Former Executive Chef, The NoMad
Former Chef De Cuisine, Eleven Madison Park

A native New Yorker, James Kent started his culinary career as a summer apprentice at Bouley when he was 15 years old. After taking classes at the Le Cordon Bleu in London and Paris and graduating from Johnson and Wales, Kent moved back to New York where he spent time in the kitchens of Babbo, Jean Georges, and Gordon Ramsay.
Kent joined the team at Eleven Madison Park as a line cook in the spring of 2007 and was quickly promoted to sous chef. In 2011, Kent was chosen to represent the United States at the international finals of the Bocuse D’Or in Lyon, France. After a full year of training for this culinary competition, he placed tenth in the world.
Upon returning to New York, James was named chef de cuisine of Eleven Madison Park and during his time there, the restaurant received numerous accolades including four stars from the New York Times, three Michelin stars, and a coveted spot on the San Pellegrino list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. James was promoted to Executive Chef of the NoMad in the fall of 2013. Under his leadership the NoMad was awarded a michelin Star each year, and was considered one of the top 100 restaurants in the world, being ranked 62.
Kent is in the process of using his 20 plus years of restaurant experience to build his flagship restaurant that will be opening in the coming year in New York.