Aaron Bludorn, Chef, Partner
Chef and next-generation restaurateur, Aaron Bludorn’s mission is to create meaningful experiences through food and hospitality. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Aaron was drawn to the kitchen at an early age during his first job working as a dishwasher and prep cook in a small diner on Bainbridge Island. Energized by the camaraderie demonstrated in restaurants, Aaron pursued a career in hospitality and began his journey at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park. His learnings at CIA led to a prosperous career working under the country’s most celebrated chefs including Michelin-starred Chef Douglas Keene and Daniel Boulud. While working as Executive Chef in Manhattan’s Café Boulud, Aaron met his now-wife, Victoria Pappas- Bludorn, and was cast in Netflix’s blockbuster culinary competition show, The Final Table, where he competed alongside renowned chefs from across the globe. That same year, he was honored by Star Chefs when he earned New York City’s Rising Star Community Chef Award.

In 2020, Aaron made his way from New York City to Houston, Texas, where he opened up his namesake restaurant, Bludorn, a new American restaurant featuring French-inspired dishes with roots in the Texas Gulf Coast. Two years later, he opened Navy Blue, a contemporary seafood destination in Houston’s Rice Village, and most recently in March 2024, Bar Bludorn, a quintessential neighborhood tavern that has quickly become one of the city’s most coveted reservations.

Since opening his restaurants in Houston, Aaron has been honored as Eater Houston’s ‘Chef of the Year’ (2021), was recognized as a James Beard Foundation award semifinalist in the Best Chef: Houston category (2022), and Bludorn, was named a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Outstanding Hospitality (2024).