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Elizabeth Blau
Restaurateur / hotelier
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
From New York dining rooms to Las Vegas resort floors, the work here is Restaurant Development: reading service, shaping concept, and keeping a room legible to its audience. In Elizabeth Blau, that shows up as a career built through classic hospitality training, operating roles, and her own openings, with each move adding to a practice centered on polish, momentum, and the mechanics of how dining lands in public.
Coming Up
At Cornell School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University, Elizabeth Blau trained in the discipline that would carry through the rest of her work: detail, pacing, and service structure. At Le Cirque in New York, working alongside restaurateur Sirio Maccioni, she learned in a city room where service, presentation, and atmosphere had to operate together. At Le Cirque in Las Vegas, she helped expand the Le Cirque brand into a market built around glamour, spectacle, and ambition. The development side of the business came next, at scale. At Mirage Resorts, she served as Vice President of Restaurant Development, then at Wynn Las Vegas she rose to Executive Vice President of Restaurant Development and marketing, where openings, concepts, and positioning sat under one brief. On season 3 of Restaurant Startup at CNBC, Elizabeth Blau moved that backstage work into view as investor / co-star. Today, Elizabeth is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blau & Associates (since 2002), co-founder of Honey Salt (since 2012), and Culinary Council Chair of Three Square Food Bank.
Where They Are Now
Since 2002, Blau & Associates has been led by Elizabeth Blau as founder and Chief Executive Officer in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a focus on warm hospitality, locally sourced seasonal ingredients, and a polished, world-class dining experience. That balance marks the work as development-minded, with each opening adjusted to its setting and its guests. Honey Salt, which she co-founded in 2012, was built from an independent idea around foods, drinks and a vibe shared with friends for years. The concept reads as a shorthand for ease, familiarity, and the kind of energy a room can hold after service ends. In Blau’s portfolio, it places hospitality at the center rather than the margins. Her other signature openings follow the same operating logic. Society Café at Encore in 2008 became a Las Vegas favorite, showing how a restaurant could settle into the tempo of a major resort without disappearing into it. Buddy V’s Ristorante on the Las Vegas Strip in 2013 brought Italian favorites from Valastro family recipes into a public dining room. Andiron Steak & Sea in 2015 was built as a fine-dining concept centered on grilling, roasting, and shucking, with the elemental work of fire, salt, and the sea as its frame. Her newest restaurant is Crown Block in Dallas, Texas, in Reunion Tower, and she introduced it with, “Hi, I’m Elizabeth Blau. Welcome to Crown Block, our newest restaurant right here in Dallas, Texas in the Reunion Tower.” She also serves as Culinary Council Chair at Three Square in Southern Nevada, extending that restaurant-facing perspective into the broader food community.
Honors
Elizabeth's honors include James Beard Award nominee, Silver State Award Innovator honor (2020), Cornell's MMH Outstanding Alumna of the Year Award, IFMA Gold Plate Award, and Stevie Award for Women in Business.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Elizabeth
What is Elizabeth Blau's current role?
As of 2026, Elizabeth Blau is Founder and Chief Executive Officer.
Where did Elizabeth Blau train or study?
Elizabeth Blau trained at Cornell School of Hotel Administration, Cornell University.
What recognition has Elizabeth Blau received?
James Beard Award nominee.
