Personal Chef, Food Writer, Culinary Instructor, Recipe Developer, and Restaurant Consultant
Chef Brian's Education
Chef Brian Adornetto began his culinary journey early in life. He was taught the basics of cooking by his mother and grandfather at the landmark P.N.K. Tavern in Jersey City, NJ which has been in his family for over 75 years. Brian graduated from Saint Peter's Prep and earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Saint Peter’s College before attending culinary school. He has also completed the Lisa Ekus Group's Media Training Course.
Chef Brian's Experience
After graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education, Brian honed his skills at high profile New Jersey restaurants such as Chris’s Grill House, Puccini’s, and Sonoma Grill before joining the Five-Diamond Award winning team in the Hilton at Short Hills, NJ. While there, he cooked in both the Four-Diamond, Three-Star Terrace Restaurant and the Five-Diamond, Four-Star Dining Room. Brian eventually left to become Sous Chef at Amanda's Restaurant in Hoboken, NJ which received an “Excellent” rating in all of the Zagat's guides during his time there.
After settling down with his wife, Barbara, he rejoined the Hilton Hotel Corporation and served as Banquet Sous Chef and later as Chef de Cuisine in the Hilton at East Brunswick, NJ. He then became an Executive Chef for Morrison Management Specialists, a division of Compass Group. He was also a Culinary Instructor for Wakefern Food Corporation where he taught and developed recipes and curriculum for “hands on” cooking classes and was the chef consultant for Rao's Specialty Foods.
Brian has twice cooked at the James Beard House. He has taught at the Holly Springs Farmers' Market, Chapel Hill Farmers' Market, Devil's Ridge Country Club in Holly Springs, Ger Nis Culinary Center in NYC, De Gustibus at The Cellar in Macy's Herald Square New York City, and live on WHUD 100.7 FM in the Hudson Valley of New York. Chef Brian has also cooked for the Taste of the NFL at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City and the Taste of the Ladies Professional Golf Association in Atlantic City, NJ. Chef Brian had the pleasure of assisting the Lee Brothers with their Triangle appearance and has performed cooking demonstrations on News 12 NJ, Time Warner Channel 10 News, and NBC's My Carolina Today.
Personal Chef, Food Writer, Restaurant Consultant, and Culinary Instructor
Chef Brian currently owns and operates Love At First Bite, LLC. His writing has appeared in the Triangle Downtowner Magazine, Draft Magazine, Okra Magazine, and Healthy Living Magazine. Brian also serves as a judge for the annual IACP Cookbook Awards.
Brian is on the adjunct culinary faculty of Wake Tech Community College where he teaches a variety of culinary courses for the Continuing Education Department. If interested, please search the course listings.
Additionally, Brian teaches Basic and Advanced Knife Skills, Grilling, "Parents and Kids in the Kitchen" and a variety of other cooking classes at A Southern Season's Cooking School in Chapel Hill, NC. If interested in these classes, please see the schedule for dates and times.
Interviews
Television Appearances
Professional Affiliations and Memberships
- International Association of Culinary Professionals
- Southern Foodways Alliance
- ServSafe Certified
- Spoons Across America
- Culinary Historians of Piedmont, NC
- Association of Food Journalists
Personal
Brian and his wife, Barbara, have two daughters, Gabriella and Aliza. He and his family relocated to the Triangle area of North Carolina in 2006. Brian is the Past President of the Holly Springs Kiwanis Club, retired Vice Chairman of the Holly Springs Board of Adjustments, and a graduate of the Inaugural Holly Springs LEADS Academy.
