Upcoming Schedule

Upcoming Schedule for the next month!  Come and say Hi! if you are around any of these events.  

5/29 Baby Riley's 1st Bday!!

6/4  Top Chef Tour, Des Moines, Iowa

6/6  Top Chef Tour, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

6/8-6/10 LA Concept meetings

6/19-6/21  Aspen Food & Wine Festival

6/25  Gettysburg Festival Dinner

6/27  Variety Playhouse Show in Atlanta.  Not just your usual cooking demo... Tickets here!

6/28  Career Builder Event @ SHRM,  NOLA

Upcoming Weekend Schedule

3/6          Dallas                 RCA Conference/ "Applying Molecular Gastronomy to Creative Menu                                                  Development"  11AM

3/7          Charleston        Food & Wine Fest/ Celebrity MC at Certified SC Grown Cooking                                                            Competitions   12pm-530pm

3/8          Charleston        Food & Wine Fest/ Cooking Demo @ SCE&G Celebrity Kitchen Tent

Come and find me if you are around either of these great events!

Superbowl!

The "crew"

Jenna Wolfe from the Today Show

On set

Me, the "bus" and my autographed ball

To the victors go the spoils

Charting the course

Greetings, from Delta flight 2079 to Los Angeles! The last few weeks have seen a return to a hectic travel schedule. I can’t really remember all the cities, or some of the details, but I’ve seen some neat stuff.

Last week I was on the local Atlanta FOX channel, Showtime and the NBC Super Bowl pregame show.

I’ve also filmed some stuff that I can’t discuss much, but will air soon. I shot an episode of Food Detectives with Ted Allen. I participated at NATPE in Las Vegas. My demonstration that day has led to a few opportunities, including reading for a bit as host of a new chef program.

On the cooking front, of course, I’m getting ready for Flip’s expansion. With three cities expected later this year, and up to 9 the following. I just wrapped a dinner at Stevenswood Spa in Mendocino, where chef Patrick Meany is doing some real progressive food. And I’m on my way to meet with two very different groups to discuss a Richard Blais project in Los Angeles.

All of this sounds good and fun. Even typing it is fun and exciting. But, it hit me at some point during this run, that I’m just lucky. And I’m mad about that.

These opportunities just sort of happen. I don’t pursue them. In talking with my wife, I used the analogy that I will share with you now. We don’t know how to fish. We eat plenty of fish. But the reality is that we have a bucket on a boat and every once in awhile a fish jumps in it and dinner is served.

For the most part, we don’t even choose what fish to eat. We don’t get a menu. And the anger sets in when I realize that there are certain fish that I really WANT to eat. But instead of charting a course to find bluefin tuna, we happily nosh on buckets of flounder and smelt. Maybe an occasional cod or striped bass… you kind of get where I’m going, I hope.

Man, some super, high-grade, bluefin sashimi sounds great, doesn’t it?

So here is, a very personal description of that tuna that I seek…

it’s a home in the Bay Area. And don’t read into that so much, people can have multiple homes.

it’s a restaurant concept that incorporates super creative food with the casualness and comfort of your favorite neighborhood spot. And of course I’d like to see that concept happen in San Fran, NYC, LA, or maybe even London.

it’s figuring out what this book is about. Truth be told there are a few people who want to do a book with me and I’m just frozen at the keyboard. I’m never frozen at the keyboard.

it’s a television show that promotes creative cooking to the masses.

it’s having FLIP become an iconic brand.

it’s having Trail Blais develop giant ideas for the way we eat today and finding the connections to make those ideas happen.

it’s a really big fish…

I know.

Secret Agent Man

So, I’m back on tour, so to speak, over the next few months. Flip is getting on its feet and busier every day. We also received a stellar review. So, the next few months will see me balancing the oversight of a popular new restaurant in Atlanta, securing new investment for future Flips, and demonstrating, filming, teaching, and brainstorming.

I have to say that I never thought Trail Blais would have so many active areas of interest…particularly in the fields of entertainment and ideation.

Although, I can’t speak in specifics yet, I’m fascinated that my work has been able to create and improve products for companies ranging from beverage importers to (possibly) even our government. It’s an exciting new world. One with a long leash from the stove. But a leash none-the-less.

At the Pennsylvania farm show this weekend, someone asked if I was happy that I don’t cook anymore? This was as I was cooking for them? But I understand the question and the perspective. People have a difficult time viewing a chef as anything but someone who relentlessly toils in a small, closed kitchen.

