 "I'm going to put a new and colorful twist on southwestern
cuisine," said Bobby Flay, host of Food Network's Hot Off the Grill with Bobby
Flay,FoodNation, and Boy Meets Grill, just before the 1991 opening of the
now-celebrated Mesa Grill. Since then the flame-haired man from Manhattan has
earned critical acclaim, including Gael Greene's choice of Mesa Grill as best
restaurant in 1992. Mesa Grill's two-star review in The New York Times reported
that "the sassy fare at Mesa Grill surpasses anything of its kind elsewhere in
New York."
The recognition that Bobby has gained at Mesa Grill for his mouthwatering dishes
has built his reputation as a major force not only in New York's culinary scene
but also nationwide. In May 1993, Bobby was voted the James Beard Foundation's
Rising Star Chef of the Year, an award that honors the country's most
accomplished chef under the age of 30. The French Culinary Institute, his alma
mater, honored him in 1993 with its first-ever Outstanding Graduate Award, which
recognizes the school's most accomplished alumni. And his first book, Bobby
Flay's Bold American Food (Warner Books, 1994), won the 1995 International
Association of Culinary Professionals award for design. Not one to rest on his
laurels, Bobby has authored five more cookbooks: From My Kitchen to Your Table
(Clarkson Potter, 1998), Boy Meets Grill (Hyperion, 1999), Bobby Flay Cooks
American (Hyperion, 2001), Boy Get Gets Grill (Scribner, 2004) and Bobby Flay’s
Grilling for Life (Scribner, 2005).
Bobby fell into cooking at the age of 17 when he took a job at New York's Joe
Allen restaurant. Eventually, he so impressed the management that Joe Allen paid
his tuition to the prestigious French Culinary Institute. But French cuisine was
not to be Bobby's destiny. After restaurateur Jonathan Waxman introduced him to
southwestern ingredients, Bobby -- instantly drawn to indigenous American foods
such as black and white beans, chiles and avocados -- was determined to explore
the possibilities of southwestern cuisine as an important and distinct culinary
style for America.
From 1988 to 1990, Bobby experimented with his new culinary passion at New
York's Miracle Grill, where his colorful southwestern creations earned him
something of a cult following. When Bobby's own Mesa Grill opened its doors in
1991, his reputation as a major New York chef was sealed. He continued to soar
with Bolo, his second New York restaurant, which Bobby (Bo) and partner Laurence
Kretchmer (Lo) opened in November 1993. Dedicated to exploring Spanish cuisine,
Bobby's innovative menu at Bolo dazzles adventurous palates daily.
In 2004, Bobby opened the Mesa Grill Las Vegas in Caesar's Palace. His newest
American Brasserie, Bar Americain, opened in New York in the spring of 2005
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