The right ingredients mixed together can make for a perfect dish. That’s what Samford hopes for in its plan to enrich the student dining experience, with one unique piece of that recipe being James Briscione (’01).
Samford has officially dubbed the Food Network star the university’s first ever culinary advisor. The role will allow James to contribute to staff training, new menu options, and even develop a teaching kitchen.
“We are just starting to scratch the surface of this partnership, but one of the things I foresee is that sometimes you get out of college and don’t know what to feed yourself and don’t know where to start,” says James. “The teaching kitchen will help students with basic life skills, sharing some simple meals they can put together.”
This culinary collaboration with the two-time Chopped winner follows a massive cafeteria renovation by Samford, as well as the implementation of a new food services provider in the Ralph W. Beeson University Center. It’s hoped all the changes will lead to increased use of the cafeteria and continued student engagement.
Deidre Lackey/Deidre Ruth Photography
“Part of Samford’s new strategic plan calls for fostering a community committed to overall wellness and creating opportunities for all students to connect with and contribute to formative activities,” says Wade Walker, Director of Business Services. “With the addition of Chef James, it shows we are committed to making our dining service program the best it can possibly be.”
Briscione recently showcased his new role on Family Weekend, whipping up butternut squash gnocchi in the teaching kitchen as students watched, learned, and, of course, tasted. He hosted similar demonstrations at Homecoming and during the holidays.
As an alum, serving as the culinary advisor is James’s way of passing down a recipe that worked for him as a student. He says Samford’s “secret sauce” contains ingredients—particularly passion and encouragement—that are hard to measure anywhere else.
“I had the support of my instructors and advisors at Samford to help me be a part of the community here, get an education and have a job all at once. I would not be who I am, nor where I am, had I not made the decision to attend Samford,” says James.
During his time at Samford, James worked under James Beard award-winning restauranteur Frank Stitt, making pizzas at Bottega Café and going on to become chef de cuisine at Highlands Bar & Grill at age 24. James moved to New York City for a position at the four-star Daniel restaurant, where, as sous chef of the private dining room, he cooked for celebrities and dignitaries. He spent 10 years as Director of Culinary Research at The Institute of Culinary Education. In addition, James is a Food Network regular, serving as a host and judge and earning the distinction of the first-ever two-time champion of Chopped. He served as both a judge and competitor on Beat Bobby Flay, progressing through the cook-off-style episode to beat the celebrity chef and restauranteur during a tortellini dish challenge. James returned to his hometown of Pensacola, Florida, in 2018 to open Angelena’s Italian restaurant. Together with his wife, James has published four cookbooks.