About Chef Rome
A Military Cook Turned Personal Chef to the Stars
Chef Rome’s story begins as a child at the age of seven when he dazzled his family with his first culinary creation—pancakes. Inspired by his mother and grandmother who cooked and taught all of the children, including the men, to cook. Thus started his love affair with cooking and the culinary arts.
At Gardener’s BBQ in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, as a teenager, Rome spent endless hours absorbing the wisdom shared by his mentors at this popular neighborhood restaurant. He was a quick study in the kitchen and his confidence and skill set grew rapidly. He was a natural with the ability to master any dish with the greatest of ease from a single lesson or a mere taste of a dish and he could recreate it to perfection.
US Army to Disney
After high school, Chef Rome enlisted in the US Army where he proudly served his country and fellow soldiers in the kitchen as a cook and was certified as a chef while stationed in Pusan, Korea. He traveled around the world perfecting his skills and expanding his repertoire to include international cuisine.
Rome retired from the Army in 1992 and returned home to Rocky Mount, NC to cook at the upscale Bienvenue Country Club training under renowned Executive Chef Larry Kennedy. A few years later, he took a coveted job at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida where he learned “The Disney Way” of quality and service.
Chef to the Stars
In 2000, Rome started Chef to the Stars, a chef placement service that, to date, has successfully placed more than 75 top chefs in celebrity homes. His command of the culinary arts extends far beyond the magic he creates in the kitchen. In 2001, he was commissioned by former NBA star Isaac Austin to consult on the opening of his restaurant.
As a celebrity chef, Chef Rome has shared his passion for cuisine with a variety of A-List celebrities, dignitaries, and elite professional athletes such as Colin Powell, Shaquille O’Neal, Priscilla Presley, Star Jones, Nancy Kerrigan, Carl Gustaf (King of Sweden), Byron Cage, Mike Bibby, and more. He earned an international reputation for being trustworthy and result driven.
On a Mission
Whether he is offering guidance to a client struggling with weight issues, an athlete desiring to gain muscle, or a novice who simply wants to be educated on healthy food choices and preparation—Chef Rome delivers tailored programs with a kilowatt smile. With his popular “southern meets gourmet” twist on cuisine, clients are amazed to learn that low-calorie dishes can still be flavorful, filling, and completely satisfying.
Chef Rome is on a mission to use food as a tool to bring families back to the dining table to fellowship, reconnect, and create lifelong memories. He is often called upon to share his expertise and participate in the national dialogue on popular health and lifestyle hot topics, ranging from energy boosting foods and cooking techniques to how to set a table.
Product Collaborations
In 2024, Chef Rome teamed up with Michigan’s Ikonic Spirits and Phyllis Wine® and its Black Eden 1912 premium handcrafted bourbon as a spokesperson and collaborator. He has helped develop four ready-to-drink cocktails using Black Eden bourbon. The Michigan-based company is growing distribution in Illinois, Maryland, Washington D.C. and Atlanta.
Media & Accolades
He has numerous media placements on a variety of media outlets such as The Gospel Music Channel, ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS and more. Chef Rome was the healthy chef correspondent for The Good Life Radio, a former nationally syndicated show and his “Cooking With Rome” radio segment can be heard weekly on the top rated “Donnie McClurkin Show” also airing in syndication.
Rome was also a featured African American celebrity Chef at the prestigious 2010 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. He is a founding member of the Fantastic Voyage Culinary Council and the Executive Chef on the StarVista Soul Train Cruise.
He is the author of Cooking with Rome (2011), Carolina Soul (2019), Eat Like a Celebrity (2019), Spice and Spectrum (2023) which he co-authored with his wife Dr. Evisha Ford. Chef Rome’s television credits include being a contestant on the Food Network’s ""Extreme Chefs" (2011) and "Ready, Steady, Cook South Africa" (2024).
Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “A Threefold cord is not easily broken.” It signifies that strength and resilience are found in unity and cooperation, particularly in relationships. It suggests that having a strong foundation with three interwoven components, like individuals in a partnership or a person with GOD and others, is more durable than a single, isolated element. It’s the creed they live by.
Chef Jerome Brown, Ricky the Chef, and Chef Sondrá Rhodes (3V3), travel the world together catering large groups, making special appearances and hosting demonstrations, bringing their knives, passion, and elevated cuisines - the ingredients of their success - with them. They operate under the mantle of, “Great service is long remembered after a good meal.”
3v3
