Richard Blais
Encyclopedia
Richard Blais is an American
chef. He currently resides with his wife Jazmin in Atlanta, Georgia, and has two children, Riley Maddox and Embry Lotus. He received an AOS
in culinary art
s from The Culinary Institute of America and has studied under chefs Thomas Keller
, Daniel Boulud
, and Ferran Adria
. Blais has also studied in numerous famed restaurants, including Chez Panisse. He has been profiled in many publications, including Sports Illustrated
, The New York Times
, and Food & Wine Magazine
. His cooking is known for its innovative and personal take on classical cuisine, incorporating global ingredients, modern cooking methods, and a sense of humor. While using modern techniques in his cooking, Blais believes they should only complement good food: "Hopefully, molecular gastronomy
is an extension of great simple ingredients, not a replacement for them."
Beginning in 2001, Mr. Blais opened BLAIS restaurant to critical national acclaim. In 2005, he led One Midtown Kitchen and helped them receive a four-star review in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
. His company TrailBlais is a partner in a modern hamburger restaurant called 'Flip'. Blais is also doing corporate innovation work and product endorsement for companies like Diageo
and Garrett Popcorn.
Blais was the winner of the television cooking competition Top Chef: All-Stars
and the runner-up of the fourth season of Top Chef
.
Blais appeared as a contestant on the fourth season of Bravo's Top Chef
. He went on to become the runner-up of Top Chef losing to Stephanie Izard
.
After the completion of Top Chef Season 4, Blais continued to do work for the show in the form of promotion and blogging. Blais teamed up with fellow season 4 contestant Andrew D'Ambrosi for a cooking demonstration in Union Square
aboard the Top Chef Bus. In addition, Blais blogs on Bravotv.com regarding the show's 5th season
Blais also appeared in the final challenge of the show's fifth season, serving as the sous chef for eventual winner Hosea Rosenberg
.
In August 2009, Blais appeared on Bravo's spin off, Top Chef Masters
, working with eventual winner Rick Bayless
.
Blais appears on an episode of Iron Chef America (Battle Chickpea) with Top Chef: Las Vegas contestant Eli Kirshtein as his sous chef. Along with this, he makes an appearance on the same show as Iron Chef America Cat Cora
's sous chef on Battles Ricotta, Grapes, and Oatmeal.
In 2010, Blais competed in Top Chef: All-Stars
. He won the competition, earning the title of Top Chef by defeating Mike Isabella in the season finale, which aired on March 30, 2011.
In July 2011, Blais had signed a cook book deal with Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House. The book will be published in the fall of 2012.
In November 2011, Richard ran the ING New York City marathon for Alliance for a Healthier Generation. His first marathon, Blais finished the race at 4:31:54 pushing through the last five miles struggling with leg cramping.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
chef. He currently resides with his wife Jazmin in Atlanta, Georgia, and has two children, Riley Maddox and Embry Lotus. He received an AOS
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
in culinary art
Culinary art
Culinary art is the art of preparing and cooking foods. The word "culinary" is defined as something related to, or connected with, cooking. A culinarion is a person working in the culinary arts. A culinarian working in restaurants is commonly known as a cook or a chef. Culinary artists are...
s from The Culinary Institute of America and has studied under chefs Thomas Keller
Thomas Keller
Thomas Keller is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook writer. He and his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, California, have won multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation, notably the Best California Chef in 1996, and the Best Chef in America in 1997...
, Daniel Boulud
Daniel Boulud
Daniel Boulud is a French chef and restaurateur with restaurants in New York City, Palm Beach, Miami, Montreal, Beijing, and Singapore...
, and Ferran Adria
Ferran Adrià
Ferran Adrià i Acosta is a Catalan chef born on May 14, 1962 in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. He was the head chef of the El Bulli restaurant in Roses on the Costa Brava, and is considered one of the best chefs in the world.-Career:...
. Blais has also studied in numerous famed restaurants, including Chez Panisse. He has been profiled in many publications, including Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, and Food & Wine Magazine
Food & Wine Magazine
Food & Wine is a monthly magazine published by American Express Publishing. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and seasonal/holiday content and has been credited by The New York...
. His cooking is known for its innovative and personal take on classical cuisine, incorporating global ingredients, modern cooking methods, and a sense of humor. While using modern techniques in his cooking, Blais believes they should only complement good food: "Hopefully, molecular gastronomy
Molecular gastronomy
Molecular gastronomy is a subdiscipline of food science that seeks to investigate, explain and make practical use of the physical and chemical transformations of ingredients that occur while cooking, as well as the social, artistic and technical components of culinary and gastronomic phenomena in...
is an extension of great simple ingredients, not a replacement for them."
