Melvin Jerome Brown

M. Jerome "Rome" Brown (born July 6, 1967) known as Chef Rome is an American celebrity chef, television personality, restaurant consultant and award-winning cookbook author known for transforming classic Southern cuisine into gourmet experiences.

Originally from East Orange, NJ and now based in Chicago, Illinois, Chef Rome has built his reputation cooking for A-list celebrities, professional athletes, heads of state, and dignitaries worldwide. His culinary expertise centers on Southern United States cuisine with a distinctive gourmet twist.

Southern cuisine with a gourmet twist. Chef Rome believes everyone deserves to "eat like a celebrity".

Chef Rome's culinary approach combines traditional Southern recipes passed down through generations with modern gourmet techniques and presentation. His signature dishes like Garlic & Cheddar Cheese Shrimp & Grits, exemplifies his philosophy of enhancing classic Southern comfort food with upscale ingredients and refined preparation methods. He advocates for stone-ground grits and custom cheese selections, demonstrating his commitment to quality ingredients and traditional cooking methods.

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.

After high school, Chef Rome followed in the footsteps of his father and 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.

He transitioned from being an area chef at Disney's Contemporary Resort to becoming a sought-after celebrity chef with a client roster that included notable figures and various elite professional athletes such as Shaquille O'Neal (as personal chef), Colin Powell, Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Cam Newton, Nancy Kerrigan, and Priscilla Presley and others. Chef Rome has also provided culinary services aboard the star-studded StarVista Live Soul Train Cruise.

Featured African American celebrity Chef at the prestigious 2010 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Chef Rome is a founding member of the Fantastic Voyage Culinary Council and the Executive Chef on the StarVista Live Soul Train Cruise.

In 2000, Chef 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.

He is a private chef. He and his team offer event catering services.

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.

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.

Chef Rome has two restaurants opening in Chicago's south suburbs in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.

Chef Rome has numerous media placements on a variety of media outlets such as The Gospel Music Channel, ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS and more. He was the healthy chef correspondent for "The Good Life Radio", a former nationally syndicated show and his “Cooking With Rome” radio segment was heard weekly on the top rated syndicated show “Donnie McClurkin Show”.

Chef Rome has been featured in numerous prestigious publications and media outlets, including Black Enterprise, Food Network, Chicago Tribune, Feast Network, The Independent Post, and "Food Enthusiast" podcast, establishing him as a recognized authority in gourmet Southern cuisine.

In 2011, he was one of seven of America's most fearless chefs that had their physical prowess, mental toughness and culinary skills tested on the Food Network's "Extreme Chef".

Brown is the author of multiple acclaimed cookbooks that blend his personal story with his culinary expertise:

Eat Like a Celebrity: Southern Cuisine with a Gourmet Twist (December 2013) - His debut cookbook tells his life story through recipes and experiences as a celebrity chef, featuring favorite recipes of his celebrity clientele along with often humorous behind-the-scenes stories. The book was awarded "2014 Cookbook of the Year" by the African American Literary Advisory Board.

Carolina Soul: The Down Home Taste of the Carolinas (April 10, 2018) - A compilation of family recipes and personal stories, showcasing client favorites and low-calorie meals featuring Southern delicacies indigenous to North and South Carolina.

Spice and Spectrum - A collaborative project with the iCan Dream Center, working with students with intellectual disabilities, autism, and various learning difficulties. The cookbook combines his recipes with individual stories of students whose lives have been transformed through the iCan Dream Center.

Upcoming Publication

NOIR (Fall 2025) - Chef Rome's latest cookbook featuring Southern cuisine recipes with a gourmet twist, highlighting some of his favorite recipes that challenge traditional perceptions of Southern cuisine.

Celeb's Choice Salad Dressings

In 2024, Chef Rome launched his line of custom-made salad dressings, originally created for his celebrity clients who constantly requested these exclusive recipes. The bottled dressings allow the general public to "eat like a celebrity" and can be used for both salads and marinades.

Black Eden 1912 Partnership

Chef Rome partnered with Ikonic Spirits and Phyllis Wine® in 2024 to develop four new ready-to-drink cocktails using Black Eden 1912 premium handcrafted bourbon, expanding his brand into the beverage industry.

Private Events and Catering

Based in Chicago, Chef Rome and his team provide private chef services, corporate event catering, and wedding cuisine, offering clients the opportunity to "Eat Like a Celebrity" with Southern cooking enhanced by gourmet touches and exceptional hospitality.

Brown was born in Newark, NJ and raised in East Orange, New Jersey, moved to Rocky Mount, North Carolina where his mother is from and now currently lives in Chicago, IL. In Newark, New Jersey, where he learned to cook from the women in his family who handed down recipes used for generations. In 1986, he enlisted in the United States Army as a cook, beginning his professional culinary journey. His military experience provided the foundation for his disciplined approach to cooking and hospitality.

He has two children Jasmine and Joshua who appeared with him on The 700 Club in 2007.^[1] In 2023, he married Dr. Evisha Ford whom he met while working with her on a cookbook for the iCan Dream Center.

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