Chef Jim Coleman is a thriving member of the new breed of chef/entrepreneurs who have combined culinary skills with business acumen. He is also one of the only multi-media celebrity chefs, having mastered television, radio and print.
In 1993, the Philadelphia press dubbed Coleman "the spatula-weilding king of all media," a title he continues to hold.
Coleman's "day job" was executive chef of the AAA Five-Diamond Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, a position he has held since 1992. During Coleman's tenure, The Rittenhouse has won many accolades. The Rittenhouse hosts celebrities and politicians, and produces numerous special events and fundraising dinners.
When he's not in the kitchen, Coleman is in front of a microphone. Since 1996, Coleman as hosted "A Chef's Table," a live, weekly radio call-in show broadcast on WHYY 91FM. The show features conversations with nationally recognized chefs, authors and food personalities on a variety of food and beverage issues. In February 2000, "A Chef's Table" began broadcasting throughout the country over National Public Radio.
In 1996, Coleman hosted his first television series, Flavors of Philadelphia, which ran for two seasons on Philadelphia's public television. In 1998, Flavors of America hit the national public television with Coleman as host and co-executive producer. Flavors now airs in 40 million homes across the country.
Coleman has published two cookbooks: Flavors of America, published in 1998 as the companion to the television show, and The Rittenhouse Cookbook: A Year of Seasonal Heart-Healthy Recipes, published by Ten Speed Press in 1997.
Also a successful entrepreneur, Coleman has his own line of gourmet mustards and ketchups, called The Chef's Table, which are distributed across the country. He is also a partner and star of Gourmet Video Company,which produces a series of cooking video tapes.
Coleman is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America. He was chosen as one of 40 out of 10,000 applicants to participate in the premiere session of Madeline Kamman's Beringer School of American Chefs.
Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Chef Coleman's career has taken him around the world, from the beaches of California to the Great Wall of China.
He currently lives in NJ with his wife, two children and two dogs.
