BLAU & ASSOCIATES FOUNDER AND CEO ELIZABETH BLAU
NAMED A SEMFINALIST FOR
PRESTIGIOUS 2026 JAMES BEARD AWARD
‘Outstanding Restaurateur’ Nod Latest Accolade for Hospitality Industry Veteran,
Managing Partner of Multiple Restaurants in Vancouver, Las Vegas and Dallas
Blau + Associates Founder & CEO Elizabeth Blau has been named a semifinalist for a prestigious 2026 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur by the James Beard Foundation.
Blau, who conceptualized and developed the world-class food and beverage outlets Honey Salt, The Victor and D/6 Bar + Lounge in Vancouver’s Parq Casino as well as Honey Salt and Buddy V’s Ristorante in Las Vegas, NV and Crown Block in Dallas, TX, was among 20 nominees singled out as semifinalists for an award that will be announced at a gala ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on June 15th.
Since their inception in 1990, the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards® have represented the pinnacle of culinary recognition in the United States and have made icons out of the nation’s top restaurant and bar professionals. The James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur Award is presented annually to “a restaurateur who uses their establishment(s) as a vehicle for building community, demonstrates creativity in entrepreneurship, and integrity in restaurant operations.”
This is not the first time that Blau has been shortlisted as Outstanding Restaurateur by the James Beard Foundation — she was previously named a semifinalist alongside her husband and partner and Blau & Associates Principal & Managing Director Kim Canteenwalla in 2016.
Among Blau’s other accomplishments include being named Cornell Hospitality’s Innovator of the Year, the UNLVino Dom Perignon Award of Excellence, International Foodservice Manufacturers’ Gold Plate Award and one of Open Table’s 20 Most Influential Female Chefs + Restaurateurs. She is also a sought-after advisor for global organizations and serves on multiple boards, including Forbes Travel Guide, Ecole Hoteliere in Lausanne, and the Cornell School of Hotel Administration.
A highly respected leader in the modern hospitality industry known for her innovative work as the founder and CEO of global restaurant planning and development firm Blau & Associates, Blau is widely credited with the transformation of Las Vegas into the premier culinary destination it is today.
She also has numerous network television appearances to her credit including CNBC’s Restaurant Startup and as a judge on Food Network’s Iron Chef Americaand has also co-authored the cookbook Honey Salt: A Culinary Scrapbook.Committed to philanthropy, Elizabeth cofounded The Women’s Hospitality Initiative and Delivering with Dignity in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information about Blau + Associates, please visit elizabethblau.com.