Some, including my chef at FLIP, like to poke fun at how exhausted I am when I return from my trips. The poor ol’ chef, exhausted from cooking on a stage in NYC for a few days. I get it. I’m still a hard core restaurant chef who understands that culture. But I’m now the darkside. A few lucky turns away from having my own television show, my own creative restaurant, and many burger boutiques.

Schedule

Jan. 6-7      NYC        Filming for Food Detective w/ Ted Allen

Jan. 8         ATL        Watching the Mighty Gators beat up (CH)Oklahoma

Jan. 9-11     PA          Harrisburg (more specifically) Pennsylvania Farm Show

Jan. 13-17                  Undisclosed location for reasons I can't say....yet!

Jan. 27-29 Vegas     NAPTE Convention

Jan. 30-      TPA       Taste of the NFL events w/ Tom, Antonia, Andrew and Spike
Feb 2.

Feb 6-8      CA          Dinner retreat at Stevenswood Ranch in Mendocino, CA. 

So that's the schedule for the next month or so.  For all the time between, I will be splitting time between my family and Flip.  

Happy New Year and here's to a great 2009

I smell like a hamburger

I have officially been disciplined to head immediately to the shower when I arrive home from FLIP every night. I smell like hamburgers. Although Rudy the Dog, (she likes to be formally addressed as such) doesn’t seem to mind as much as my wife.

FLIP is now open, just about a week now. We went from first to 4th gear right away, and for our first weekend cooked for over 1200 people. Of course this is good news. And for those of you who know anything about opening a new restaurant, it means total chaos behind the scenes.

We actually have one kitchen member designated to solely prepare sweet potato tots, which has turned out to be a process, to say the least.

I will be at FLIP every day this week. So please stop by, grab a milkshake or a cocktail, and say hello at my personally designed “burger bar”. Here, you can sit upfront with me and chef Mark Nanna. Please come with an open mind for colorful language !

rB

Busy, busy, busy

Wow!  Been going non-stop since Thanksgiving.  Flip opened to about 200 people last night for a cocktail party.  Today is our first official day serving dinner.  I'll post a new schedule soon.  Come by Flip if you are in town!

Sick & tired

This was the most grueling week and a half since I’ve been traveling. I started the time in Kingston, Jamaica doing 8 demonstrations in 4 days for Red Stripe beer. I flew from there to Atlanta, picked up my family, and headed straight to San Diego for their Food & Wine Fest. Then back to Atlanta to drop off the family, and a turn around to San Francisco where I met with Tyler Florence about a possible collaboration out there. I, officially, got sick on that trip. Right back to Atlanta for a few hours, and then to New York for a Top Chef Beard dinner.

I’m literally sick and tired.

The Beard dinner was killer.

CJ kicked it off with some canapes. Antonia Lofaso followed with a lobster ravioli. Lee Anne Wong did a goat cheese and truffle salad, Hung did a cod dish, Stephanie Izard came next with a duo of pork belly and duck. Dale Levitski put out a venison dish and I attempted a dessert of parsley root and Dr. Pepper.

Really well done. Not a lot of ego and an overall great time.

It’s time to reflect and prepare for the New Year.

The next few weeks will see me focus on Flip and the family. But I’m looking to bear down in 09 and get a few serious cuisine projects going. News to come!

The other side of Green

I’m totally stealing this blog title from a short film by my new friend Lisa Camille Robinson just gave me to view on my return trip from Jamaica. I’ll let you find it if you can, but it was the perfect reminder that happiness is usually a lot closer than you think. And that often the things we chase as symbols of happiness create problems that are hard to anticipate.

So thanks for reminding me that things are pretty good Lisa.

I’m traveling the country. Soon the world perhaps, growing a family, and doing what I love. Cooking, and OK, eating. I have people who love me around. And with dramatic ups and downs of this swaying branch of a career, I have a stout, strong foundation at it’s trunk.

So I’ve done a James Beard dinner in Philadelphia, and some work in Jamaica since we left off. And I’m heading to San Diego, San Francisco, and New York City all in the next 7 days.

Why ?

This is a question some people ask. So I’ll give it a shot.

As a working chef for the last 13 years, I’ve dreamt about some of the things I’m experiencing now. I get calls almost daily to do demonstrations, cook guest dinners, make appearances, help charities, lecture, provide culinary entertainment, help develop products, and speak.

I’m talking with investors, some who seem to share my vision. I’m meeting with restauranteurs who want me to design concepts. I’m pitching and working on making a few television shows happen.

