Known for his appearances on Iron Chef America and Top Chef Masters, Chris Cosentino now runs three restaurants in California and Oregon. But he started as a Rhode Island boy at Johnson and Wales. Here’s how he made big leaps throughout his career.

Imagine the scene—you’re in a bar having a drink preparing for one of the biggest moments of your life: Your first appearance on Iron Chef America. Across the bar you hear someone describing a person who sounds like you—a San Francisco chef who will face off with Mario Batali. You realize, that person is talking about you, and that person is Anne Burrell.

Chef Chris Cosentino

This was Chris Cosentino’s not so subtle initiation into the world of food TV. Many years and TV appearances later, he’s out of the TV game. Cosentino now runs his flagship restaurant, Cockscomb, in San Francisco, along with two hotel restaurants, Acacia House in Napa Valley and Jackrabbit in Portland, Oregon. He does all of this with the help of his business partner, Oliver Wharton, who he met by chance when opening another restaurant during his career. The duo counterbalance each other and push each other toward success.

Tune in below for our first episode of FSR’s podcast, Worth Your Salt, to find out how Cosentino got from TV to California cuisine.

 

Expert Takes, Feature