New York City, named after the Flatiron Building at 23rd Street (Manhattan), 23rd Street, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway and Fifth Avenue. Generally ...

, just a few blocks away from Mesa Grill. MESAGrillLVNV

Flay opened a second Mesa Grill at

Caesars Palace Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks. Caesar ...

in Las Vegas in 2004, and in 2005 he opened Bar Americain, an American

Brasserie In France, Flanders, and the Francophone world, a brasserie () is a type of French restaurant with a relaxed setting, which serves dishes and other meals. The word ''brasserie'' is French for "brewery" and, by extension, "the brewing busine ...

, in

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

. He continued to expand his restaurants by opening Bobby Flay Steak in the

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is a hotel, casino, and spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. The casino hotel features 2,798 rooms and is the largest hotel in New Jersey. Borga ...

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

. This was followed by a third Mesa Grill in

the Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of ...

, located in The Cove at

Atlantis Paradise Island Atlantis Paradise Island is an ocean-themed casino resort located on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The resort spans and includes a waterpark, marine habitat, and other recreational facilities. It is built around the Aquaventure waterscape a ...

, which opened on March 28, 2007. The Las Vegas Mesa Grill earned Flay his only

Michelin Star The ''Michelin Guides'' ( ; ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The ''Guide'' awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few restaurants in certain geographic ...

in 2008, which was taken away in the 2009 edition. Michelin did not publish a 2010 or 2011 Las Vegas edition, so the star could not be re-earned. Bolo Bar & Restaurant closed its doors on December 31, 2007, to make way for a

condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...

. Aside from his restaurants and television shows, Flay has been a master instructor and visiting chef at the French Culinary Institute. Although he is not currently teaching classes, he occasionally visits when his schedule permits. Flay established the Bobby Flay Scholarship in 2003. This full scholarship to the French Culinary Institute is awarded annually to a student in the Long Island City Culinary Arts Program. Flay personally helps select the awardee each year. Flay opened his first Bobby's Burger Palace (BBP) at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, Long Island, on July 15, 2008. At its peak, BBP had nineteen locations in eleven states and the District of Columbia. The original Mesa Grill in New York closed in September 2013 following a proposed rent increase by the landlord. In May 2021, Mesa Grill in Caesars Palace was converted to 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. He now has four locations of Bobby's Burgers in Caesars Palace Las Vegas, Paris Hotel Las Vegas, Harrah's Las Vegas, and Yankee Stadium in New York City. As of September 2019, Flay has an estimated

net worth Net worth is the value of all the non-financial and financial assets owned by an individual or institution minus the value of all its outstanding liabilities. Financial assets minus outstanding liabilities equal net financial assets, so net w ...

of $30 million.

Other ventures

Food Network and television

Flay has hosted seventeen cooking shows and specials on both

and

Cooking Channel Cooking Channel is an American basic cable channel owned by and spin-off of Food Network. Both are owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (69%) and Nexstar Media ...

: Flay served as a judge on ''Wickedly Perfect'', ''

The Next Food Network Star ''Food Network Star'' is a reality television series that aired from June 5, 2005, to August 5, 2018. It was produced by CBS EYEtoo Productions for seasons 1–8 and by Triage Entertainment for seasons 9-14. It aired on the Food Network in the ...

'', and '' The Next Iron Chef''. He has cooked on ''

Emeril Live ''Emeril Live'' is a television cooking program that aired first on Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery, who manages and operates it as a divis ...

'' and ''

Paula's Party ''Paula's Party'' is a show on the Food Network hosted by Paula Deen. Unlike her other show on the Food Network, '' Paula's Home Cooking, Paula's Party'' was originally taped in front of a small audience at Uncle Bubba's Oyster House in Savann ...

''. On '' Throwdown! with Bobby Flay'', Flay challenges cooks known for a specific dish or type of cooking to a cook-off of their signature dish. Flay was an

Iron Chef is a Japanese television cooking show produced by Fuji Television. The series, which premiered on October 10, 1993, is a stylized cook-off featuring guest chefs challenging one of the show's resident "Iron Chefs" in a timed cooking battle buil ...

on the show ''

Iron Chef America ''Iron Chef America'' is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's ''Iron Chef'', and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed ''Iron Chef USA'' that aired in 2001. The show is produced by Food Network, wh ...

