Bobby Flay Dishes on Burgers at Maryland Live!

About five years ago, celebrity chef Bobby Flay came to Baltimore for the Preakness stakes and got a call from a prominent real estate developer.

David Cordish, the chairman of The Cordish Cos., made him an offer.

“He said ‘you’re going to be in town, let’s make a deal. Come to my house and I’ll cook you breakfast,’” Flay recalled.

A casino at Arundel Mills was not even a figment of someone's imagination at this point, but Cordish had other projects around the country.

The pair kept in touch, and Cordish called him up when he got the nod to build the Maryland Live! complex in Hanover.

“He got approval to do this, and he called me up and said ‘what about that burger concept? I think that would do very well there.’ And that’s how the conversation started,” Flay said.

Bobby’s Burger Palace opened Wednesday near the entrance to the Maryland Live! casino, and Flay met with a small group of reporters Thursday morning to discuss his cooking philosophy.

“Growing up, burgers is what I would eat,” said Flay, who learned the craft of cooking while helping out at the JG Melon restaurant in New York City. “I’m a burger guy.”

Flay said the restaurant centers on a simple concept offering tasty burgers, French fries and milkshakes. The burgers are made from Angus beef and cooked made to order on a griddle—not a grill, surprisingly. Turkey burgers and chicken sandwiches are also available.

All burgers can be “crunchified,” with potato chips on them. (Flay acknowledges he didn’t invent the idea, but did trademark the word.)

The Burger Palace at Maryland Live! is the 10th in the chain. Flay said he likes to expand in clusters; the Arundel Mills restaurant is not far from two other locations in College Park and Washington, DC.

In addition to Bobby's Burger Palace, Flay owns several other restaurants around the country and is a common sight on the Food Network.

Burgers on the menu are inspired by geography. There’s a Philadelphia burger with provolone cheese, onions and red peppers. There’s a Buffalo-style burger with red hot sauce and blue cheese dressing.

At the moment, the menu doesn’t feature a Baltimore burger, though Flay said he’s open-minded. Maybe something involving Old Bay seasoning.

“I’m not sure I’m ready to put a crabcake on top of a burger yet,” he said. “To me, that’s just gimmicky.”