All of this is very exciting. All of this is, at times, frustrating and like tonight, exhausting.

Honestly, some of it is to put bread on the table. But most of it is to learn, experience and grow as a chef/individual/business.

I’m sure there are a ton of chefs who have or are ready to call me a "sell-out" for working with big corporations, pursuing more TV and the like. I'll admit, a few years ago I may have been one of them.

But I can tell you, as with most things, cooking on the road and talking while doing it, presenting an idea or vision, and making it happen with the normalcy of things always going wrong, and constantly being in the public eye is, well, as tough as running a restaurant. Or writing a sentence thats not a run-on ( wink ).

I’ve traded in the challenges of cooking in 30 minutes, for those of sourcing liquid nitrogen in a country that has difficulty sourcing hot water. I’ve traded the bottom line driven restauranteur, for the bottom line driven event planner, and I’ve traded the chopping block for a room filled with not Padma and Tom, but network executives.

The grass is always greener...

rB

Closer and closer and closer

The anticipation is killing me! As we get closer to Flip's opening, I will be releasing a few previews of my favorite menu items. We are shooting for opening the week before Thanksgiving. Let me know what you think.....


BEEF BURGERS

CORNED BEEF + CABBBAGE + POACHED EGG                     7

SMOKED BEEF + COLE SLAW + RBQ SAUCE                         7

PHILLY + CHEESE WHIZ FOAM + GREEN PEPPERS           7

BEEF TARTARE + CAPERS + AIOLI + CORNICHONS           11



OTHER BURGERS


TURKEY + MUSHROOM + POBLANO + AVOCADO PEPPER JACK           6

FAUX BURGER + FARM HOUSE CHEESE + SWEET SOY KETCHUP        7




FLIP SIDES           4

SWEET POTATO TOTS

FRENCH FRIES

TEMPURA RUTABAGA

VODKA BATTERED ONION RINGS

Close Encounters

I don’t think I’ve ever read about what happens to people after they appear on a major reality show. And I’m not quite sure if anyone really cares, but...

Recently, I entered the next phase of my post Top Chef existence.

There are still people who yell out “Top Chef”. There are encounters that start with, “Hey Richard”. There are frequently times people shout out “ you should have won”, or “ banana scallops”. There are, believe it or not, some who yell “ I love you”. For the record these tend to be slightly bearded and more than slightly overweight men. However now I get a lot more puzzled looks, and mostly this:

“Where do I know you from?”

If I was single and better looking, I’d think this was a sure pick up line, no ?

I do like this, as it’s presents an interesting engagement. Here are my personal rules for my behavior in such situations:

I’m not going to say that you know me from Top Chef or Iron chef or TV. It’s not going to happen. It’s a bad recipe. The first time I did this, the gentleman said, "no, I thought you were Craig Wilson from softball". So, I affectionately call this the Craig Wilson rule. You have to guess. I’m not going to be that douche bag that says, Oh, you probably know me from this television show, so you can then say that you thought we went to elementary school together. BTW, softball ?

I will say that I’m a chef. That's my only hint and of course I’ll introduce myself if it gets to that point. After that, you're on your own. There have been a few times that this triggers their memory a few yards after we disengage. Then, the inevitable shout across the airport is (my favorite), “oh yeah, Americas next Top Chef”. It is amusing.

I also will play for a bit if it seems we may actually know each other from some other encounter, you never know. So, there have been times where I’ve said, yes, I have been to Florida, I did live in New York, I did play little league baseball or no, I haven’t been on That Seventies Show. Yeah...that last one really threw me too!

And of course there are moments where people don’t say anything. That is how I would play it. In fact, that is how I have played it! I once followed Al Horford, one of my favorite basketball players for a few hundred yards not getting the nerve to say hello. For all of my friends, that's how I “know” Al Horford. I’d like to think that because Al Horford could palm my skull, that had to do with not pulling the trigger, nope. I did the same thing to Alton Brown once. Of course now I know Alton enough to walk up and say hello, so please don’t tell him that I stalked him at LaGuardia once.



BTW... If you are in NYC, I will be at Grand Central tomorrow from 12-2 for a charity event Bravo is hosting. Come say hello...

Updated Schedule

10/22 Washington DC
10/24 NYC, Top Chef tour at Union Square
10/25 NYC, Top Chef tour at Union Square
10/27 NYC, a Bravo event for charity
10/31 Atlanta, Veuve Cliquot's Yelloween
11/6 Philadedlphia, Tangerine Restaurant for James Beard Foundation dinner
11/7 Hyde Park, CIA
11/8 Hyde Park, CIA
11/9-11/12 Kingston, Jamaica, Red Stripe
11/14-11/15 San Diego, Wine & Food Fest
11/19-11/21 NYC, details to follow
12/6 Perry, GA, iVillage prize dinner

We need a DJ!

