On TV, veteran chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay is known for cutting his competition down to size, but lately, there’s one culinary newcomer he’s happy to share the spotlight with: his daughter Sophie, 26. The father-daughter duo are set to release their first cookbook, “Sundays with Sophie” this month, a collection of recipes they’ve cooked and enjoyed in their kitchen.
“All the dishes in the book are new and old favorites,” Flay shares, “things we cook at home. Food has always been an important part of my relationship with Sophie and my family in general. It’s the way I’ve been able to show my love and affection. It’s nice to have found that as a common bond.”
That said, she wasn’t always so curious about learning the ropes from her famous father, says Flay, adding “growing up, Sophie didn’t have much interest in learning her way around the kitchen.” Why should she have? She had one of the world’s most renowned gourmets preparing her meals. “She basically had all the dishes she wanted at her fingertips because Dad was cooking it for her,” he admits. “Her interest only started in college when she needed to learn to cook for her boyfriend. Now that she’s an adult, she’s become a lot more interested. She’s always been into shellfish — lobsters, clams, oysters — it’s a Flay family common denominator.”
So is the hustle. In addition to the book, their podcast, “Always Hungry with Bobby Flay + Sophie Flay” and a new show following their eating adventures in California, “Bobby and Sophie on the Coast,” Sophie has a thriving reporting career at ABC7 in Los Angeles.
In the Flay household, even the family pets sing for their supper, so to speak. Flay’s two cats — Nacho and Stella — have their own social media accounts. Nacho, whose Instagram is verified and boasts close to a quarter million followers, has his own successful line of cat food which includes wet and dry offerings, catnip, toppers and treats. “I started Nacho’s social media account just for fun one day,” says Flay. “Then it turned into a very popular one just by expressing his personality, his likes and dislikes. Nacho’s food company came about because I’ve spent my career helping people get meals to their table. Obviously, my cats are very important to me…so Nacho and I took it upon ourselves and created Made by Nacho.”
But when it comes to keeping busy, no one holds a candle to the head of the family. Since starting out at the New York eatery Joe Allen when he was a teenager prior to attending the French Culinary Institute, Flay opened his first restaurant, Mesa Grill, in 1991 and his second, Bolo, two years later. In 1993 he was awarded “Rising Star Chef of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation. And one year later, in 1994, he made his first appearance on Food Network.
He’s become one of its most popular fixtures ever since, starring in numerous shows and specials, most notably, his signature competition series “Beat Bobby Flay,” in which both up-and-coming and established chefs attempt to out-cook him. It’s often a losing battle, delighting viewers not only for the mouth-watering food, but good-natured trash-talking among rivals. Those who have managed to beat him over the course of the show’s 30 seasons, he notes, have one thing in common: strategizing in advance and staying in their lane.
Photo by Matt Harbicht / Food Network
“The majority of people that win stick to their game plan, meaning a lot of times someone will come on with a dish they’ve done perfectly and when they get to the studio, they decide to switch it up and add more bells and whistles. That’s usually a recipe for disaster. I always tell people to stick to what they’re comfortable with,” he says.
Flay — who’s received five Daytime Emmy Awards — recently signed a three-year contract extension with Food Network, where he’ll remain on existing fan favorites while kicking off several additional projects. “I look forward to continuing shows that are currently on the schedule, like ‘Beat Bobby Flay’ and ‘BBQ Brawl.’ We also have a couple of new, very exciting irons in the fire. One of the reasons I wanted to re-sign with Food Network was to kind of push the envelope for new programming.” Behind the camera, his company Rock Shrimp Productions will expand to create more content for the Food Network’s parent company, Discovery.
“Rock Shrimp produces most of the shows I’m in,” Flay explains, “but we also like launching talent who have a point of view and a great repertoire of food and cooking that we hope would last for seasons and seasons.”
Along with his filming schedule, Flay continues to oversee his restaurant Amalfi in Las Vegas and his fast-casual eateries, Bobby’s Burgers. “I grew up eating cheeseburgers at a restaurant called JG Melon on the Upper East Side,” he explains. “Those life experiences always inspired me to have my own burger place and that’s how Bobby’s Burgers got started.”
Born and raised in Manhattan, Flay, now 57, has recounted the tale of asking for an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas when he was a kid. Could he have ever predicted it leading to an acclaimed career and, eventually, his own international brand? “No,” he answers. “When I first started cooking, I had just dropped out of high school so my immediate goal was to get a job and get a paycheck. At that point, there was no way I could ever think that I could have had as much success as I’ve had so far,” he says.
Which is why he advises any aspiring chef to take their time figuring out and forging their own path. “Stay focused on what you’re trying to accomplish,” he says. “The best-case scenario is that you’re focused on something you’re incredibly passionate about. It takes a lot of patience to achieve success and to have any longevity. Patience is incredibly important.”
Despite an ever-packed calendar, Flay does make room for things like personal travel. “I just spent some time in Mallorca for the first time, which I love. I try to make the Amalfi coast an annual visit.” He gets down to South Florida every now and then, too. Among his dining recommends in the area? “I like going to Mandolin in Miami for the Greek and Turkish flavors. It feels perfect for the weather. I like Cecconi’s at Soho House in Miami Beach. Their Italian food is always satisfying. I like to eat the lobster spaghetti there. I also like Jean-Georges’ restaurant in the Edition Hotel called Matador. I love all of their high-end tacos and Jean-Georges’ homemade hot sauce. The cocktails are also really good there.”
As for what he’ll whip up for himself on the average day, Flay says it tends to be indulgent but also no-fuss. “It depends on what time it is, but it usually revolves around something simple but crave-able, like a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich or a delicious cheeseburger — something pretty simple but very crave-able.”
With Thanksgiving approaching, is he worried about any competition in the kitchen from Sophie this year? “No chance,” he winks. “Sophie likes to participate in some of the prep at this point, but for the most part, holiday meals are still on my shoulders.”
Sounds good to us. Got an extra seat at the table?
Photo by MICHAEL CROOK