Chris Cosentino

About Chris

Chef, author, cyclist and philanthropist, Chris Cosentino is chef/partner of Acacia House Alila, Napa Valley, and Rosalie Italian Soul, in C. Baldwin Hotel in Houston, Texas. Cosentino is known for bold flavors, layered with complexity, served in stunning preparations. His food - which has thrilled both critics and customers for years - embodies his own unique culinary point of view combining seasonality and love of craft. Acacia House debuted in 2017 to rave reviews: “Cosentino strategically blends his bold style with a more refined approach,” focusing on the origins of grape varietals found in Napa, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Germany. Rosalie, inspired by his great-grandmother Rosalie Cosentino, opened in Houston soon after in 2019. Cosentino won the popular series Top Chef Masters, competing against the nation’s top chefs to take the coveted title while earning over $140,000 for The Michael J. Fox Foundation.

He has hosted, judged and competed on numerous national food television shows, including Top Chef; Top Chef Family Style; Iron Chef America; Next Iron Chef; Guy’s Grocery Games; The Best Thing I Ever Ate; Tournament of Champions; Chefs vs. City. Food expertise, product development and consulting are areas where Cosentino applies his ingenious food mind and creativity. Boccalone Salumeria “Tasty Salted Pig Parts,” demonstrated this as he introduced ‘nduja to the United States and “led the salumi revolution on the West Coast.”

He continues to collaborate with various food, beverage and outdoor brands including Red Boat Fish Sauce and The James Brand. A celebrated author, Cosentino wrote Beginnings: My Way to Start a Meal in 2012, followed by Offal Good: Cooking from the Heart with Guts, in 2017. He realized a lifelong dream in collaborating with Marvel Comics to write Wolverine: In The Flesh, and he was also a contributor to Peloton Magazine.

A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, Cosentino cooked at some of the country’s most beloved restaurants in cities like Washington, D.C. and the Bay Area, before joining Incanto in his first executive chef position. At Incanto, Cosentino drew critical acclaim for his innovative Italian and whole animal cooking. During Incanto’s twelve-year tenure, he mastered the art of hand-crafted cured meats, which inspired the launch of Boccalone, and popularized the use of organ meats or offal. In 2014 Cosentino launched Cockscomb, which earned a three-star review from Michael Bauer at the San Francisco Chronicle who wrote: "There’s nothing else like it, and Cosentino has a consistent, unwavering vision." Drawing inspiration from the Pacific Northwest, he opened Jackrabbit Restaurant in The Duniway Hotel in Portland, Oregon in 2017.

Cosentino is dedicated to philanthropy, selecting charities to support that are close to his life and his heart. He is a long time supporter of the No Kid Hungry organization, participating in the Chefs Cycle event and other efforts to ensure all kids have access to healthy food. He has begun new relationships with Protect Our Winters, raising awareness for environmental activism, and works with Parkinson’s organizations as the disease was a part of his life via a family member. An avid cyclist, the bike embodies both adventure and freedom for Cosentino. Many of his partnerships and work involve cycling whenever possible, though it’s still always about the food. “The bike inspires that feeling of instant freedom and adventure in me, like it always has since childhood. And because of that freedom, it gives me a sense of mental health and clarity.” He lives in San Francisco with his wife Tatiana, and son Easton.