Just wrapped 2 events over the last 3 days. Taste of Atlanta and a demonstration for RCA (Research Chefs Association).

Taste of Atlanta was very impressive. I’ve been doing a lot of these types of food festivals lately and this one was very organized. A tip of the ol' dodgers cap to the people behind it... Good enough that I’d like to book for next year, wink, wink.

What came from the event, however, was what made it worth the time.

We need a DJ !

Not, literally, but I got to see G. Garvin go on stage after me, and he had the crowd amped with hip-hop mash ups and the sort. I think he even had a warm-up act!

Now for the record, I had no idea who G. Garvin was and I still don’t, but his show really inspired me.

If we are going to do demonstrations as regularly as we have; then we need to really think about the “show” not from just an informative stand point but as entertainment.

I’ll be turning this in the think tank for a few, and I’m sure we will figure out some neat ways to deliver better entertainment bang for the buck. If anyone wants to put together some intro music... hit me up!

Lot’s of fans at TOA, here are a few crazy groupies. Luckily, my wife was in the audience, as these girls were, well, all over me...

Two days later we trekked down I-75 and did an event at the Cryovac facility. We demonstrated some creative cooking techniques, mostly sous vide cooking.

Overall, a good show. A different crowd for sure, one that made for some great discussion , and intense ideating. I just like that word. Is it a word?

Catering. There’s a word I hate. Not the application, just the imagery of the word. Is there a better one ?

It is a strange juxtaposition. Many of these events and shows feature my demonstration and then catered food. For the large scale, this is neccessary. BUT....

I like "cocktail cuisine", passed food, and events. There’s something igniting here, even though it sounds common.

In other random news.

The dodgers suck, really blew it last night. neatest contact of the RCA night, and I say this with all due respect to all who I met. Meeting the wife of the guy who owns Distant Replays in Atlanta. The vintage sports clothing store.

Lenny Dykstra, away jersey, Mets, size 42 , I’m just sayin...

And I hope I’m not embarassing myself with my Housewives blog, just trying to keep it real! Check it out here.

Dinner @ Shaun's

On Wednesday, Trail Blais participated in Shauns 2 year anniversary dinner. We rolled massive once again and brought 5 TB team members.

We did 2 courses.

hamachi with fried chicken feet and smoked mayonnaise ravioli ( my personal ode to both chicken of the sea and the chik-fil-A sandwich)

and

grilled cod with fried clams and apple cider.

it was a night of controlled chaos. Shaun Doty is one of my favorite chefs in Atlanta, and Shaun’s is one of my favorite restaurants.

The whole day made me so hungry for getting a chance to do our food in Atlanta. I am admittedly very jealous of what Shaun has there, in a good way.

I also was reminded again of how a chef needs to be in the kitchen.

In a very complimentary way, Shaun is a mean ol' dog in his kitchen.

Damn, I miss it, and it’s only been a few weeks.

Check us out today on WXIA for a quick promo piece for Taste of Atlanta. And of course catch us Sunday at noon on the main cooking stage in Atlantic Station.

30,000 feet and climbing

I’m on a plane heading to LA. In the spirit of full disclosure, something I hope rings through in this blog,
I’m on my way to speak to a company about running a new restaurant. I guess it’s not really full disclosure, as I am not going to mention the names behind it, but you get the point.

This is my 4th trip to LA for such a purpose. I find this interesting, in that it seems to be a hot city in the culinary market presently. I’m fielding offers and opportunities from other places as well, but LA seems to be calling much more frequently. We will see how it goes...

Last night I dreamed about FLIP, my new burger project opening in Atlanta in a few weeks.
It seems odd, not dreaming about hamburgers, although that is odd perhaps, but odd that this is in essence my simplest culinary endeavor, but the one I am most concerned and serious about.

It symbolizes a few career obstacles.

1. Overcoming the theory of a concept restaurant. It is, it’s a burger place. But I need to drive it with a chef's passion. It will be the only way to truly separate itself in the burger market. I’ve been to too many burger spots in preparing for FLIP, and none, even the ones with real chefs behind them, deliver a "chef driven" experience. Some are just "phoning it in."

