BOBBY
FLAY
Influencing
the American Table with Bold Flavors
At
the young age of 35, chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay has accomplished
more than most people twice his age. The flaming red-haired boy
from Manhattan knew at a tender age that he had a knack for making
food taste vibrant and wasted no time delving into a culinary
career which has led him to a highly respected position in the
American food world.
Flay fell into cooking at the age of 17 when he took a job at
Joe Allen's restaurant where his father was a partner. Mr. Allen
was so impressed with Flay's natural ability that he paid his
tuition to The French Culinary Institute. He later received the
first "Outstanding Graduate Award" in 1993, and now acts as a
spokesperson and Master Chef for the school. After graduating
in 1984, restaurant owner Jonathan Waxman introduced Flay to the
Southwestern ingredients which greatly influenced his culinary
style. His first job as executive chef, at the East Village's
Miracle Grill, caught the attention of restaurateur Jerome Kretchmer
who offered Flay the opportunity to open the critically-lauded
Mesa Grill in 1991. Mesa Grill earned unprecedented acclaim and
the young chef was made a partner.
Flay then teamed with partner Laurence Kretchmer in November 1993
to open BOLO, just a few blocks away from Mesa Grill. Bolo was
awarded two stars by The New York Times in 1994 and continues
to be voted the top Spanish restaurant in New York City by the
Zagat Survey.
The
recognition that Mr. Flay has gained for his innovative creations
utilizing indigenous American Southwestern and Mediterranean ingredients
has made him a major culinary figure on a national scale. In 1994,
he published his first book, Bold
American
Food (Warner Books) which
won the 1995 IACP Award for Design, setting the standard for the
next generation of American cookbooks with bold graphics, brilliant
color and easy-to-follow recipes. His second cookbook, From
My Kitchen to Your Table (Clarkson Potter) won rave
review from sources such as The New York Times Book Review. Flay's
third book Boy
Meets Grill (Hyperion), is already in its sixth printing
and spent several weeks at #1 on the Los Angeles Times "Hot List".
Flay's
national achievements don't stop there--he has launched and starred
in three national cooking shows, Grillin' & Chillin' on
the Television Food Network, The Main Ingredient with Bobby
Flay on Lifetime Television and Hot Off the Grill with
Bobby Flay now airing on Food Network. Recently Bobby joined the
team of The Early Show on CBS as food correspondent where
he joins host Bryant Gumbel and Jane Clayson bi-weekly to inform
a national audience about hot topics in the culinary world. Mr.
Flay has an incredible ability to create and retain the individual
characteristics of each of his projects, keeping them unique and
always one step ahead of the trend. He works tirelessly to amaze
diners and influence the way Americans view and taste food--making
it bold, vibrant and always fun. The future is very bright for
Bobby Flay, and as a result, for the American table.