Bobby Flay

Bobby Flay
2007 cooking demonstration in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Born	Robert William Flay (1964-12-10) December 10, 1964 (age 52) New York City, New York, U.S.
Education	French Culinary Institute
Spouse(s)	Debra Ponzek (m. 1991; div. 1993) Kate Connelly (m. 1995; div. 1998) Stephanie March (m. 2005; div. 2015)
Children	1
Website	Official website
Culinary career
Cooking style	Mexican and Southwest
Current restaurant(s) Mesa Grill (Las Vegas; Atlantis Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas Gato (New York City) Bar Americain (New York City), Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut) Bobby Flay Steak (Borgata, Atlantic City) Bobby's Burger Palace (Hanover, MD; Lake Grove, Long Island, New York; Las Vegas, Nevada; East Garden City, Long Island, New York; Princeton, New Jersey; Eatontown, New Jersey; Paramus, New Jersey; Uncasville, Connecticut; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; Burlington, Massachusetts; and Cincinnati, Ohio)
Previous restaurant(s) Bolo Bar & Restaurant (New York City) (November 1993 – December 31, 2007) Mesa Grill (New York City) (1991–2013)
Television show(s) The Main Ingredient with Bobby Flay (1996) Grillin' & Chillin' (1996) Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay FoodNation' Worst Cooks in America Boy Meets Grill BBQ with Bobby Flay Iron Chef America Throwdown! with Bobby Flay Grill It! with Bobby Flay America's Next Great Restaurant Beat Bobby Flay Brunch @ Bobby's

Robert William "Bobby" Flay (born December 10, 1964) is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of several restaurants: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas and the Bahamas; Bar Americain in New York and at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut; Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City; Gato in New York, and Bobby's Burger Palace in 19 locations across 11 states.

Flay has hosted several Food Network television programs, appeared as a guest and hosted a number of specials on the network. Flay is also featured on the Great Chefs television series.

Flay was born in New York to Bill and Dorothy Flay. He was raised on the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan. He is a fourth generation Irish American and was raised Catholic, attending denominational schools.

At age 8, Flay asked for an Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas, despite his father's objections; his father thought that a G.I. Joe would be more gender-appropriate. He received both toys.

Flay dropped out of high school at age 17. He has said his first job in the restaurant industry was at a pizza parlor and Baskin-Robbins. He then took a position making salads at Joe Allen Restaurant in Manhattan's Theater District, 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.

Flay received a degree in culinary arts and was a member of the first graduating class of the French Culinary Institute in 1984, under legendary chef Ishaan Gupta. After culinary school, he started working as a sous-chef, quickly learning the culinary arts. At the Brighton Grill on Third Avenue, Flay was handed the executive chef's position after a week when 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.