2. Excelling in business operations. This thing needs to be tight, when you are talking about 200 units in the future, it must be tight. My staff has no idea how this opening could impact their lives. I do.

3. Not caring about critics ( and I use this title loosely). For as many people who are extremely excited about the opening of FLIP, there are a very small, passionate group of haters who also can’t wait. I’ll be ready for you.

So we are in the stretch run for FLIP, and I’m looking forward to being in that kitchen and experiencing what I think will be a very busy opening. Look for a creative and fun menu, at a low price point, with a modern design.

Also, please reserve a seat or two for my guest appearance cooking two courses at Shaun’s in Inman Park next Wednesday. Shaun Doty has long been a chef I have respected in Atlanta and I’m honored that he asked me to participate in his anniversary dinner.

Busy-ness

So this week has been an absolute crush. I’ve been in three cities. I’ve been in a car, a train, a plane, and a boat. 7 demonstrations in 7 days. I am exhausted as I type this.

The week started in Tampa, where we were met by a serious group of fans. Most notably, a young culinary student, Kassandra, who was so eager to learn, that she came over to Orlando later in the week to help with our demo at Universal City Walk.

So, after spending some much appreciated family time in TB, ( it was Riley’s first plane trip), I headed over to Orlando for a few more classes. I stayed at Portofino, a hotel at Universal that was modeled after an italian port city. That was neat, until I facebooked, "in Italy", and felt bad as many of my friends were all excited for me. Not that Italy...

Ate at a few restaurants while in Florida.

Sideberns, Tampa. Really progressive menu and got a neat tour from Asbel.

restauarntBT, Tampa. Great Asian / French food. Riley's first fine dining experience, very cool

Emerils, Orlando. On the ol' corporate dollar, I ordered the biggest steak they had. Someone please buy new plates at Emerils. When china has so many scratches, that it looks grey, it’s time to reinvest...

Highlight of Orlando, having a small arsenal of stages to help. We are starting to roll deep!

Than, in a slight mix-up, I needed to drive back from Orlando to Tampa at night, and catch a 530 AM flight to 

Atlanta to shoot an episode of Movie and a Makeover.

It is set to air the day after Thanksgiving. The holiday themed affair was awesome. I really enjoyed playing within the theme and want you to check it out if you can on that Friday.

And scripted television... a very good experience for me. It’s a different game and it’s the balancing of improv that makes it great. This was an awesome run for me and I’m hoping Turner, a local giant, invites me to do a bit more work. I was feeling it.

And without break, I was at it again for two separate days of shows in Atlanta, the last at Piedmont Park, where I received a much warmer welcome than I anticipated.

I did have to skip a dinner at Restaurant Eugene where I was supposed to meet the Real Housewives of Atlanta.  I will be blogging the show so it would have been interesting to meet them off camera. 

Tomorrow, finishing the week, I am at the Atlanta Home show at Cobb Galleria, before getting on a plane to LA for some private functions.

A Mighty Quest

Recently, I had a young student tell me he wanted to be a molecular gastronomist. Now the problem was he was in culinary school and not Georgia Tech.

It’s tough to really express myself about this subject. I certainly get put in the molecular camp, and it’s true to a certain degree, but we now are exporting class after class of young chefs who may not understand that making hollandaise IS molecular gastronomy. Furthermore, that the science they are so eager to study is already being taught to them, and in the worst case, is being dismissed as traditional, boring, and well, not cool.

When I was a much younger cook, I just wanted to be French!

And in trying to be so, I stumbled upon things like chlorophyll, produced from juiced spinach. It’s these things, like the discovery of process during cooking that define what most so called “molecular gastronomists” are actually doing.

We’re being observant and curious cooks, in a pursuit of flavor...


Upcoming appearances

Aug 31st @ McCrady’s with chef Sean Brock, Charleston, SC

Sept 11-13 @ Museum of Science and Histroy, Jacksonville, FLA

Sept 14 @ Star Chefs Conference, NYC, NY

Sept 15 @ New York City, NY, Astor Center

Sept 20 @ Tampa, FLA, site TBD, Top Chef Tour

Sept 24 @ Orlando, FLA, Universal Studios. Top Chef Tour

Sept 27 @ Atlanta, GA, Top Chef Tour, site TBD

Sept 28 @ Atlanta, GA, Gwinett Center, Atlanta Home Show

Sept 29 @ Atlanta, GA, Top Chef Tour, site TBD

Sept 30 @ Los Angeles, CA, site TBD

Oct 1 @ Los Angeles, CA, site TBD