A month ago, Bobby Flay opened the third location of his Bobby’s Burgers fast-casual concept on the Strip, at Paris in between the places where Martha Stewart and Nobu Matsuhisa will open new restaurants soon. It’s another big Vegas step for the ageless celebrity chef, who recently placed burger joints at Caesars Palace and Harrah’s, along with seafood-focused Italian restaurant Amalfi at Caesars. Even though he has plenty to do and see whenever he’s in town, Flay is always ready to talk Vegas food.
The Crunch Burger at Bobby’s
When you first opened Mesa Grill on the Strip nearly 20 years ago, did you ever think you’d have a burger-joint empire in Las Vegas? Of course, it was all part of the plan (laughs). I don’t think most people realize that chefs want really simple food when we’re eating on our own; we don’t want foie gras and caviar. My night-off indulgence is a cheeseburger and always has been. There’s a place on the Upper East Side in New York City called JG Melon, and it’s always in the running for best burger and has been for decades. I grew up in that place, [and] I’ve always wanted my own burger place.
You opened Bobby’s Burger Palace at CityCenter years ago. How has the brand transitioned into this new format? We had a long time to be thoughtful about it [during the pandemic] like everybody else and just thought, we need to take a fresh look at this. I hired a branding company … and they said, “Get rid of the word ‘palace.’ Everybody calls it Bobby’s Burgers, so stick with that.’ I changed the menu and made it more focused. I had made the classic high-end chef mistake; I wanted 19,000 things on the menu and everything had a fancy bent to it. There’s no more goat cheese and honey mustard and Meyer lemon sauce. The best burger concepts are executed perfectly and give people what they want.
The Paris location is well-timed, with all these other new venues opening up this year. I’ve known Martha [Stewart] forever. So many people are going to be thrilled to walk in and finally be able to taste what she’s been talking about forever. And maybe Snoop Dogg will show up.
We’re asking experts all over Vegas this week about their favorite local restaurants. Where do you dine when you have the time? I haven’t been there since before the pandemic, but I really like L’Atelier [de Joël Robuchon] a lot, just a very good restaurant. I originally ate at the one in Paris. It’s one of those things where they took a casual idea and upscaled it; they did the opposite of what so many chefs are doing. I sit at the counter and eat there, and I eat at Nobu at Caesars. I love going to the bar there and eating a ton of different dishes. Nobu is always can’t-miss.
It must be nice, when you have the chance, to eat at restaurants other than yours. Can I tell you a story? Twenty years ago I was in my restaurant Bolo. It was the end of the night, I was in my chef coat and a friend came in and sat at the bar and had dinner. I sat with him and ate a dish with him, and at the end of the night, he goes, “I just want to say something to you. I love your restaurant, but I have to say: Seeing you sit in the restaurant in your chef coat kind of made me feel like I was on a plane and the pilot came down and sat next to me.” And I said, “You know what? You’re right.” And I don’t do it. I don’t do it. If I’m in my restaurant in my chef coat, I’m in the kitchen, period. That’s where I should be.
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