Richard Blais is a successful chef, restaurateur, James Beard nominated cookbook author and television personality. Blais currently co-stars alongside Gordon Ramsay on FOX’s hit cooking competition, Next Level Chef, and is widely recognized as the first winner of Bravo’s Top Chef All-Stars. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and trained at The French Laundry, Daniel, Chez Panisse, and el Bulli. Blais opened Ember & Rye at the newly renovated Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, California as well as Four Flamingos at Orlando, Florida’s Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress and Four Flamingos Key West.  Additionally, he serves as Culinary Director at the San Diego Symphony performance space, The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. His most recent project, California English, is Blais’ interpretation of the UK’s greatest culinary hits, through the lens of California’s produce and people. 

Blais currently owns and operates Trail Blais, a forward-thinking culinary consulting company that has consulted on, designed, and operated popular eateries across the country. Trail Blais also advises national brands on menu creativity, ideation and employee training sessions. He is the James Beard Award-nominated author of Try This at Home: Recipes from My Head to Your Plate, as well as his second cookbook, So Good. In addition, Blais hosts, “Food Court,” a high-energy, game-show-style podcast, which is climbing the charts in both comedy and culinary. 

When not on set, in the kitchen or at home with his family, Blais may be found traveling cross country performing his live “stand up cooking” show to enthusiastic audiences nationwide.