Frank Cohen

* ***** ****** #*** ad3pc7@r.postjobfree.com

Hamden, CT 06514 203-***-****

Career Highlights (Journalistic, Gastronomic, Oenological, Entrepreneurial & Retail)

**/** - ******* **** **** at Cheshire Wine & Spirits South in Cheshire, conducting tastings, educating staff and public, helping with floor sales and guiding store's wine purchases

5/23 - Present FastTrac Coordinator at Colonial Toyota in Milford, helping manage driver corps, rental fleet and customer relations in novel program where customers are brought complimentary loaners while their vehicles are picked up for service 2/16 - Present Consulting Food & Wine Director for Viron Rondo Osteria in Cheshire, helping restructure menu, test and hire chefs, rewrite and redesign website, and develop expanded wine list for increased sales and Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence 3/19 - Present Select Accounts Manager for Vinifera Imports, a nationwide importer and distributor of the finest Italian wines since 1979 6/11 - Present Contributing Restaurant Critic, Food Writer & Photographer for Connecticut Magazine

7/00 - Present Founder & Operator of Shining Seas Properties, investing in and managing real estate in Connecticut, Asia & Europe 8/20 - Present Founder & Operator of CT Dish, a Connecticut-focused online food magazine, with restaurant reviews, feature stories, interviews, best lists, and more

1/18 - Present Founder & Operator of Editor for Hire 6/18 - Present Contributing Restaurant Critic, Food Writer & Photographer for CT Bites, Connecticut's leading food blog

9/20 - 2/22 Wine Consultant for Café Aura, Geno Auriemma's Manchester restaurant, which was awarded Hartford

Magazine's Best New Restaurant of 2020, guiding the fine dining establishment to a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 12/20 - 5/21 In conjunction with 360 MandE Marketing & Events in Westbrook and ilani Casino Resort in Ridgefield, WA (with Drew Bledsoe & Josh McDaniels), created wine label for ilani Cabernet Sauvignon as well as publicity materials for ilani IPA (with Bale Breaker Brewing Company in Yakima, WA) 8/19 - 12/19 Senior Account Manager for nationwide DB Fine Wines in New Canaan

2/19 - 8/19 Wine Advisor for nationwide GrapesWine.com in Norwalk 10/17 - 3/19 Alumni Interviewer & Profiler, Choate Rosemary Hall Bulletin, Wallingford

7/18 - 2/19 Italian Wine Specialist for Vinifera Imports, a nationwide importer and distributor of fine Italian wines since 1979 9/12 - 3/18 Associate Editor for Food & Drink/Staff Writer for Hartford Magazine, New Haven Living (until cessation of publication in 1/17), Hartford Courant and CTNOW, and using pen name Spencer Caldwell, Restaurant Critic for Hartford Magazine and New Haven Living

10/14 - 3/18 "Wishful Drinking" Columnist for Hartford Magazine and New Haven Living (the latter until 1/17), covering wine, beer, cocktails and other libations

3/11 - 12/17 Executive Editor, Feature Writer, Restaurant Critic, Automotive Critic & Photographer for Decades Magazine, a biannual lifestyle glossy by Hoffman Auto Group, using pen names Ellis Parker and Gil Walker, after initial year as a Feature Writer & Photographer

7/15 - 1/16 Contributing Food & Travel Writer for the Connecticut Travel Guide published by Madden Media in Tucson, AZ as well as for Massachusetts travel websites with whom Madden Media contracted

2/10 - 9/12 Restaurant Critic for Hartford Magazine as Spencer Caldwell 2/08 - 9/15 Executive Editor & Restaurant Critic for RestaurantsCT.com, for years Connecticut's leading restaurant website, managing its editorial content, expanding its restaurant database, and developing and maintaining restaurant reviews and a blog contributed under multiple pen names

2/14 - 9/15 Restaurant Critic, biannually, for Orange Life under pen name Philip Innes

12/08 - 4/15 Director of Quality Control & Restaurant Development for Ibiza Tapas & Wine Bars, helping create restaurant concepts, write menus, and open outlets in Hamden, Danbury and Northampton, MA

2/11 - 1/13 Restaurant Consultant for New England Culinary Group under name Epic Cures, specializing in restaurant concepts and mystery shopping

9/01 - 2/11 Restaurant Consultant & Publicist under name Epic Cures for select Connecticut clients, including Sal e Pepe in Newtown; the Rizzuto's Restaurants in Bethel, West Hartford, Westport and Stamford; the Billy Grant restaurants in West Hartford and Glastonbury; and others

2/07 - 2/09 Director of Quality Control & Product Development for Empanada Joe's, with three quick-serve restaurants in prime Manhattan locations, after starting as a Restaurant Consultant for Seasons Restaurant in Somers under the same ownership 3/06 - 5/07 Restaurant Critic for Hartford Magazine as Jonathan Braverman 9/06 - 5/07 Partner, with Attorney Reynaldo Garcia until his untimely death, in plan to launch high-quality, Indian, fast-food chain in Manila, Philippines

3/02 - 2/08 Restaurant Critic, Travel Writer & Reporter, using pen name Philippe Montblanc, for Mystic-based Resident

12/02 - 12/07 Restaurant Critic, Feature Writer & Photographer, using pen name Philip Innes, for Fairfield County Times and Westchester County Times

3/04 - 7/05 Special Columnist, using pen name Philip Innes, for the groundbreaking work of critiquing restaurant critics of selected major cities for national monthly restaurant trade publication SLAMMED Magazine

1/05 - 6/05 Restaurant Critic for "inGoodTaste," which ran in Moffly Publications' Greenwich, Westport and New Canaan·Darien Magazines, using pen name Philippe Montblanc

7/03 - 4/05 Cuisine Writer & Photographer, using pen name Philip Innes, for various Minuteman newspapers

11/00 - 2/03 Westchester Editor for Zagat Survey using pen name Philip Innes, completing two editions and contributing to America's Top Restaurants

3/97 - 11/02 Restaurant Critic for Fairfield County Weekly using pen name Philip Innes

12/97 - 12/01 Restaurant Critic for Westchester County Weekly using pen name Philip Innes

6/95 - 1/03 Guest Restaurant Critic, Feature Writer & Photographer for New Haven Advocate using pen name Philip Innes

Education

Bachelor of Arts Cornell University, College of Arts & Sciences, Ithaca, NY Major: Government Concentration: Creative Writing

Juris Doctor University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, MI Certificate of Alternate Route to Certification, Connecticut Department of Completion Education at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT Awards & Media Coverage

10/1/23 Profiled in Ridgefield City Lifestyle article, "Observations of a Longtime Restaurant Critic"

9/10/21 Profiled on CNN Travel in Silvia Marchetti article, "Living the Dream--The Americans Who Bought Bargain Homes in Italy's Deep South"

5/24/18 First Place, Leisure Writing in a Magazine, 2017 Excellence in Journalism Awards Competition, Society of Professional Journalists, Connecticut Chapter, for Hartford Magazine article

"Southern Comfort Dishes from Dixie Whistle Their Way onto Local Menus"

Recent Volunteer Work

8/21 - 9/23 Panel Member, CRAzies Nominating Committee for Annual Awards Gala, Connecticut Restaurant Association,

Farmington, CT

8/20 - 1/23 President, previously Vice President, previously Communications Committee Chair, of Connecticut Club of University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

11/13 - 5/16 Committee Member, Natural Resources & Open Space Commission, Town of Hamden, Hamden, CT

1/12 - 3/16 Flavors of CT Committee Member, American Liver Foundation - Connecticut Division, North Haven, CT References Available Upon Request

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