Growing up, Rebecca Wilcomb was inspired by her mother’s Italian roots, and she was raised traveling to Italy, spending time with family, and eating her grandmother’s rustic home cooking. Drawing from that passion, rather than any professional experience, Chef Keith Pooler took a gamble and hired her at Harvest in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Pooler’s hunch was spot on and a career in food was launched. After Harvest, Wilcomb’s cooking took a Middle Eastern turn, first with a gig at Casablanca and later at Oleana, where Wilcomb worked under the command of James Beard Award-winning Chef Ana Sortun.

Wilcomb moved to New Orleans in 2008 and found an immediate home at Herbsaint. After working the line under Chefs Donald Link and Ryan Prewitt, Rebecca took over the kitchen as chef de cuisine in 2011. She now maintains Herbsaint’s high standards while pushing the restaurant’s food to new levels. Wilcomb expands her scope through regular international travel and research, and through personal relationships with Gulf fisherman, area farmers, and local purveyors. Herbsaint has been named a “Top 10 Restaurant” by the Times Picayune each year of her tenure, and Wilcomb is an active member of the Southern Foodways Alliance.

Celebrity Chef, Food & Beverage, Chef