Perhaps most recognizable as the winner of Bravo's Top Chef All-Stars, Richard Blais is a successful chef, restaurateur, James Beard Award-nominated cookbook author and television personality. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he went on to train at some of the world's most esteemed restaurants, including The French Laundry, Daniel, Chez Panisse, and el Bulli.
After a stage at El Bulli, Blais relocated to Atlanta to oversee a local seafood concept, and his creative approach to cooking and cuisine led to the establishment of Trail Blais, Inc. a forward-thinking culinary company that has consulted on, designed, and operated some of Atlanta's most popular eateries including multiple locations of Flip Burger Boutique. In early 2014, Blais opened Juniper & Ivy in San Diego, his first West Coast restaurant where he offers a refined approach to American cuisine and showcases the seasonal and local ingredients of the area. His second California venture, The Crack Shack, will open in Winter 2015 and feature casual "chicken and egg" inspired fare.
Blais' debut cookbook, Try This at Home: Recipes from My Head to Your Plate (release date: February 2013) reveals a simplified approach to adventurous cooking by sharing new flavor combinations and textures to reinvent home cooks' classic dishes. Try This at Home was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award 2014 in the "Cookbook: General Cooking" category.
Blais regularly appears as a host and judge on Food Network, most recently featured as the host of the network's Halloween Baking Championship. He also serves as a regular judge on Bravo's Top Chef, and has appeared on TODAY Show, Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, The Chew, The Talk, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, as well as in numerous publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, People, InStyle and more.