Beginning in 2001, Mr. Blais opened BLAIS restaurant to critical national acclaim. In 2005, he led One Midtown Kitchen and helped them receive a four-star review in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the only major daily newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and its suburbs. The AJC, as it is called, is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the result of the merger between The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta...
. His company TrailBlais is a partner in a modern hamburger restaurant called 'Flip'. Blais is also doing corporate innovation work and product endorsement for companies like Diageo
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
and Garrett Popcorn.
Blais was the winner of the television cooking competition Top Chef: All-Stars
Top Chef (season 8)
Top Chef: All-Stars is the eighth season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in New York City, New York and concluded in The Bahamas. This season consists of chefs from the previous 7 seasons who did not win the Title of Top Chef. The season premiered on December 1,...
and the runner-up of the fourth season of Top Chef
Top Chef
Top Chef is an American reality competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo, in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges. They are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants...
.
Top Chef
Top Chef (season 4)
Top Chef: Chicago is the fourth season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in Chicago, Illinois, and concluded in San Juan, Puerto Rico...
. He went on to become the runner-up of Top Chef losing to Stephanie Izard
Stephanie Izard
Stephanie Izard is an American chef residing in Chicago, Illinois, and was the winner of the fourth season of Top Chef, Bravo's cooking competition show...
.
After the completion of Top Chef Season 4, Blais continued to do work for the show in the form of promotion and blogging. Blais teamed up with fellow season 4 contestant Andrew D'Ambrosi for a cooking demonstration in Union Square
Union Square (New York City)
Union Square is a public square in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York.It is an important and historic intersection, located where Broadway and the former Bowery Road – now Fourth Avenue – came together in the early 19th century; its name celebrates neither the...
aboard the Top Chef Bus. In addition, Blais blogs on Bravotv.com regarding the show's 5th season
Top Chef (season 5)
Top Chef: New York is the fifth season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in New York City, New York, and concluded in New Orleans, Louisiana...
Blais also appeared in the final challenge of the show's fifth season, serving as the sous chef for eventual winner Hosea Rosenberg
Hosea Rosenberg
Hosea Rosenberg is an American chef residing in Boulder, Colorado. He was the winner of the fifth season of Top Chef, Bravo's cooking competition show....
.
In August 2009, Blais appeared on Bravo's spin off, Top Chef Masters
Top Chef Masters
Top Chef Masters is an American reality competition show currently broadcast on the cable television network Bravo. It is a spinoff of Bravo's hit show Top Chef. In the series, 24 world-renowned chefs compete against each other in weekly challenges...
, working with eventual winner Rick Bayless
Rick Bayless
Rick Bayless is an American chef who specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations. He is perhaps best known for his PBS series Mexico: One Plate at a Time....
.
Blais appears on an episode of Iron Chef America (Battle Chickpea) with Top Chef: Las Vegas contestant Eli Kirshtein as his sous chef. Along with this, he makes an appearance on the same show as Iron Chef America Cat Cora
Cat Cora
Catherine "Cat" Cora is a Greek-American professional chef best known for her featured role as an "Iron Chef" on the Food Network television show Iron Chef America.-Early life:...
's sous chef on Battles Ricotta, Grapes, and Oatmeal.
In 2010, Blais competed in Top Chef: All-Stars
Top Chef (season 8)
Top Chef: All-Stars is the eighth season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in New York City, New York and concluded in The Bahamas. This season consists of chefs from the previous 7 seasons who did not win the Title of Top Chef. The season premiered on December 1,...
. He won the competition, earning the title of Top Chef by defeating Mike Isabella in the season finale, which aired on March 30, 2011.
In July 2011, Blais had signed a cook book deal with Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House. The book will be published in the fall of 2012.
In November 2011, Richard ran the ING New York City marathon for Alliance for a Healthier Generation. His first marathon, Blais finished the race at 4:31:54 pushing through the last five miles struggling with leg cramping.
Blais Off
As of December 17, 2010, Blais hosts a new show, Blais Off, on The Science Channel. According to promotional materials, he uses his scientific cooking techniques to reinvent classic foods and "takes his experiments on the road, visiting some of the most popular eateries in America."Restaurants
- Flip burger boutique is described as fine dining between two buns. The restaurant can be found in three locations; two are in AtlantaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and one is in BirminghamBirmingham, AlabamaBirmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
.
- HD-1 aka Haute Doggery is a gourmet hot dog restaurant in the Poncey-Highlands neighborhood of Atlanta
- The Spence is a joint venture with Concentrics Restaurants and is expected to open in AtlantaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
in the fall of 2012.