Bobby Flay’s The Line brings restaurant service to Food Network
Food Network’s new competition series debuts Sept. 8, with Bobby Flay’s team battling restaurant crews in real dinner service.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Food Network is putting Bobby Flay’s The Line on the menu this fall, with the celebrity chef leading a new competition series built around the heat, speed and pressure of fine-dining dinner service, Variety reported.
The series, formally titled “Bobby Flay’s The Line,” is set to premiere Sept. 8 at 9 p.m. ET on Food Network and will also stream on HBO Max, according to the report.
The show follows Flay and a home-team kitchen crew he selected as they face restaurant staffs from around the country. The challenge is direct: run a polished dinner service for actual diners and VIP guests, while feedback comes in plate by plate.
What is Bobby Flay’s The Line?
“Bobby Flay’s The Line” is a restaurant competition series centered on line cooks and chefs executing a fine-dining menu in real time. Diners and VIP guests score each dish, and the kitchen teams can adjust service based on those reactions.
Flay’s team includes Antonia Lofaso, Michael Jenkins and Claudette Zepeda, Variety reported. They will go against visiting teams from acclaimed restaurants, with $25,000 on the table if the challengers beat Flay’s crew.
If Flay’s side wins, the prize is less cash-forward: they get to hold onto their reputation, according to the format described by Variety.
Who appears in the premiere?
The first episode brings in Marcus Samuelsson, who surprises Flay by joining the line from his restaurant Hav & Mar, Variety reported. Samuelsson teams with Hav & Mar Executive Chef Fariyal Abdullahi for a global seafood battle against Flay’s home kitchen.
Later episodes will feature teams led by Pig and Khao’s Leah Cohen, Good Stuff Eatery’s Spike Mendelsohn, Kindling’s Jonathon Sawyer and other chefs, according to the report.
Flay described the series as a project he believes Food Network viewers have been waiting for, saying it mixes “high-end restaurant cooking,” competition and real-time behind-the-scenes moments. He said the show reflects how restaurants operate, including when things fail to go smoothly.
Food Network president Betsy Ayala said the series draws on Flay’s years in restaurant kitchens and gives viewers a look at the pressure and teamwork behind service. Ayala said audiences curious about cooking in a restaurant with Flay will be able to watch it play out on screen.
“Bobby Flay’s The Line” is produced by Rock Shrimp Productions for Food Network, Variety reported.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.