Alfonso Contrisciani, CMC

Alfonso Contrisciani, Certified Master Chef, shares his Master Chef status with 66 others in the United States. He currently is Executive Director of Culinary Operations & Master Chef at Hocking College. His prestigious accomplishments include being named “Restaurateur of the Year” by The International Food & Beverage Forum in 2004’. Chef Alfonso has garnered over 75 National and International awards, including 36 Gold medals thus far in his career. Alfonso competed as a member of Team USA in 1992, 1996 and 2000 in the International Culinary Olympics. In 2000 he captained team USA while winning the world championship in the cold food category.

Alfonso is an accomplished educator, restaurateur, executive chef, pastry chef and held numerous VP and director positions in some of the countries leading hotels, restaurants, universities and food service companies. As Vice President of Culinary Development for Centerplate, Alfonso oversaw several of the largest convention centers in the country. He orchestrated several presidential dinners in Washington DC as well as President Obama’s Inaugural balls.

Alfonso believes in sustainable foods and green initiatives and applies them to his daily operations. He oversaw The Hocking College Inn and Rhapsody, the colleges training restaurant located in down town Nelsonville, Ohio. Rhapsody features Appalachian farm to table cuisine. Chef also supports locally grown natural beef, chicken, pork, and lamb. Plate features healthy American comfort food grown and produced in central Ohio. Rhapsody’s menu is a collection of Alfonso’s family recipes and reflects his vision and philosophy of utilization of seasonal local products prepared with a focus on healthy nutritional profiles.

Alfonso also owns “Oliver Farms”, a local sustainable food manufacturing Company with farms in Thornville, Ohio & an outlet store/bakery located in down town Nelsonville, Ohio.

Alfonso currently resides on his 277acre family farm in Thornville, Ohio. He is an active member in the Ohio Community Agriculture System and believes our future is in a sustainable, organic farming system to preserve our ecosystem. Alfonso is President of Perry County Farmers Market Co Operative.

Alfonso is a member of OEFFA, (Ohio Ecological Farm to Food Association), The American Culinary Federation, World Master Chefs Societies, Global Master Chefs Society and the International Food & Beverage Forum.