Rick Bayless - Professional Career

Professional Career

After hosting the 26-part PBS television series Cooking Mexican in 1978-1979, Bayless dedicated over six years to culinary research in Mexico, culminating in 1987 with the publication of his Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico, which Craig Claiborne described as "the greatest contribution to the Mexican table imaginable." Chef Bayless continues to host his PBS television series, Mexico: One Plate at a Time, now entering Season 8, produced entirely on the Baja peninsula.

Before opening his own restaurant, Rick began his professional career in 1980 as the executive chef at Lopez, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Rick trained a staff of 10, and established the tradition of Lopez, which still remains the premier Mexican/Southwestern restaurant in Ohio. In 1987, Bayless, along with his wife, Deann, opened the Frontera Grill in Chicago, Illinois, specializing in contemporary regional Mexican cuisine. In 1989 they opened Topolobampo, one of America's first fine-dining Mexican restaurants.

In 1995, he and partners started the successful Frontera Foods line of prepared food products.

He was one of the founding members of Chefs Collaborative, in support of environmentally sound agricultural practices and is active in Share Our Strength, the nation's largest hunger advocacy organization.

Bayless is a restaurant consultant and teaches authentic Mexican cooking throughout the United States. He is a visiting staff member at the Culinary Institute of America and leads cooking and cultural tours to Mexico.

Bayless has written several cookbooks on the subject of traditional Mexican fare, including the best-selling Mexico: One Plate at a Time. He has also contributed to a number of magazines.

Bayless and his staff also began the Frontera Farmer Foundation in 2003. This foundation was set up to support Chicago-area local farmers by offering capital improvement grants. As of 2007, more than $400,000 has been given to local family farms.

In 2005, Bayless competed on Iron Chef America and lost by one point to Iron Chef Bobby Flay on what was the first broadcast episode of season 1, with American bison meat as the secret ingredient.

In December 2007, Bayless opened Frontera Fresco restaurant in San Francisco.

Bayless appeared as a guest judge in episode 3 of Season 4's Top Chef, judging both the quickfire and elimination challenges. He later went on to become a contestant in episode 3 of the first season of Top Chef Masters, winning that episode and advancing to the Champion's round. In the championship round he won the title of Top Chef Master on August 19, 2009.

He is the brother of ESPN personality and sports journalist Skip Bayless. In 2008, he was widely considered to be a serious contender for the position of White House Executive Chef under the administration of Barack Obama.

In 2010, after having spent significant time at local Mexican dining spots, Bayless made his LA debut running the kitchen at the Red O.

Bayless was guest chef for the May 19, 2010 White House state dinner honoring Mexican President Felipe Calderón and his wife Margarita Zavala.

In 2012, Bayless ventured into the world of theatre, partnering with Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago to put on the play, "Rick Bayless in Cascabel", which Bayless created along with Tony Hernandez and Heidi Stillman. The show opened on March 21, 2012 to favorable reviews and ran through April 29.

Also in 2012, Rick Bayless secured his first ever Day Time Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Lifestyle/Culinary Host for his work on Season 8 of Mexico: One Plate at a Time.