Today we’d like to introduce you to Bobby Hicks.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started Retro Recipes Kitchen in the early months of 2021, shortly after moving from Brooklyn, NY to South Florida. I had been working as a content creator for years prior, but hadn’t tapped into the online food space yet. My love of cooking had always been there from a sense of curiosity, but was fostered with the help of my mentor, Chef Paul Gerard, and cookbooks.
I had a strength in video production and a love for mid-century vintage and one day, during the lockdown in NYC, I had the idea to make a sketch video where I cooked a dish to mimic the vibe and essence of some of the kitschy 1950s instructional cooking videos that I’d seen online. But after making the first video, I knew that this was something special for me and something I enjoyed doing.
Fast forward years later, I’ve made hundreds of highly produced videos, focused around mid-century American dishes, amassed nearly 500 vintage cookbooks, and even had the opportunity to compete on a National level on the most recent season of Gordon Ramsay’s Next Level Chef, on Fox/Hulu. My years of reading, studying and memorizing recipes allowed me to pivot and adapt quickly on the show, where I ultimately made it to the Semi-Finals.
Since my return from filming, I have continued my social media presence, but have also started working as a private chef for families in Palm Beach, while hosting ticketed pop-up dinners with other contestants from the show.
I have some big things coming in the next year, but cannot wait to continue to compete, cook and work toward doing more television, hosting and writing.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think people that have a smooth road at anything they do rarely find themselves being interviewed. Mistakes are made, economic hardships happen and through these adversities we become stronger, better and more relaxed in real trouble.
Making enough money to support myself and another person hasn’t always been easy, especially when I was living in Brooklyn. There was always enough money coming in to pay bills and live a modest lifestyle, but I never felt like I could relax. After 15 years in NYC, I moved to Florida and have found the lifestyle and pace to be much better, while making good money cooking for people.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in making mid-century American dishes from vintage cookbooks. My love for food and history have always clinked together and having the ability to visually recreate these dishes for folks to watch might seem silly, but it brings joy to hundreds of thousands of people on a regular basis.
I’m incredibly proud of the organic audience that I’ve built over the years, and make a special effort to try to communicate with everyone, showing that they are also seen and appreciated. I think that’s a unique thing, these days, when social media doesn’t feel especially social.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
If anyone would like to learn more about private dinners, pop-up dinners or upcoming events, they can follow my accounts on nearly all platforms @RetroRecipesKitchen.
And stay tuned for some exciting news at the beginning of 2026.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/retrorecipeskitchen
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/retrorecipeskitchen
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@retrorecipeskitchen
- Other: https://substack.com/@lastbite
Image Credits
Photos are taken by me or Keiko Lynn (@KeikoLynn)
