Chef/Restaurateur

RIS LACOSTE is one of the most respected and dedicated chefs working in Washington, D.C. today. Lacoste is currently the Corporate Chef for Rock Creek, an upscale restaurant in Bethesda, MD and Washington DC committed to mindful dining. Previously, she served as executive chef of Georgetown's celebrated 1789 Restaurant, where her innovative regional American fare drew national attention and earned numerous awards, including those from Wine Spectator magazine, The Washington Post, Washingtonian, as well as nomination from the James Beard Foundation.

Lacoste has been a fixture on the D.C. culinary scene for almost two decades.

Following her studies at the famous La Varenne Écôle de Cuisine in Paris, France, she returned to her native New England and joined Chef Bob Kinkead at the Harvest Restaurant in Cambridge, MA. She helped Kinkead open 21 Federal in Nantucket, MA, in 1985 followed by Twenty-One Federal in Washington, D.C., in 1987. In January 1992, Washingtonian magazine named them Restaurateurs of the Year. In 1993, as chef de cuisine, Lacoste opened Kinkead's American Brasserie, which has become a D.C. dining institution. Lacoste has acted as a consultant to other District restaurant openings, including those of Vidalia and the Eye Street Café. In 1995, Lacoste was named executive chef of 1789 Restaurant, where she brought innovation, culinary consistency, and a reinvigorated spirit to a venerable restaurant, and in so doing delivered an unprecedented level of national recognition and local acclaim.

A native of New Bedford, Massachusetts, Lacoste, grew up in a household that emphasized the importance of hospitality and good food. Her first food-related job was at the young age of 12, when she worked at Johnny Gorka's Polish Market in New Bedford. Lacoste's educational background is eclectic: She followed a premed curriculum at the University of Rochester in New York and ultimately graduated with a degree in French at the University of California at Berkeley, which led her to Paris. There she earned a Grand Diplôme from Anne Willan's La Varenne Écôle de Cuisine. After a stint as sous chef for Buddy Bombard's Great French Balloon Adventure in Burgundy, Lacoste returned stateside in 1982 and commenced her celebrated working relationship with Bob Kinkead.

In Washington, Lacoste is well known for her commitment to community involvement. She was an active member of the National Board of Directors for the American Institute of Wine and Food (AIWF), and has served as Chairman of its National Capital Area Chapter. She also sits on the board of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), the board of DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) and is a trustee of the Hospitality High School of Washington, D.C. Her professional affiliations and memberships include the Women's Forum of Washington, D.C. (WFDC), Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR), the James Beard Foundation, and Les Dames d'Escoffier. She participates annually in fundraising efforts for the Ovarian Cancer Alliance, St. Jude Hospital for Children, Taste of the Nation, Zoofari, Share Our Strength, the Summer Opera Theater Company, Food and Friends in Washington, Tuberous Sclerosis, D.C. Central Kitchen, and Second Genesis.

A talented educator committed to young people, Lacoste is a mentor for the students of Hospitality High School of Washington, D.C., a public charter school that focuses on enhancing the educational employment opportunities in the hospitality industry. She volunteers as a judge and internship mentor with Careers Through Culinary Arts Programs, Inc. (CCAP) and works closely with L'Academie de Cuisine, where she assists in the continuing culinary development of their students. Lacoste is a regular contributor to Fine Cooking Magazine and Food Service Monthly and teaches at Sur La Table in Arlington VA. She is regularly invited to participate in culinary competitions and food events both nationally and internationally, including Iceland's Food and Fun Celebration in Reykavik, St.Petersburg, and Helsinki, Canada's Food and Wine Festival in Niagara, and Disney World's Regional Feasts in Orlando.

Beyond the kitchen, Lacoste's favorite place to be is in the middle of a local farmers' market, hunting down the freshest fruits and vegetables and chatting with purveyors about their just-picked produce. These markets, where she frequently presents chef's demonstrations, are not only a source of inspiration for her cuisine, but a meeting point for food lovers to talk about the importance of investment in the local community and dedication to the ideals of organic and sustainable farming. Lacoste is currently writing a cookbook and plans to open her own Washington, D.C.