Photo by: Jerod Harris/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images.
Richard Blais wears many hats. The chef, author, TV personality, and restaurant owner is most famous for winning Bravo’s Top Chef All-Stars, but he also owns several restaurants and was nominated for a James Beard Award for his book, Try This at Home.
Like many famous chefs, Blais attended the Culinary Institute of America before working at some of the most famous restaurants in the world with many of the most influential chefs alive, including Thomas Keller at The French Laundry, Daniel Boulud at Daniel’s, Alice Waters at Chez Panisse and Ferran Adrià at el Bulli.
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After leaving el Bulli, Blaise moved to Atlanta to help with a local restaurant before opening Trail Blais, Inc. a company whose purpose is to consult, design and operate restaurants in the Atlanta area, including several Flip Burger Boutiques.
In 2014, he opened Juniper & Ivy in San Diego. This was followed by The Crack Shack in the winter of 2015. On top of his professional culinary accomplishments, Blais is a regular host and judge on the Food Network as well as on Bravo’s Top Chef.
He was generous enough to answer a few questions about his job at McDonald’s, Top Chef and what exactly Crack Shack is.
Crave: How did you get started in the world of culinary arts?
Richard Blais: Not sure if you’ve heard of it before, but it’s this little thing called McDonalds. I was the poissonnier there — prestigious for a fourteen year old. I really liked the camaraderie and teamwork involved in the kitchen and soon developed an interest in the art and craft of cooking.
Did you always know you wanted to be a chef?
No. I began working at McDonalds as a way of staying busy but ultimately it was the beginning of my culinary career. I moved on from McDonalds and began to work in places where more cooking was being done and so my interest level also grew and soon enough I was watching every cooking show on TV going as far as to record the shows I would be missing while at work.
How did winning Top Chef change your life/career?
Well, I am going to have a short cameo in an upcoming feature film….
How does it feel to judge Top Chef after competing on the show?
I love it. I don’t want to stand on the other side of the firing squad. I’d like to think I have a distinct advantage as I can empathize with the contestants while giving constructive criticism.
Tell me a little bit about Crack Shack. It has a fairly unique name.
The Crack Shack is an all-day chicken and egg restaurant. It offers a playful approach to the traditional chicken and eggs and we source both produce and proteins from boutique local farms. After being tired of seeing commercially raised caged chicken chocked full of antibiotics and rubbery eggs at fast casual restaurants, we embarked on setting a new standard in the industry.
Tell me a little bit about your book Try this at Home.
As my first cookbook, I really wanted my personality to come through. With a sense of humor, a touch of crazy gadgets and futuristic techniques (my specialty), you can make everything from pancakes to dry ice cream. Something you’ll find with my recipes, even though some may be your typical dishes like spaghetti and meatballs, is that I can guarantee each one has an element that elevates the dish and takes it to the next level.
What’s on the horizon for you?
I’ve got a lot in the works right now – continually growing and expanding in all aspects. More restaurants, books and TV.
