Blair House Inn Bed and Breakfast and Fine Dining

The Blair House is pleased to introduce Norris Sebastian as the Executive Chef/Instructor. With Chef Sebastian’s vast culinary expertise and passion for teaching, he will provide our guests with a unique opportunity to experience, first hand, exciting recreational cooking classes while staying at our nationally recognized country inn. Joe David, author of “Gourmet Getaways” chose The Blair House Inn as one of two top cooking schools in Texas and one of the top fifty in America.

Chef Sebastian, an eighth generation Texan, was born in Temple, Texas. His great uncle was the owner and creator of Wick Fowler 2-Alarm Chili. Chef remembers packing boxes of chile spices in his uncle’s warehouse at the ripe old age of 7!

Following high school and a brief appearance at Texas State University, Chef Sebastian ventured to Paris, France where he attended the Le Cordon Bleu culinary school and received his grand deploma from La Varenne Ecole De Cuisine. After completion of his classic French training, he returned to the United States and became one of the pioneers of what is known today as Southwestern Cuisine which, in Mark Miller’s words, “is characterized by straightforward cooking techniques and defined by bold, strong, flavors” made with ingredients indigenous to our region.

While residing in Dallas, Texas, Norris Sebastian was the Executive Chef at The Belvedere, a Swiss–Austrian Restaurant, The Grape (where the menu changed daily), and the Four Seasons Hotel and Resort. Later he became the Executive Chef at Star Canyon and ventured from Dallas to Austin and then to Las Vegas, Nevada. There Chef Sebastian had the rare opportunity to be the Executive Sous Chef at the AuqaKnox Restaurant located in the Venetian Hotel and Casino.

After three years in Las Vegas, Chef Sebastian and his family decided to try life abroad in Cuenca, Ecuador. He traveled through the country with friends and family, discovering beautiful views and wonderful foods. He was fascinated with the wide variety of potatoes he encountered. His favorite was a small potato that look like ginger root, and when roasted with a little fresh garlic, basil, rosemary, and olive oil, became very flavorful.

Luckily, Chef Sebastian has returned to the Hill Country and is now the Executive Chef and Instructor at Blair House Inn. He finds true enjoyment in teaching and strives to provide the ultimate learning environment. Through his hands-on approach, his goal is to make each class an enjoyable and memorable experience while imparting valuable skills everyone can incorporate into their daily lives. We are truly excited to have him on our staff and are impressed with his flavorful and innovative creations.

No matter what level of culinary comfort you currently experience, our well-rounded and experienced chef is sure to increase your confidence in the kitchen as you learn new techniques in an enjoyable, relaxed setting. Chef Sebastian’s expertise in French, Italian, and Southwestern and Fusion cuisine will inspire you to create delectable dishes using seasonally fresh ingredients in new and unusual ways.