Best known for his part on Bravo’s “Top Chef: Chicago,” Chef Richard Blais certainly has a full plate when it comes to cooking. Having graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., Blais worked in Atlanta’s Fishbone, One Midtown Kitchen and BLAIS, as well as acted as a creative consultant for restaurants such as Piebar, Bazzaar, Element Gastro Lounge and Elevation, before recently collaborating with Here To Serve Restaurants’ Tom Catherall on Home . He chats with Metromix about becoming a chef, being on TV and his newest endeavor.
Why did you decide to become a chef?
I enjoy the camaraderie of a kitchen. I started working in kitchens at a very young age. My first job was at McDonald's. I enjoyed the camaraderie of being on a team, playing sports; but I wasn’t good at sports, and the kitchen had that camaraderie. It was an environment I wanted to be in. It didn’t feel like work. [The kitchen] had that team spirit.
Where do you get your inspiration in the kitchen?
It comes from everywhere—mostly outside of kitchen. I can be inspired by going to baseball game, eating a hotdog, or walking through Home Depot and looking at electrical tools that are unrelated [to cooking]. In the kitchen, it’s about looking at ingredients. At Home , we’re getting everything from local farmers. They’re coming with 10-pound cabbages. You don’t see that in Publix or Kroger. You have to constantly be aware of the things that are around you. It’s all about opening your eyes.
You’ve worked in restaurants with a variety of genres of food. What is your favorite?
At this point, my favorite is what I do every day – being creative, respectful of whatever region you happen to be cooking in. Here at Home we do Southern-inspired food; we live in Atlanta. I like being creative, open-minded, modern, trying new things and being respectful of traditions and classics. I love neo-classic food.
I read that you’re a creative consultant for many restaurant projects. What does that mean?
It’s a fancy name with no true definition. I consult on restaurants and restaurant openings. I’m working with a place called Flip, opening on Howell Mill. It’s a modern hamburger restaurant. I come in and design the restaurant and the menu, hire staff, consult on food and put a team in place, and then the restaurant opens. It’s like having a baby and giving it away a few weeks afterward. It’s using the things I’m good at to get to the right place.
What should we expect from Home?
Simple, beautiful food. To me, comfort food means food you want to eat every day. A spin on classics.
How do your style and Tom Catherall’s mix?
Surprisingly well. A lot of people have been shocked by it. We had different understandings of each other before the project. He has been nothing but amazingly supportive of what I want to do. He really understands the kitchen, and I appreciate the support that he gives. He’s mentioned that I remind him of a young version of him. Maybe just because I look British.
How is Home different from your other endeavors?
It’s a little more understated than the last four or five projects. We’re still doing the creative food thing, just not screaming about it. We’re under-promising, I hope, and over-delivering. We want to cook food that everyone wants to eat. It’s a little bit more mature then the last few things that I’ve done.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
Meeting everyone’s expectations. You’re trying to make everyone happy, and it’s near impossible to do. Can I make the people who are super into creativity happy? Can I make Buckhead residents—the older, well-heeled, established clientele—happy? Can you make the critics happy? Can you go on TV and make three million people a week happy? We cook because we want to make you happy. It’s instant gratification. The bigger you are, the more you grow, the more projects you take on, the harder it is.
How are you enjoying your experience on Top Chef?
It’s been amazing. I’ve enjoyed it. I did not know much about the show going into it. You’re touching people’s lives. I didn’t realize it would be that deep and it is.
Do you think it has or will change or influence your cooking at all? If so, how?
It made me realize I’m not just cooking for Atlanta. I’m cooking for the nation. I’m exposing myself to more people. I’m getting e-mails from Berlin and France. I have to make everyone happy. It makes me a bit more generous.
Do you cook dinner for your family every night? What do you make?
Not every night because I’m here, but we cook at home every once in a while: simple stuff like grilled cheese and egg salad. You’d be surprised to find what’s in chefs’ fridges. We just work so much. Most of our eating happens here [at the restaurant].
What trends do you see in the Atlanta culinary scene right now?
There’s an emphasis on farm-to-table. We have farmers that roll up with two lambs and a basket of eggs–that’s how we shop. The trend is really understanding that the food will taste better if it’s local. That should be every restaurant. You have to do more than that. I hope I bring more to the table – a personal touch or a splash of inspiration.
