Award-winning chef Bobby Flay is Food Network's resident grill master and the host of several popular shows. Learn about his career, family, best-selling cookbooks, fast-food eateries, fine-dining restaurants and beloved cats.

History and Background

Bobby Flay, born Robert William Flay, is a fourth-generation Irish American who grew up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. At age 8, Bobby asked for an Easy-Bake Oven for Christmas — a clue to his future as a celebrity chef, restaurateur, food writer and TV personality. Although never formally diagnosed with learning issues, Bobby struggled in school and dropped out at age 17. "Retention, reading, studying. I basically did no homework my entire scholastic career,” he told TODAY.com in an October 2024 interview.

His dad helped him land his first job at New York City’s Joe Allen Restaurant. With Allen’s support, Bobby went on to study at New York City’s French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center), where he discovered his love for being creative and working with his hands. He earned his high school equivalency degree, graduated with the Institute’s first class and, in 1993, was honored with the Institute’s Outstanding Graduate Award.

Bobby stepped away from cooking for a short stint as a clerk on Wall Street but found it unsatisfying. Back on the culinary scene, he met and worked with iconic chefs like New York City’s Jonathan Waxman, who whipped up Southwestern and Cajun cuisine in New York City, and chef Wolfgang Puck, who took a fun approach to food at Spago in Los Angeles, California. He credits mentors like these for giving him the confidence to open his own restaurants.

Bobby earned the 1993 James Beard award for Rising Star Chef of the Year. In 2007, he was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America, and in 2015, he was the first chef ever awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Family Life

Bobby is the proud father of a daughter, Sophie Flay, from his second marriage to Kate Connelly. Sophie has appeared with her dad on some of his shows and specials, including The Flay List and Bobby and Sophie on the Coast, and has co-hosted Beat Bobby Flay. She works as a journalist in Los Angeles.

Bobby’s Food Network Shows

Bobby ventured into television in 1994, becoming one of the first Food Network stars. Shows like Grillin’ & Chillin’, Hot Off the Grill and Boy Meets Grill showcased his lively personality and expertise in grilling and Southwestern cuisine. Bobby currently hosts Beat Bobby Flay, Bobby's Triple Threat and Beat Bobby Flay: Holiday Throwdown. His other shows and appearances include Iron Chef America, Iron Chef Gauntlet, BBQ Brawl, Brunch @ Bobby’s and Throwdown! With Bobby Flay.

He’s the recipient of five Daytime Emmy Awards, one for Brunch @ Bobby’s and four for Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction. In 2011, he was a People’s Choice Award nominee for Favorite TV Chef.

Beat Bobby Flay

Beat Bobby Flay, which first aired in 2013, is a cooking competition based on the concept of a boxing match, complete with a bell that signals the rounds and light-hearted banter between contestants. Two chefs face off and cook a dish with an ingredient of Bobby's choosing; judges decide who made the better dish, and that cook goes up against Bobby himself. The winners get to brag that they beat Bobby Flay.

Bobby’s Triple Threat

Bobby’s Triple Threat is designed to feel like a high-end club, with an audience sitting at tables and enjoying drinks while they watch cooking competitions. Three “titan chefs” — Brooke Williamson, Michael Voltaggio and Tiffany Derry — go up against various challengers in three rounds. After each round, points for winning dishes are awarded through blind taste tests. Challengers who outscore the titans at the end win $25,000 in cash and a locker at the “club” so they can return anytime. Challengers who lose depart while the titans celebrate their win over drinks with Bobby.

Bobby’s Restaurants

Bobby owns and serves as executive chef for numerous fine-dining restaurants, as well as his high-quality, fast-food eateries, Bobby’s Burger Palace and Bobby’s Burgers.

Bobby’s Vegas Restaurants

In 2004, Bobby opened Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the first of his upscale restaurants. It was followed in 2021 by Amalfi, also at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, where guests savor fresh seafood, pastas made in-house and other foods inspired by his trips to Italy’s Amalfi Coast. In 2023, Bobby launched Brasserie B Parisian Steakhouse at Caesars Palace, where the menu features delicious French-inspired breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes.

Bobby’s Burger Palace

In 2008, Bobby combined his cooking expertise with the fast-food concept and debuted Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace, the first in a chain where customers could order his signature burgers, fries and milkshakes at relatable prices. Although some locations closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, hungry fans still enjoy his original food and beverage recipes at Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace at Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort in Uncasville, Connecticut, and Georgia’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Bobby’s Burgers

Bobby’s Burgers are currently located in Charlotte, North Carolina; Caesars New Orleans; Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City; and Yankee Stadium. They continue his tradition of crafting delectable, made-to-order burgers, specialty sandwiches, shakes and sides with top-quality ingredients.

In Vegas, Bobby’s Burgers serve customers at Harrah’s Las Vegas, Paris Las Vegas and Caesars Palace. Plans call for opening Bobby’s Burgers franchises at Raleigh Durham International Airport in North Carolina and across Utah and the Greater Chicago area.

Fun Facts About Bobby

• After a long workday, Bobby says his favorite food is a burger made with a thin layer of potato chips sandwiched between the bun and meat.
• Bobby is a horse racing fan and lives in upstate New York near the Saratoga Race Course.
• His birthday is December 10, making him a Sagittarius.
• Fondly known as America’s Cat Dad, Bobby currently has two cats, Canelo and Stella.

Bobby’s Cookbooks

Bobby has penned 18 best-selling cookbooks filled with recipes that range from personal favorites to cocktail concoctions to dishes from his hit TV shows and restaurants. He has also written about healthy cooking, grilling, barbecuing and much more.

His latest release is Bobby Flay: Chapter One: Iconic Recipes and Inspirations from a Groundbreaking American Chef: A Cookbook. It was published by Penguin Random House in October 2024.

Bobby’s Partnerships

Bobby says he was inspired by his “fluffy best friend,” an orange Maine coon cat, to create Made by Nacho. A premium cat food designed to his high standards, it honors Nacho, his late beloved pet. His Team Nacho donates 50% of its profits to Paws Crossed New York Animal Rescue, an organization that works to help rescue, feed and find homes for cats in need.

Every time this video on Bobby’s Instagram account is shared, Team Nacho provides another meal to a cat waiting for a forever home.

What’s Bobby Doing Now?

He has Instagram and YouTube accounts, Made by Nacho, where he invites fans to "Ask a Cat Dad."

He also partners with other celebrity chefs and the Food Recovery Network to help provide low-income Americans with nutritious foods. They work with students across the country to recover surplus foods and share them with millions of Americans who suffer from hunger and food insecurity. This student-led movement also helps reduce waste and makes the world more sustainable.

Bobby’s Rock Shrimp Productions is his full-service independent production company. Based in New York, it creates content for viewers, brands and networks. Bobby has served as an executive producer for Beat Bobby Flay, Bobby’s Triple Threat, BBQ Brawl, Iron Chef: Outside the Stadium and other projects.

Keep up with Bobby on his Instagram, Facebook and X accounts.