Rocco Whalen Speaker & Booking Information

Rocco Whalen, if nothing else, is wrapped up in the love of cooking: the idea and vitality of it, the doing of it, the invention and sustainability of it, the day-to-day enrichment of it, and, ultimately and significantly, the memory of learning all about it from his Mother. All combine as convictions he affectionately shares with regulars and first-timers who dine at his remarkable restaurant, Fahrenheit in historic Tremont, a scone’s throw from downtown Cleveland. Rocco opened Fahrenheit in 2002. It is contemporary American cuisine, always in a state of flux and perfection. It was a hit from the get-go. After 12 years, it still is: it never fails to impress. He does not stand still. Which is why, today, with Fahrenheit home to a packed house every day of the week, and Rocco has emerged as one of the best chefs in Cleveland which makes him one of the best in the Midwest. Accolades and recognitions flow seemingly nonstop from local and national media. He is rarely overlooked. He does cooking demos once a week on a local television station; he has traveled to other cities to do the same. He explains articulately, intelligently, and seriously what he does and why and how he does it. Gourmet magazine listed Fahrenheit in its “Guide to America’s Best Restaurants”; in 2002 trade pub Restaurant Hospitality named Rocco a “rising star”; in 2004 he was a James Beard rising star nominee. Esquire magazine’s food and travel writer, John Mariani, in his 2002 annual report of the best new restaurants in America, informed the foodservice world that “[Rocco] is a chef to keep your eye on.” When Mariani was asked what he meant by that, he said, “it’s all about effort and technique.” Indeed.