Richard Blais is a successful chef, restaurateur, James Beard nominated cookbook author and television personality. Widely recognized from Bravo’s Top Chef series, Richard was the winner of the Top Chef All-Stars Season. He currently co-hosts FOX’s hit culinary program, Next Level Chef.
Mr. Blais graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and trained at The French Laundry, Daniel, Chez Panisse, and el Bulli. He currently runs Trail Blais, a forward-thinking culinary consulting company that has consulted on, designed, and operated popular eateries across the country. Most recently, he’s opened Ember & Rye at the newly renovated Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, California, Four Flamingos at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida and California English in Sorrento Mesa, California. He also serves as the Culinary Director of VIP Dining for the San Diego Symphony performance space, The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park.
Blais advises numerous national brands on recipe development, creativity, ideation and team building. He is the James Beard Award-nominated author of Try This at Home: Recipes from My Head to Your Plate, So Good and a third book, Plant Forward, co-authored with his wife, Jazmin, due out in the Fall of 2023.
When not on set, in the kitchen or at home with his family, Blais may be found traveling across the country performing his live brand of “stand up cooking” to enthusiastic audiences nationwide.
