James Briscione
Angelena's Ristorante Italiano | Pensacola, FL
October 2019
James Briscione grew up amidst the stocked pantry of Southern cuisine. And working early on with James Beard Award-winner Frank Stitt in Birmingham sealed the deal for a future in cooking.
After three years as chef de cuisine at Stitt’s Highlands Bar and Grill, Briscione traded polished Southern comforts for the refinements of modern haute French cuisine at Daniel in New York, working in the private dining room.
Moving out from behind the line, Briscione transitioned to culinary education, taking a post as chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education. Now Director of Culinary Research, Briscione’s accomplishments go far beyond the classroom. He walked away champion of the first season of Food Network’s “Chopped,” and also became the shows first-ever two-time champion after winning the “Chopped Champions Tournament.” Briscione was selected as one of People Magazine’s “Sexiest Chefs Alive” in 2016 and has been featured in cooking segments for ABC News Now, Delish.com, Condé Nast, and Martha Stewart Radio. In 2011, Briscione published his first cookbook, Just Married and Cooking, with his wife Brooke Parkhurst. Their most recent endeavor is Angelena’s, an Italian restaurant in Pensacola, Florida, where Briscione is executive chef and Parkhurst is wine director. 2019 StarChefs Chefs Congress Presenter
