It's no picnic being Bobby Flay.
Well, actually, it's a lot like being in a picnic, a big, traveling, calorie-stuffed picnic, that lasts about 12 hours or so, covers four Baltimore neighborhoods, and is videotaped by a Food Network TV crew.
As one of television's chefs of the moment, the 36-year-old Flay is semi-young, semi-sexy and semi-hip, but is likely best remembered as the semi-rude American challenger who lost to Iron Chef Morimoto Masaharu in a New York showdown last year. His recent appearance in Baltimore was for a coming episode of "FoodNation With Bobby Flay," one of three cable network shows for which he is host.
And while he may be no iron chef, Flay did prove to possess an iron stomach. Beginning with oysters and a beer at 7:30 a.m. at Cross Street Market, he noshed his way through crab cakes, a cannoli, a pignolia cookie, a double veal chop, a crab-stuffed portobello mushroom, fresh mozzarella and a plate of appetizers including freshly made Italian sausage.
That was followed by another beer to wash down three kinds of mussels at Bertha's in Fells Point, not to mention a bowl of cream of crab soup and broiled rockfish - and no tiny portions or chew-and-spit action, either.
"I just keep eating. I can't be one of those guys at wine tastings who spits out his drink," says Flay, his eyes looking a bit glazed by midafternoon. "You have no idea what it's like. Let me tell you, it's not that easy."
In person, Flay is just as good-natured and regular-guyish as he appears to be on his television shows. He is tall and svelte - thanks only, he says, to a regular gym routine - and attracts no shortage of female admirers.
Shortly before his appearance at Bertha's, part-time barmaid Diana Khachadourian says she's excited to meet the man she's watched on cable for years. "If he doesn't have achiote powder on him, I'll just lose all respect," she says.
But when Flay does show up, she doesn't ask any questions - aside from which color souvenir T-shirt he'd like. "I'm a big fan," she tells the chef when she finally gets a chance to shake his hand.
Lois Hika, a customer at Bertha's bar, is not so shy. Before he can leave the restaurant, she gets Flay to autograph her right arm. She promises to leave it unwashed.
"He does things you can do at home," says Hika. "Plus, he's cute. That's what gets people to watch his shows."