''. In 2000, when the original ''Iron Chef'' show traveled to New York for a special battle, he challenged Iron Chef

Masaharu Morimoto is a Japanese chef, best known as an Iron Chef on the Japanese TV cooking show ''Iron Chef'' and its spinoff ''Iron Chef America''. He is also known for his unique style of presenting food. Career Morimoto was born in Hiroshima, where he rece ...

to battle rock crab. After the hour battle ended, Flay stood on top of his cutting board and raised his arms in what one journalist wrote was "premature victory". As Morimoto felt that real chefs consider cutting boards and knives sacred, and being offended by Flay's flamboyant gesture, he criticized his professionalism, saying that Flay was "not a chef". Flay went on to lose the battle. Flay challenged Morimoto to a rematch in Morimoto's native Japan. This time, Flay won. On a special

episode An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a serial (radio and television), series intended for radio, television or Streaming media, streaming consumption. Etymology The noun ''episode'' is ...

of ''Iron Chef America'' originally airing on November 12, 2006, Flay and

Giada De Laurentiis Giada Pamela De Laurentiis (; born Giada Pamela De Benedetti on August 22, 1970) is an Italian American chef, entrepreneur, writer, and television personality. She was the host of Food Network's program called ''Giada at Home''. She also appea ...

faced off against, and were defeated by, Batali and

Rachael Ray Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American cook, television personality, businesswoman, and author. She hosted the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle program '' Rachael Ray''. Other programs to her credit include ''30 Minut ...

. This was the highest rated show ever broadcast on Food Network. Flay and

Michael Symon Michael D. Symon (born September 19, 1969) is an American chef, restaurateur, television personality, and author. He is seen regularly on Food Network on shows such as ''Iron Chef America'', ''Burgers, Brew and 'Que, Food Feuds'', and ''The Bes ...

defeated the team of Iron Chefs Cat Cora and Masaharu Morimoto in a special

titled "Thanksgiving Showdown", which originally aired on November 16, 2008. In an episode recorded in July 2010 and broadcast in March 2011, Montreal cooking show host

Chuck Hughes Charles Frederick Hughes (March 2, 1943 – October 24, 1971) was an American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1967 to 1971 with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions. Early life Born on Mar ...

beat Flay to become the youngest Canadian champ. ''

Beat Bobby Flay ''Beat Bobby Flay'' is an American cooking competition show on the Food Network. It features various chefs competing against Bobby Flay. The show is taped in front of a live audience. Format In the first round, two guests, often a celebrity ...

'' pits select chefs against Flay to see if they can create dishes that are better than his. His specials include: * ''Bobby's Vegas Gamble'' – Covers the opening of Mesa Grill Las Vegas. * ''Restaurant Revamp'' – Flay tries to help a family restaurant. * ''Chefography: Bobby Flay'' – Biography of Flay's life and career. * ''Tasting Ireland'' – Flay takes a food tour of Ireland, his ancestral homeland. * ''Food Network Awards'' – The Food Network recognizes people and places that have impacted the food world. * ''All-Star Grill Fest: South Beach'' – Flay joins

Paula Deen Paula Ann Hiers Deen (born January 19, 1947) is an American chef, cookbook author, and TV personality. Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates The Lady & Sons restaurant with her sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen. She has pu ...

Alton Brown Alton Crawford Brown Jr. (born July 30, 1962) is an American television personality, food show presenter, food scientist, author, voice actor, and cinematographer. He is the creator and host of the Food Network television show '' Good Eats'' th ...

, and

Tyler Florence Tyler Florence (born March 3, 1971) is an American chef and television host of several Food Network shows. He graduated from the College of Culinary Arts at the Charleston, South Carolina, campus of Johnson & Wales University in 1991. He was la ...

for a barbecue. In October 2021, ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' reported that Flay would leave Food Network after a 27-year run, after he and the network failed to reach an agreement on a new contract. ''

People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...

'' reported that Flay had sought $100 million as part of the proposal. In November 2021, it was reported that Flay had signed a new three-year deal with Food Network.

Other cooking shows

In 1996, Flay hosted ''The Main Ingredient with Bobby Flay'' on

Lifetime Television Lifetime is an American basic cable channel that is part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a subsidiary of A&E Networks, which is jointly owned by Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company. It features programming that is geared toward ...

. Twice a month, he hosts a cooking segment on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

's ''

The Early Show ''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999, to January 7, 2012, replacing the original incarnation of '' CBS This Morning'', and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the n ...

''. He hosted the

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...

show '' America's Next Great Restaurant'' on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

from March to May 2011 in which in the end he picks one restaurant team with whom to open a restaurant. The show was canceled after the first season due to low ratings. Flay has been featured in several episodes of Great Chefs television including: * ''Great Chefs – Great Cities'' * ''Mexican Madness DVD'' * ''Great Chefs Cook American''

Acting roles

Flay had a cameo appearance in the

Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...

original movie ''

Eddie's Million Dollar Cook-Off ''Eddie's Million Dollar Cook-Off'' is a 2003 American comedy television film directed by Paul Hoen, written by Dan Berendsen, and starring Taylor Ball, Orlando Brown, Reiley McClendon, Rose McIver, and Mark L. Taylor. It aired on Disney ...

