Ilene Rosen Instagram Location: Brooklyn Chef Ilene Rosen is the creative director and co-owner of R&D Foods in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, a specialty grocery shop that features her popular vegetable-driven prepared foods. Rosen won a James Beard Award in 2019 for her best-selling cookbook "Saladish." Before opening her shop in 2014, she served as the savory chef at The City Bakery for 15 years. Experience Native Brooklynite Ilene Rosen worked as an interior and furniture designer before she realized her true passion was cooking. After graduating from culinary school she landed a position at Maury Rubin's City Bakery, of which she had been a long-time patron. She spent 15 years there honing her craft and creating a salad bar worthy of a cult following. Rosen teamed up with her business partner Sara Dima in 2012 to open 606 R&D, a little cafe where they served homey food for their neighbors in Prospect Heights. Although their cafe only lasted a few years, their spinoff catering operation and salad/sandwich shop next door, R&D Foods, grew to become a neighborhood staple. In 2018, Rosen published the critically acclaimed Saladish, which Melissa Clark of The New York Times raved, "Elevates salads from the quotidian to the thrilling.” Education Ilene Rosen is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute. She also holds two design degrees from the Parsons School of Design in New York City. About Food & Wine Food & Wine, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, is an award-winning online resource for anyone passionate about the culinary world. With rigorously tested recipes and the most trusted restaurant, drinks, culinary travel and home coverage, we inspire and empower people everywhere to discover, create, and devour the best in food and wine. Learn more about us and our editorial process.