Meet Ris Lacoste!

Ris Lacoste is one of the most respected and dedicated chefs working in Washington D.C. Her reputation is built upon high-quality ingredients, bold and innovative technique, and food that is both familiar and simply delicious. Beyond the kitchen, Lacoste’s favorite place to be is the local famers’ market, hunting down the season’s freshest fruits and vegetables and providing chef’s demonstrations. Lacoste is well known for her dedication to community involvement and serves on several boards both locally and nationally. Lacoste has been a fixture on the D.C. culinary scene for almost two decades. Following her studies at Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne (Paris, France), she returned to her native New England and joined Chef Bob Kinkead at the Harvest Restaurant in Cambridge, MA. She helped him open 21 Federal in Nantucket, MA, in 1985 and Twenty-One Federal in Washington, D.C., in 1987. In 1993, as chef de cuisine, Lacoste opened Kinkead’s American Brasserie, which became a D.C. dining institution. Lacoste participated in other District restaurant openings, including those of Vidalia, Eye Street Café and Rock Creek at Mazza. In 1995, Lacoste was named executive chef of 1789 Restaurant and as a result, the restaurant was recognized as one of the nation’s finest restaurants. In 2005, Lacoste left 1789 and opened her own restaurant, RIS, a restaurant that is rustic, affordable and full of heart.

Awards: The Washington Post; Wine Spectator; and Washingtonian magazines; James Beard Foundation nomination; The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington “Chef of the Year” (1999); “Restaurant on the Year:” (2000).

Media Presence: The Food Network’s Iron Chef America (2005); Iron Chef for the D.C. Central Kitchen’s Capital Food Fight (2004, 2005).

Board Memberships: The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington; The Hospitality High School of Washington, D.C., DC Central Kitchen.
Past Board Memberships: The National Board of Directors for the American Institute of Wine and Food. Professional affiliations and memberships: The Women’s Forum of Washington, D.C.; Women Chefs and Restaurateurs; James Beard Foundation; Chefs’ Collaborative; and Les Dames d’Escoffier. Fundraising efforts: The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance; St. Jude Children’s Hospital; DC Central Kitchen; Suited for Change.