Montclair Chef Leia Gaccione Surprises Bobby Flay on His New Show The Line

Chef Leia Gaccione knows Bobby Flay well. She trained under him, worked her way up at his restaurants, cooked alongside him as a sous chef on Iron Chef America, competed twice on Beat Bobby Flay and even claimed a Chopped title.

On Tuesday, October 13, viewers will see the chef and owner of the Saint Clair in Montclair (which made NJM‘s Top 50 this year) go up against her mentor-slash-former boss once more—this time on the new Food Network competition show Bobby Flay’s The Line.

The show sees Flay and a hand-picked team of elite chefs face off against professional staffs from acclaimed restaurants across the country in a real-time dinner service competition. Flay doesn’t know ahead of time which culinary team he’ll be up against. On Tuesday, September 29, Flay will face David Viana, the co-owner and executive chef of Lita, a James Beard Nominated restaurant, in Aberdeen Township.

“I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, but I would say [Bobby] was genuinely surprised to see me,” Gaccione says.

Gaccione says each team had two hours to prep before serving a blind taste test of 240 plates to 40 diners over the course of 90 minutes.

“I blacked out the entire time,” she recalls. “It’s just super intense, and very realistic to what it’s like to work a crazy service in a kitchen.”

Gaccione’s episode was centered on brunch—familiar territory for Flay, who hosted the Food Network series Brunch @ Bobby’s and wrote a subsequent cookbook of the same name. Gaccione brought her own brunch experience from South + Pine in Morristown, where she was previously the chef/owner, and her current spot, the Saint Clair. “It might not be my favorite service to work, but it’s my favorite to eat,” she says. “I could do pancakes and egg sandwiches all day long.”

The latest competition was “a little intimidating,” admits Gaccione. “But I learned from [Bobby], so I knew what he was bringing to the table, and I felt pretty confident in myself and my team.”

Gaccione’s team was comprised of colleagues Oroima Cuevas, Gianna Searls and Sadie Alberti. “To compete with an all-female [team] was huge for me,” Gaccione says. “There’s just something really amazing about supporting women…and being a mentor to women in this business.”

Gaccione knows that some women would rather be referred to simply as chefs than female chefs. But for her, the distinction is a point of pride. “I’m proud to wear the label,” she says, adding that throughout her career, she has felt supported by New Jersey’s culinary community, men included.

Back at the Saint Clair, business is strong. Gaccione refers to the team she has built at the restaurant as her “proudest moment,” even in what she describes as a very difficult time for the industry. As the restaurant readies for its busiest season, she’s set to debut a new fall menu.

And as for the premiere of Gaccione’s episode of Bobby Flay’s The Line, fans will even have a chance to watch it with the star herself. The Saint Clair will host a watch party and behind-the-scenes Q&A on premiere night, featuring music, cocktails and a menu of dishes she made on the show. Tickets are available here.

Bobby Flay’s The Line featuring Gaccione airs Tuesday, October 13, on Food Network.