Despite all the success he has achieved, Flay admits he still gets nervous before doing a show, whether live or taped. Perhaps that goes back to his first appearance on
Iron Chef, which he describes as the most humbling moment in his career. “It was a total disaster for me,” he says. “I almost sliced my thumb off, I got electrically shocked, and I lost.” There was also a bit of controversy when Flay, at the beginning of the show, stepped on his cutting board and raised his arms in the air. The show is taped in
Japan, where tradition says that the board is sacred. But in the end, he admits, there was a silver lining. “There were all of these unfortunate moments, but I think it wound up being good for the network and created
Iron Chef America down the line,” he says.
Though his TV work has arguably done the most to expand his notoriety, Flay says he is “a better chef [in person] than on television.” True to form, while he keeps busy with TV, books, and public appearances, he remains extremely hands-on with his restaurants. Whether he’s training a
sous-chef, tweaking a dish at one of his establishments, or visiting with a customer, Flay makes sure his eateries are always his top priorities and that all his other activities are scheduled around them. And he insists that the increase in the quantity of his commitments in no way affects the quality of any of them. “I’ve always tried to have a
high energy in everything that I do,” he says, “whether it’s in the restaurants or being on television or coaching my daughter’s basketball team.”
When it comes down to it, Flay knows that his TV persona isn’t the legacy he’ll leave behind; he’ll ultimately be judged on his food. That’s why he’s constantly striving to improve and to learn more about his expansive industry.
“I love my business because I love the people in it,” Flay says. “I love the people who are my competitors because there’s great camaraderie between us. I also know that I can learn from other people around me. That keeps it interesting for me all the time. I know that I’ll never be able to actually master my profession. I’m just a participant.”