The 'All-American' Meal Bobby Flay Once Cooked Up For President Obama

Bobby Flay is probably most recognized for his competitive presence on "Beat Bobby Flay" (which is an endurance trial for the audience). However, the celebrity chef has also experienced the honor — and pressure — of cooking for global leaders. In June 2013, Flay whipped up a patriotic feast for then-President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping. In an interview with Politico, Flay described the dinner as an "All-American meal," and although American food can be hard to define, it's fair to say the chef rose to the patriotic culinary challenge with gusto.

The dinner menu started with New Mexico lobster tamales with green chile, followed by porterhouse steaks and potatoes with Point Reyes blue cheese, and rounded out by individual cherry pies with bourbon, vanilla, and mint ice cream. In addition to sounding totally delicious, the mouthwatering menu seamlessly incorporated ingredients and techniques from across the United States — Kentucky bourbon, California cheese, Southwestern tamales — while sticking true to the classics like high-quality steak and potatoes and arguably the most American of desserts, pie. 

Bobby Flay designed the patriotic menu to highlight the best of the United States' culinary techniques and ingredients, which is no small order considering the vast diversity of America's food culture. What's more, the All-American feast didn't just have to please Barack Obama; it also had to impress Xi Jinping, who was meeting with Obama for the first time since becoming president of China in March 2013. Luckily, Flay's menu rose to the occasion, combining classic steak and potatoes indulgence, the creative Southwestern seafood spin of lobster tamales, and the sweetest representation of American individualism, cherry pies (as Flay told Politico, "it doesn't get more American than that"). 

This wasn't Flay's first time cooking for Obama — in 2009, the celebrity chef grilled up steaks with the then-president on the White House lawn. During this grilling session, Obama famously revealed his preference for medium-well steaks (via YouTube), because "that's just how I like it," to which Flay gamely replied, "Well, we don't want you to change that" (Flay's controversial burger cooking preference means he's no stranger to polemic opinions on meat doneness). Despite his history with Obama, Flay admitted that he was quite nervous when cooking for the former president in 2013, but fortunately, it seems the meal was a success. The cherry on top? Obama invited Flay into the dining room to introduce him to the guests, which the chef described as one of the most special moments of his career.