Bethany Caliaro
Gift Horse and Oberlin | Providence, RI
SEPTEMBER 2023
Bethany Caliaro started her career in food service studying culinary management at Johnson & Wales' Miami campus, externing around the city while she was there. Before transferring up to the Providence campus, she did an internship at Rising Star alum Hugh Acheson’s Empire State South in Atlanta. While at Johnson & Wales in Providence, Caliaro worked all over town, including a front of house job at Durk’s BBQ, where she got bit by the service bug. When a friend of hers opened Pastaio, he offered her an opening management position, and it was there that Caliaro first learned to love wine. The challenge of creating a tightly edited list completely grabbed her, and introduced her to Italian and natural wines.
In 2018, Caliaro applied to be a server at Rising Star alum Ben Sukle’s Oberlin. When she heard back, it turned out that they were actually hiring for an assistant general manager. She took a leap of faith and found that the beverage program resonated with her, making the transition into management easier. Over the course of the next five years working as the sommelier and lead wine buyer at Oberlin, Caliaro’s control over the beverage program, as well as over the front of house operations, grew. She now manages a list of 80 bottles with wide variance, from big, classic wines to lowintervention, new-school gems. Her list also highlights non-wine selections, with a deep bench of sakes and ciders, as well as non-alcoholic beverages and dessert wines. In addition to running the show at Oberlin, Caliaro is also a partner in the group’s new space, Gift Horse, where she manages the beverage program and front of house operations.
2023 StarChefs Coastal New England Rising Stars Award Winner