'' as the host of the cook-off. He appeared on the television

game show A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...

''Pyramid'' with fellow Iron Chef

Mario Batali Mario Francesco Batali (born September 19, 1960) is an American chef, writer, and former restaurateur. Batali co-owned restaurants in New York City; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Newport Beach, California; Boston; Singapore; Westport, Connecticut; and ...

as the guest celebrities in an episode originally airing on November 18, 2003. He appeared as a judge on the CBS television show "Wickedly Perfect" during the 2004–05 season. He also appeared in the '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' episode "Design", which originally aired on September 22, 2005. He had a small role as himself in the 2006 film ''East Broadway'', in which his then-wife,

Stephanie March Stephanie Caroline March is an American actress and activist. She is known for playing Alexandra Cabot in the NBC crime drama series '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2000–2018) and its spinoff media. She is also recognized for her act ...

, had a larger role. ''

Jeopardy! ''Jeopardy!'' is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead g ...

'' featured a special "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" category during the March 12, 2008, episode, in which each of the clues featured Flay. He participated in the 2008 Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game played at

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...

after the 2008 MLB All Star Game; Flay played for the National League. Flay is mentioned in the 2008 film '' Step Brothers'' in the "Derek comes for dinner" scene. In 2010, Flay was impersonated in the ''

South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boysStan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand the ...

'' cartoon episode "

Crème Fraiche Crème (or creme) is a French word for 'cream', used in culinary terminology for various preparations: * Cream, a high-fat dairy product made from milk from a cow * Custard Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, ...

". In 2011, Flay had recurring appearances in the final season of ''

Entourage An entourage () is an informal group or band of people who are closely associated with a (usually) famous, notorious, or otherwise notable individual. The word can also refer to: Arts and entertainment * L'entourage, French hip hop / rap collecti ...

'' as the boyfriend of Ari Gold's wife. In 2012, Flay appeared on ''

Portlandia ''Portlandia'' is an American sketch comedy television series starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, set in and around Portland, Oregon, and spoofing the city's reputation as a haven for eccentric hipsters. The show was produced by Broa ...

'' in a director's cut of the episode Brunch Village in which he showed director Jonathan Krisel how to make marionberry pancakes. Flay guest stars as himself on season two of the TV series '' Younger'', which initially aired in 2016. In 2018, he appeared as Fred Jones' uncle in the animated film ''

Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost ''Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost'' is a 2018 American Animated film, animated Comedy film, comedy mystery film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and distributed by Warner Home Video, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, and the thirty-first entry ...

''. Flay played a food and restaurant critic in the 2022 seasonal made-for-TV movie ''One Delicious Christmas''. In 2024, Flay starred in a television commercial in which he dances while promoting

Pepsi Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...

in conjunction with grilling.

Sirius XM Radio

In 2009, Flay hosted a weekly call-in show on

Sirius XM Satellite Radio Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merger ...

. He offered advice to men on "everything from sports to current issues", although food was the focus.

Made by Nacho

In April 2021, Flay, with Elly Truesdell and Katja Lang, launched Made by Nacho, a premium cat food company named for his

Maine Coon The Maine Coon is a large Domestication, domesticated breeds of cats, cat breed. One of the oldest natural breeds in North America, the breed originated in the U.S. state of Maine, where it is the official List of U.S. state mammals, state cat ...

, Nacho Flay. The brand sells wet cat food, dry kibble, and freeze-dried protein treats. Made by Nacho sells cat food from their website and in

PetSmart PetSmart Inc. is a privately held American chain of pet Big-box store, superstores, which sell pet products, services, and small pets. It is the leading North American pet company, and its direct competitor is Petco. Its indirect competitors ...

in addition to offering a subscription service. Flay has also founded the Made By Nacho Charitable Fund as part of

The New York Community Trust The New York Community Trust (The Trust) is a community foundation that serves New York City's five boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester County. The Trust administers more than 2,200 charitable funds. Established in 1924, The Trust is one of the ...

Books

Flay has authored several cookbooks, including: * ''Bobby Flay's Bold American Food'' (

Warner Books Grand Central Publishing is a book publishing imprint of Hachette Book Group, originally established in 1970 as Warner Books when Kinney National Company acquired the New York City-based Paperback Library. When Time Warner sold their book publis ...

