Other
Blake Aguillard
James Beard Award winner
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
The Climb
Line work in disparate kitchens built the base of Blake Aguillard’s practice: school at Le Cordon Bleu’s Austin campus, then an internship at Peppermill Resort in Reno, Nevada, followed by service at Restaurant August in New Orleans, Louisiana. Each stop tightened a different part of the job—speed, repetition, and the ability to hold standards under pressure. Progression through MOPHO in New Orleans, Louisiana, first as co-sous chef and later as Head Chef, marks the next stage of that discipline. Those titles point to earned trust in a working kitchen, where consistency and judgment matter as much as technique. A line cook stint at Saison in San Francisco, California, widened the field again, adding another operating style to an already varied base. Today, Blake Aguillard is co-owner and chef of Saint-Germain.
Today
At Saint-Germain in New Orleans, the cooking sits with one chef’s hands at both the creative and operational center. Blake Aguillard’s role connects menu development to execution, and the work there is organized around a creative, ambitious, and accessible tasting menu. That combination asks for exacting kitchen control while keeping the plate open and legible at the table.
Signature
Drying is one of Blake Aguillard’s stated techniques. In trade terms, it signals a way of controlling moisture, tightening texture, and concentrating flavor before the dish is finished. The emphasis is on restraint and precision rather than accumulation, with the method doing structural work in the final plate.
Recognition
New Orleans Rising Stars Award Winner and Best New Chefs are the honors attached to Blake Aguillard. Read together, they place his work within the set of cooks drawing attention for both execution and momentum, with recognition coming on the strength of the kitchen work itself.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Blake
Where did Blake Aguillard train or study?
Blake Aguillard trained at Le Cordon Bleu’s Austin campus.
What recognition has Blake Aguillard received?
New Orleans Rising Stars Award Winner (2022).
