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The author of two cookbooks, he just signed a deal for two more books, one of which he will co-author with his wife. He and wife Jazmin, who has a background in restaurant management, own Trail Blais, a culinary consulting company that designs and operates restaurants and advises national brands on menus, employee training, and more.

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He later partnered with Rosen and executive chef Jon Sloan on The Crack Shack, casual chicken-and-egg eateries with locations in Downtown San Diego, Encinitas, and Las Vegas, and more in the works (Blais is now involved as an investor). “We are always standing on the shoulders of other chefs, whether it’s Thomas Keller, Alice Waters, or Wolfgang Puck.” Richard Blais of Ember & Rye at Park Hyatt Aviara Golf ClubĪ native New Yorker, Blais opened a restaurant in Atlanta before heading to San Diego, where he launched Juniper & Ivy with owner Michael Rosen. “It meant a lot to see that,” says Blais. Recently, The French Laundry’s renowned chef Thomas Keller gave Blais a shoutout on Keller’s Instagram page when Ember & Rye opened. It was an inauspicious beginning for the chef, who later graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and trained in such prestigious kitchens as The French Laundry, Daniel, Chez Panisse, and El Bulli.

But he learned some important lessons about organization and procedures. On his first day on the job, Blais inadvertently served them “open-face” when he forgot the top of the buns. “It was a very prestigious position at a hamburger restaurant which only serves one seafood item.” In other words, he made fish sandwiches. “I was a poissonnier chef at McDonald’s, which means ‘fish cooker’ in French,” he jokes. The “Smoking Ember” is a concoction of roasted agave, mezcal, grapefruit, lemon, and lime encased in a citrus smoke bubble.Įmber & Rye is a far cry from the McDonald’s on Long Island where Blais got his first job. Blais, who named the restaurant after his daughters, Embry and Riley, did extensive R&D during the pandemic on his own backyard grill (a Big Green Egg), where he experimented with different cuts of meat and fish as well as techniques.

Most of the main courses are sizzled on the mesquite wood-fired outdoor grill overlooking the green on the 18th hole, including the massive 30-ounce beef ribeye dubbed “Thor’s Hammer Cut” (for obvious reasons) and the “Neptune’s Cut” swordfish. “We source the best ingredients, whether it’s a burger and fries or a tomahawk steak,” says Blais. One of the early favorites is the dry-aged burger and killer triple cooked fries with kimchi ketchup. But not all the offerings are as high end. In the lively bar just off the entrance, a leaderboard lists not top golfers but such bite-sized snacks as Hot Scotch Egg, Pork Belly Char Siu, Japanese Wagyu Pinchos, Lobster Knuckle Sandwich, and Caviar & Pancake. Blais likes to say “It’s not your parents’ clubhouse” because the space is stylish and modern, and the menu, while elevating classic dishes, also has a bit of fun with food. Blais just opened Ember & Rye, an inventive steak and seafood restaurant which replaced Argyle at the Park Hyatt Aviara Golf Club, the final “course” in the resort’s $50 million renovation. Richard Blais, chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, podcast host, television personality (he was the first winner of Top Chef: All-Stars and is a recurring judge), has a lot on his plate these days.

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For the full list for Best Restaurants 2021 Readers’ Choice, click here. Touching all corners of San Diego, with names you know by heart as well as newcomers that are destined to join them in short order, the 2021 list of Best Restaurants celebrates the survivors, thrivers, and the brave debuts that shape San Diego’s culinary identity.

For many establishments that were able to withstand all that the pandemic brought, the bond between a restaurant and its devoted patronage was a key component. As restaurants adapted to meet guidelines and ensure safety for employees and patrons, diners masked up, took it to-go in record numbers, and ate al fresco in parking lots. In a watershed year that’s easily presented the restaurant industry with its greatest challenges ever, the public stepped in when their beloved dining destinations needed them most. Image Credits Photography by Vincent Knakal

Ember and rye park hyatt