, May 31, 1994) – * ''Bobby Flay's From My Kitchen to Your Table'' ( Clarkson Potter, March 31, 1998) – * ''Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill'' ( Hyperion, May 19, 1999) – * ''Bobby Flay Cooks American'' (Hyperion, September 30, 2001) – * ''Bobby Flay's Boy Gets Grill'' ( Scribner, May 18, 2004) – * ''Bobby Flay's Grilling For Life'' (Scribner, May 3, 2005) – * ''Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook'' (Clarkson Potter, October 16, 2007) – * ''Bobby Flay's Grill It!'' (Clarkson Potter, April 18, 2008) – * ''Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries and Shakes'' (Clarkson Potter, April 11, 2009) – * ''Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook: Celebrate America's Great Flavors'' (Clarkson Potter, September 20, 2011) – * ''Bobby Flay's Throwdown'' (Clarkson Potter, October 12, 2012) – * ''Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction'' (Clarkson Potter, April 23, 2013) – * ''Bobby Flay Fit: 200 Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle'' (Co-authors: Stephanie Banyas and Sally Jackson; Publisher – Clarkson Potter, December 5, 2017) - * ''Bobby at Home: Fearless Flavors from My Kitchen'' (Clarkson Potter, September 24, 2019) –

Personal life

Flay married

Debra Ponzek Debra Ponzek is an American chef, who won the James Beard Foundation Award for Rising Star Chef in 1992 beating her then-husband Bobby Flay. She is now the owner of Aux Délices restaurants in Connecticut. Career Debra Ponzek was born and brought ...

, also a chef, on May 11, 1991. Flay and Ponzek divorced in 1993, and Flay married his second wife, Kate Connelly, in 1995. They have a daughter named Sophie. Flay and Connelly separated in 1998 and later divorced. Flay married actress

on February 20, 2005. According to media reports, March and Flay separated in March 2015 and their divorce was finalized on July 17, 2015. Flay dated Heléne Yorke from February 2016 to early 2019. As of March 2025, Flay is in a relationship with fellow chef Brooke Williamson. Flay is a self-proclaimed 'cat person' and has lived with cats most of his life. He has had three

s: Nacho, an orange tabby Maine Coon; Stella, a brown tabby Maine Coon five years younger than Nacho; and Canelo. In October 2023, Flay announced that Nacho had died. Flay has a personal interest in

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

, and is the owner of multiple

graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is th ...

winners: * More Than Real, who won the prestigious

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf is a one-mile turf stakes race for thoroughbred fillies two years old. As its name implies, it is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the ''de facto'' year-end championship for North American thor ...

; * Creator (part owner), who won the third jewel of the Triple Crown, the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over the worldwide classic distance of . Colt (horseracing), Colt ...

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

; and *Pizza Bianca, a homebred filly who won the

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Flay served on the

Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was ...

board of directors from 2014 to 2018.

Awards and accolades

* ''

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...

'' Gael Greene's Restaurant of the Year – Mesa Grill (1992) *

Outstanding Graduate Award (1993) *

International Association of Culinary Professionals The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is a United States–based not-for-profit professional association whose members work in culinary education, communication, or the preparation of food and beverage. It was started in 19 ...

Award for Design – ''Bobby Flay's Bold American Food'' (1995) * Four-time Daytime Emmy Award winner: **Outstanding Service Show Host – ''Boy Meets Grill'' (2005) **Best Culinary Program – ''Grill It! With Bobby Flay'' (2009) **Outstanding Culinary Host – '' Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction'' (2014) **Outstanding Culinary Host – ''Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction'' (2015) * Three-time

James Beard Foundation The James Beard Foundation is an American non-profit culinary arts organization based in New York City. It was named after James Beard, a food writer, teacher, and cookbook author. Its programs include guest-chef dinners to scholarships for asp ...

Award winner: ** Rising Star Chef of the Year (1993) **National Television Food Show Award – ''Bobby Flay Chef Mentor'' (2005) ** Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America (2007) * Culinary Hall of Fame Induction (2015) * Star on

(2015)

References

External links

Official web site
*
Bobby Flay's Twitter Profile

Bobby Flay
at the Chef and Restaurant Database {{DEFAULTSORT:Flay, Bobby 1964 births Living people American cookbook writers American male chefs American people of Irish descent American racehorse owners and breeders American restaurateurs American television chefs Chefs from New York City Daytime Emmy Award winners Food Network chefs Head chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants International Culinary Center alumni James Beard Foundation Award winners People from the Upper East Side Television personalities from New York City