Chris Cosentino's passion for food took seed well before he ever donned chef's whites. Growing up in Newport, Rhode Island's Italian-American community, he spent his time clamming, commercial fishing and cranking the pasta machine in his grandmother's kitchen, developing an early affinity for great ingredients and hard work.

Cosentino graduated from Johnson & Wales, then went on to build his culinary résumé by working at a number of notable restaurants, including Red Sage in Washington, D.C., and Rubicon, Chez Panisse, Belon and Redwood Park in the San Francisco Bay Area. His first executive chef position was at Incanto, which he joined in 2002, and his innovative interpretations of rustic Italian fare promptly earned the restaurant its first 3-star review from the San Francisco Chronicle. Since then Cosentino has gained national acclaim as a leading proponent of offal cookery. His approach is marked by a combination of sheer gusto, careful research and precise technique, and stems from a belief that no parts of an animal slaughtered for food should go to waste. From beef tendon to duck tongue to fish spine, he has demonstrated that the "fifth quarter" offers an untapped array of flavors and textures, proving that these "lost cuts" can make for elegant and mouthwatering dishes.

Chris has a strong commitment to sustainable principles and humanely raised meats and is an avid researcher of ancient cooking techniques and culinary lore. His menus at Incanto serve to uphold respected culinary traditions and socially responsible practices, yet keep things interesting with adventurous creative meanderings.

In addition to serving as Incanto's executive chef, Chris is co-creator of Boccalone (www.boccalone.com), an artisanal salumeria. Additionally, his abiding passion for offal has led him to work on the definitive cookbook on the subject, aimed at providing essential instruction on the preparation of offal for both professional and home cooks.