Who was the 2005 American Culinary Federation national Chef of the Year?
Who is the captain of the 2008 United States Culinary Olympic Team?
What notable Columbus Chef is just 32 years old?

The answer to all three questions is Richard Rosendale, executive chef and owner of Rosendales, in the Short North. Chef Magazine recently referred to him as being among “a new breed of American chefs ... an amalgam of different generations and philosophy.”

So, how did the Pennsylvania native achieve such national prominence at such a young age? A very interesting story, indeed.

Richard Rosendale was born in Pittsburgh. He was raised primarily by his mother, who taught English for 30 years. When he was about 10 years old, the family’s house burned to the ground on Christmas Day. The family moved to Uniontown, Penn. and started over from scratch. His mother’s strength, courage and values were critical forces in shaping his life, he says.

Rosendale’s grandparents provided additional support. His grandfather was a farmer and provided much of the family’s food, which perhaps became a spark for his interest in “local sourcing” of food at his restaurant. The family, one side Italian, the other German/Pennsylvania Dutch, had already established a rich culinary tradition, entailing Italian pasta fagiole and red sauces, Pennsylvania Dutch apple pie, homemade noodles and, from the farm, home-smoked bacon, homemade sausage and apple butter.

Rosendale’s interest in food led him to a local restaurant; he got his start bussing tables and cooking the basics.

From 1994 to 1997, Rosendale attended Westmoreland County Community College, where he received an Associate’s degree. He completed an apprenticeship at Nemacolin Woodlands, a well-known resort in southwestern Pennsylvania. On the day he graduated, he loaded his truck and drove directly to The Greenbrier, the legendary five-star resort in W.Va. At The Greenbrier, Rosendale was recognized for his artistic flair, strong work ethic, and passion for cooking.

After completing an apprenticeship at The Greenbrier, he worked at Handke’s Cuisine in Columbus, the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, and the famous Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh. During a stint as executive sous chef at the Edgewood Country Club in Pittsburgh, Rosendale realized he could do more. He calls it his “a-ha moment.”

In 2001, he accepted his “big break” as a sous chef position at The Greenbrier, a destination he describes as “steeped in history and larger than life.” In the position, he supervised many of the 165 chefs and 2,000 employees and, in late 2001, at the age of 25, Rosendale became the chef de cuisine of the Tavern Room, the fine-dining restaurant at The Greenbrier.

In 2003 (age 28), he tried out and made it onto the U. S. Culinary Olympic team as the youngest member ever. Rosendale considers this to be a seminal event in his career. In 2004, the five-man U.S. Olympic team won the “hot food” competition at the Culinary Olympics, and the team is now ranked No. 1 in the world among the 32 participating countries. At the Olympics, Rosendale’s lobster buffet platter received the first perfect score in seven years. To top it off, Rosendale was elected captain of the team for the 2008 Olympic competition in Germany.

Rosendale credits Peter Timmins, executive chef at The Greenbrier (factoid: Chef Hartmut Handke of Handke's Cuisine in Columbus was also executive chef at The Greenbrier) as his culinary mentor, along with Rod Stoner, former vice president of food and beverage of The Greenbrier properties.

In 2005, Rosendale began to consider opening his own restaurant. He focused his research on cities that had growth potential. Columbus’ Arena District, Short North, Easton and Polaris were selling points to him; they made the city a “different, more sophisticated” area. After consulting with Handke, Rosendale began looking for spaces and quickly became fond of the 1924 Winders Chevrolet building, at 793 N. High St., for “its history, modern looks, character and soul.”

Once Rosendale finalized the Herculean task of starting a restaurant from scratch, several former employees of The Greenbrier joined him in Columbus.

Sitting in his restaurant, Rosendale looks like a fresh-scrubbed teenager. He’s extremely engaging, passionate, mature and confident. He sets high standards for himself, and insists on having “the right people in the right places.” He clearly has a relentless pursuit of perfection.

The chef describes Rosendales as “modern American dining with a sophisticated atmosphere,” and its menu as “a union of all of the cuisines that are part of the ‘melting pot’ that is America; a wicker basket, weaving together the global influences, from parmesan cheese to soy sauce to Ohio tomatoes.”

He also occasionally incorporates the science of modern gastronomy; for example, Rosendales’ short ribs are cooked in a thermal circulator that is hooked up to a computer, cooked for 48 hours at exactly 141 degrees, and the result is perfectly firm, yet tender. There is no walk-in refrigerator or freezer at Rosendales; every ingredient comes in fresh and prepared that day. Much of the produce comes directly from local farmers, when it is in season at its peak (pears, tomatoes, cantaloupe, greens –everything). There’s a lot of passion at Rosendales, and the result is extremely creative dishes and techniques, with unusual twists and beautiful presentation.

CHEF 4-1-1: Rapid fire questions for Chef Rosendale:
Signature dish: Sea scallop Rossini with seared foie gras, fresh pea puree, crushed truffles.
Culinary hero: Thomas Keller, chef-owner of the world-famous French Laundry, in Yountville, Calif., and Per Se, in New York City, two of the most difficult reservations in the world to secure.
Biggest surprise: That the five- and eight-course tasting menus have been such a success.
Thoughts about Columbus: Do not underestimate the food knowledge and sophistication of Columbus residents.
What are you looking forward to: The next project in Columbus, and more balance in his life as he and his wife recently welcomed their first child. Also the Culinary Olympics in October in Erfurt, Germany and, of course, continued success …

Steve Stover is a contributing writer for CityScene.