James Beard Award Nominee Elizabeth Blau is the founder and CEO of restaurant development company Blau + Associates, a firm dedicated to creating world-class hospitality experiences, and is widely credited with transforming Las Vegas into the world-class culinary destination it is today. A judge on CNBC’s Restaurant Startup, she also operates several restaurants in Las Vegas and Vancouver with her husband chef Kim Canteenwalla including: Honey Salt and Buddy V’s Ristorante, a collaboration with TV’s Cake Boss Buddy Valastro.
With an impressive career spanning three decades, James Beard Award Nominee Elizabeth Blau is the founder and CEO of restaurant development company Blau + Associates and is widely credited with transforming Las Vegas into the world-class culinary destination it is today. A renowned restaurateur, Blau’s skilled touch defines her work in Las Vegas and around the world.
A graduate of the prestigious Cornell School of Hotel Administration, Blau began her career in New York with legendary restaurateur Sirio Maccioni, proprietor of the iconic Le Cirque, and worked with him to expand the brand to Las Vegas. After opening Le Cirque at the Bellagio, Blau was recruited to Mirage Resorts as Vice President of Restaurant Development. In that role and in her subsequent evolution to EVP of Restaurant Development and Marketing for the Wynn Las Vegas, Elizabeth developed and oversaw every aspect of food and beverage concept creation, development, operations, and promotion for hundreds of restaurants. With her vision, Blau inspired award-winning chefs, and convinced them to venture to Las Vegas and join with her in transforming the culinary culture and dining experience there. This quantum leap forward and focus on fine food, were revolutionary to the once buffet focused dining scene.
Elizabeth founded Blau & Associates in 2002 and made it into one of the foremost restaurant development and consulting companies in the field. She went on to open a series of successful restaurants across Las Vegas.
In 2012, Blau and husband chef Kim Canteenwalla embarked on their first solo independent venture, Honey Salt. The next year, Blau & Associates partnered with Buddy Valastro, star of TV’s Cake Boss, to open Buddy V’s Ristorante on the Las Vegas Strip. For the Parq Vancouver Resort & Casino, which opened in 2017, Blau conceptualized, developed, and assembled a world-class portfolio of five restaurants, including a new location of Honey Salt in the JW Marriott, which they continue to operate today.
Elizabeth lives in Las Vegas with her husband Kim, their son Cole, and their two golden retrievers Brookie and Dodger.
Chef Canteenwalla is a visionary artist whose hands- on familiarity with restaurant operations, attention to detail, wealth of culinary knowledge and vast global experience characterize his many accomplishments. Principal and co-founder of Blau & Associates, along with wife Elizabeth Blau, he is also co-owner and culinary visionary behind the wildly successful Honey Salt restaurant in Summerlin, Las Vegas.
Chef Canteenwalla brings more than thirty years of hospitality expertise and industry leadership to the table. His ambition to perfect the art of dining reflects his sincere love of food and genuine dedication to exceptional service. He is currently also co-owner and culinary visionary behind the wildly successful Honey Salt in Las Vegas, managing partner of Crown Block in Dallas and Buddy V’s Ristorante at the Venetian | Palazzo in Las Vegas, and managing partner and chef of the food and beverage portfolio at Parq, Vancouver, including Honey Salt, The Victor, D6, BC Kitchen and MRKT EAST.
The former executive chef of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, MS, Canteenwalla has helmed restaurants and resorts around the world, including Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia, Dubai, and Thailand. He is a four-time participant in Best Hotel Chefs in America series at the James Beard House and, fought along chef Kerry Simon to win the Iron Chef American battle hamburger.
Like his wife, Canteenwalla is an active supporter of both his industry and his community. A participant in dozens of high-profile culinary events, including guest chef appearances around the world, Canteenwalla also proudly serves on the Culinary Council of Three Square, a Las Vegas based food bank. He also serves as a culinary advisor for Las Vegas’s Life Is Beautiful Festival, an annual celebration of art, music, and food in Downtown Las Vegas.
Jason Lapin developed a passion for all things culinary at the age of fourteen while working as a busboy at Don’s Drive-In in Livingston, NJ. This didn’t come as a surprise to his family. Two previous generations of Lapins built their careers in the food industry. His grandfather, Joseph Lapin, was a founding member of Restaurant Associates and his father, Kenneth Lapin, served as a senior executive for Wechsler Coffee, La Touraine and Chock Full of Nuts. Today, Lapin employs the skills obtained from more than 25 years of frontline hospitality experience to conceptualize, develop and operate outstanding restaurants.
Lapin joined Blau & Associates in 2004. In collaboration with principals Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla, Lapin built the firm into an internationally recognized food service development company with an impressive and extensive client roster. Recently, Lapin spearheaded several of Blau & Associates high profile projects; the development and launch of the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes, the opening of the Viceroy Hotel and Resort in Snowmass and the reintroduction of the Palm Court at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Lapin also was instrumental in the successful openings of the group’s partnership ventures: Society Café at Encore, Simon Restaurant & Lounge at Palm’s Place and Cathouse at the Luxor Las Vegas. Lapin continues to work closely with each venue’s management team to enhance on-going operations and maximize profitability.
Lapin began his successful fine dining career at Mark Miller’s Red Sage in Washington D.C. He assisted Miller in opening this landmark restaurant smoothly and efficiently. Two years later, Wolfgang Puck selected Lapin as the General Manager for Spago Las Vegas. Lapin contributed greatly to Spago’s instant success and was one of the original pioneers in the transformation of Las Vegas into a culinary powerhouse.
