Richard Blais Added to Flavor! Napa Valley™

NAPA, Calif., Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Flavor! Napa Valley™ welcomes Richard Blais, Bravo's "Top Chef All-Stars" 2011 winner, to its stellar line-up of culinary stars, further elevating the diverse culinary experience at the inaugural festival, being held November 17-20, 2011 in the Napa Valley. Blais will fuse modern cooking techniques with his classical training for a unique take on California cuisine in his own inimitable fashion at the "California Cuisine: Reinterpreted" demonstration on Saturday, November 19, from 2:30pm to 3:30pm at the Culinary Institute at Greystone, St. Helena, CA. Pricing for the event is $95.00 per person.  

A graduate of the event's beneficiary, The Culinary Institute of America, Blais also studied under renowned Napa Valley chef Thomas Keller. Blais has been featured in both FOOD & WINE magazine and on Discovery Science, an indication of his wildly creative and innovative cooking style. In addition to three popular outposts of Flip Burger Boutique and the recently opened Haute Doggery, Blais will be opening The Spence in Atlanta this winter. He is also in the process of writing his first cookbook, which will be published by Clarkson Potter in fall 2012.

Flavor! Napa Valley™ is scheduled for November 17-20, 2011. Individual event tickets range from $75 to $250, with most events at the $95 level. A special "Napa Valley Lover" ticket package is also available at $475, which includes entry into many of the events during the four-day festival.  Special Flavor! Napa Valley™ lodging offers are also available.

For more information on tickets, along with the complete Flavor! Napa Valley™ event schedule, including information on extending your stay in order to experience all that the Legendary Napa Valley has to offer, please visit www.flavornapavalley.com, Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FlavorNapaValley, and follow @FlavorNV on Twitter.

About Flavor! Napa Valley™

The 2011 inaugural four-day Flavor! Napa Valley™ celebration of wine, food & fun is an annual event that features world-class Napa Valley wines alongside regional chefs and/or graduates of The Culinary Institute of America's culinary education programs. Net proceeds from the event support programs and scholarships at The Culinary Institute of America's Greystone Campus in St. Helena. The event is hosted by founding sponsors Silverado Resort and Spa and Dolce Hotels and Resorts in partnership with the Napa Valley Destination Council, The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, and the Napa Valley Vintners, and is produced by Karlitz & Company. For more information on visiting the Napa Valley, please go to www.legendarynapavalley.com.

About Richard Blais

Perhaps most recognizable as the recent winner of Bravo's Top Chef "All-Stars," Richard Blais has played an influential role in hospitality for the last 15 years. He began his career, as so many young aspiring chefs do, as the "poissonier" at McDonald's. It was here where he first dabbled in deconstruction in cuisine, serving the "filet-o-fish" sandwiches sans top bun. His developing passion for food and the service industry led Blais to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. As an ambitious student, he spent time between semesters studying at the French Laundry in Yountville, CA under renowned chef Thomas Keller and alongside then rising-stars Grant Achatz and Eric Ziebold. Upon graduating from the CIA in 1998, Blais ventured to New York for the opportunity to work with Chef Daniel Boulud at his famous flagship, Restaurant Daniel. He followed his professional compass to Roses, Spain and completed a brief stage at El Bulli with culinary wizard Ferran Adria. In 2000, Blais relocated to Atlanta to oversee a local seafood concept and ultimately opened the eponymous BLAIS Restaurant to both local and national critical acclaim. His wildly creative approach to cooking and cuisine led to the establishment of Trail Blais, a forward-thinking culinary company that has consulted on, designed, and operated some of Atlanta's most popular eateries including multiple outposts of Flip Burger Boutique and the recently announced Haute Doggery. He will also be opening The Spence in Midtown Atlanta, slated for Winter 2011. Blais has appeared on Food Network, Discovery Science and CNN and in numerous publications including The New York Times, InStyle and Food & Wine magazine.

SOURCE Flavor! Napa Valley™