TV Host and author

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,^[4] which Craig Claiborne described as "the greatest contribution to the Mexican table imaginable."

Following Authentic Mexican, Bayless has written a number of highly regarded cookbooks (see §Awards and accolades), often co-authoring with Deann^[5] and his daughter, Lanie.^[6] Perhaps his best-known cookbook is his 2001 James Beard Foundation award-winning Mexico: One Plate at a Time,^[7] a companion to the first season of Bayless' PBS television show of the same name.^[8] At least one other of his cookbooks, Mexican Everyday (2005), provides recipes that directly tie into the show.^[9]

In 2003, PBS began broadcasting Bayless' television series Mexico: One Plate at a Time. Bayless and the show have been nominated for several Daytime Emmy Awards. Bayless was personally nominated twice for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle/Culinary Host for his work on the show in 2012^[10] and again in 2017.^[11] One Plate at a Time's director, Scott Dummler, was nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Lifestyle/Culinary Program in 2012, and the show was nominated overall for Outstanding Culinary Program in 2016.^[11]

Seasons of Mexico: One Plate at a Time sometimes focus on the cuisine of a specific region: for example, season 8 was centered around cuisine from Tijuana and the Baja Peninsula, season 9 focused on Oaxaca, and season 11 was produced entirely on the Yucatán Peninsula.^[12]

Chef and restaurateur

Before opening his restaurant, Bayless began his career as a professional chef in 1980 as the executive chef at Lopez y Gonzalez in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. In 1987, Bayless and his wife Deann opened Frontera Grill in Chicago, specializing in contemporary regional Mexican cuisine, with special emphasis on the varied cuisines of the Oaxaca region. In 1989, Rick and Deann opened Topolobampo, one of Chicago's first fine-dining Mexican restaurants.^[13] As of 2019, Topolobampo has one Michelin star.^[14]

In 1995, Bayless and his partners started the Frontera Foods line of prepared food products. They sold Frontera Foods to ConAgra Foods in 2016. Bayless remains involved as a product-development advisor to the brand. The Frontera restaurants were not included in the deal.^[15]

Bayless 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. Often his TV shows emphasize the responsible use of foodstuffs with a focus on sustainable farming and cooking.

Bayless consults for restaurants 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. Fluent in Spanish, Bayless favors coastal (seafood) fare and dishes that feature traditional Mexican and pre-Columbian Incan, Mayan, and Aztecan ingredients native to Mexico, like chocolate, peppers, and vanilla bean.

Bayless and his staff began the Frontera Farmer Foundation in 2003.^[16] 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 December 2007, Bayless opened Frontera Fresco restaurant inside Macy's Union Square store in San Francisco.^[17] He later opened Frontera Fresco restaurants inside Macy's State Street store in Chicago, Macy's in nearby Skokie, on the campus of Northwestern University, and in Walt Disney World.^[18] The San Francisco location closed in April 2014,^[19] while the one at Northwestern closed in June 2018 at the end of the school year.^[20]

In 2008, Bayless was widely considered to be a serious contender for the position of White House Executive Chef under the administration of Barack Obama.^[21]

In 2010, after spending significant time at local Mexican dining spots, Bayless made his Los Angeles debut running the kitchen at the Red O.^[22]

Bayless was guest chef for the May 19, 2010 White House state dinner honoring Mexican President Felipe Calderón and his wife Margarita Zavala.^[23][24][25]

Other media appearances

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.

Bayless appeared as a guest judge in episode 3 of Season 4's Top Chef, judging both the quickfire and elimination challenges. He later became 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.

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.^[26][27]