Returning to New York City in 1993, Lapin worked with legendary designer Adam Tihany before joining the Glazier Group. While at Glazier, he developed and opened Tapika, a restaurant famed food critic Ruth Reichl deemed, “another urban fantasy about the sort of food people in the West might eat if they were really, really lucky.” Lapin then teamed up with Sir Terence Conran as Vice President and General Manager of Guastavino’s Inc. Together, they created a groundbreaking 25,000 sq. ft. cocktail, dining and event space with superlative catering functions beneath the Queens Borough Bridge.
Lapin left New York to open Jar Restaurant, a modern chophouse, in Los Angeles. He subsequently returned to Las Vegas to launch Craftsteak at the MGM Grand. Lapin’s extensive front-of-the-house knowledge helped earn Craftsteak the honor of Las Vegas Life Magazine’s Epicurean Award for Best New Restaurant in 2003.
Lapin received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Financial Management from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration. In the spring of 2009, he returned to his alma mater to participate in the well-regarded Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC) conference, a student-run event with an 86-year old heritage. Lapin also participates in the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) that takes place in Las Vegas annually.
Lapin currently lives in Las Vegas. He has two children, Gus and Matilda. He dedicates much of his spare time to charities that support families of children with autism, including Generation Rescue and T.A.C.A.
Mede comes to Blau + Associates most recently as Corporate Chef for Shutters on the Beach & Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica, California. In this position Mede oversaw six By The Blue Sea Restaurant Group restaurants, and developed new concepts for their “Catch” American seafood restaurant as well as “Terazza” Mediterranean Café & Lounge.
Prior to his position at Shutters, Mede was Executive Chef at Nobhill and pre-opening manager and Executive Chef at American Fish, two Michael Mina restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mede also assisted Mina with back of house opening responsibilities at Stripsteak (Las Vegas, NV), XIV (Los Angeles, CA), Bourbon Steak and Saltwater (Detroit, MI).
Mede brings over 20 years of international and United States culinary and hospitality experience, having worked in Germany, Great Britain, Chicago, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. His past positions include Senior Chef de Partie at Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons, a Michelin Two-Star restaurant in Great Milton, Oxford, Great Britain, Sous Chef at Michelin Two-Star Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago, Illinois as well as Executive Sous Chef at the James Beard Best New Restaurant award-winner Bradley Ogden in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pawel Antonik is a culinary professional who joins Blau + Associates consulting with over twenty years of experience.
Born in Poland, Pawel moved with his family to New York City when he was six, growing up in and around kitchens with his mom. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Pawel has crisscrossed the country working his way up through restaurants in Florida, Massachusetts, California, and New York. Pawel then moved to Las Vegas where he’s resided since 2017. Since then, he has worked for some of the country’s most prominent chefs, spending time at Michael Mina’s StripSteak at Mandalay Bay, Alain Ducasse’s Rivea and Skyfall Lounge at the Delano, David Chang’s Momofuku at the Cosmopolitan, and Roy Choi’s Best Friend at the Park MGM. His most recent role prior to joining EBA was Executive Chef of Wally’s at Resorts World.
As Director of Culinary Operations, Chef Pawel assists in menu planning, ensure food costs are within targeted levels, contribute to R&D, lead training and development of BOH staff, and work with our onsite restaurant teams to ensure the highest quality standards are met and executed.
Growing up in Vancouver, BC, Francis began his career working in the kitchens at notable restaurants Earls and Joe Fortes. He then took his passion for hospitality to Australia, where he trained as Chef de Partie at Sydney’sNick’s Seafood Bar & Grill. In 2006 he moved back to his hometown and joined award winning Glowbal Restaurant Group. It was here where Francis hit is stride, moving to the front-of-the-house as Bar Manager at Yaletown’s iconic Glowbal Grill & Satay Bar. He quickly moved up the ranks and honed his skills with the company, taking leadership roles at Coast, Italian Kitchen, and one of the city’s largest restaurants, Glowbal TELUS Garden. As Director of Food & Beverage at Parq Vancouver, Francis is responsible for overseeing all operations at Honey Salt, The Victor, BC Kitchen, MRKT East, and D/6 Bar & Lounge.
Doug Osrow served as Consultant of Remark Holdings, Inc. since May 15, 2018 until December 2018. and served as its Chief Financial Officer from October 30, 2013 to May 15, 2018. Mr. Osrow served as the Chief Financial Officer of Paragon Gaming Corporation from September 2011 to October 2013, where he was responsible for re-financing several of their properties and negotiating buy-outs and partnerships. Prior to this he worked as a Vice President & in the investment banking division of Citadel Securities, covering real estate, lodging and gaming companies. Mr. Osrow worked as a Senior Analyst at Hawkeye Capital Management.
He began his investment banking career as an Associate at Citigroup Global Markets in the real estate and lodging group and served as the Assistant to the President at Ziff Brothers Investments. He has an extensive background in capital markets, deal execution, valuations, research and a network of corporate relationships in the Real Estate, Gaming and Lodging sector. He worked at Citadel Securities and prior to Citadel he was with Hawkeye Capital Management as well as Citigroup Global Markets. He is a Director of The Needle Capital Corp since November 3, 2016. He has been a Director of eQube Gaming Limited since July 2015. He earned an undergraduate degree with honors from Northwestern University and an MBA from The Kellogg School of Management.
True
Viking Range
LV Convention Center
AmEx – Centurion Lounge
Steelite International
1650
CCS Creative
The Refined Agency
bread & Butter
PR Plus
Liz McLay
Armstrong + Lan
