In an August episode of “Beat Bobby Flay” on the Food Network, the executive chef of Wild Child in St. Pete first dispensed with another chef in a battle over mahi mahi, then took on celeb chef Flay using Reinsmith’s chosen dish, corn empanadas. The show is edited to heighten tension, so of course the cook-off seemed neck-in-neck. In the end, the judges of the blind taste test chose Reinsmith’s version. If you’re not familiar with the show, Flay wins a lot of these contests, so taking him down was no small feat. Reinsmith also acquitted himself well during the brief interview segments. He did St. Pete (OK, Tampa Bay) proud. And he did himself and his restaurants (and future restaurants) a lot of good. @rreinsmith on Instagram —Eric Snider
This article appears in Best of The Bay 2024.
