Chef Hosea Rosenberg is the executive chef and owner of Blackbelly, an acclaimed restaurant and the only independent, whole-animal butcher shop in Boulder. The mission at Blackbelly ensures that the food always starts with seasonal, Colorado-grown ingredients and pasture-raised, sustainable animals.
Hailing from Taos, New Mexico, Rosenberg’s culinary path began while earning a degree in engineering physics at the University of Colorado. He worked at restaurants to help pay for college but quickly identified the work as his life’s passion, moving rapidly through the kitchen ranks. After studying under established chefs such as Wolfgang Puck, Kevin Taylor and Dave Query, Hosea landed his first chef position at Boulder’s Dandelion Restaurant in 2001. Subsequently, he spent six years working for The Big Red F Group, ultimately as executive chef of Jax Fish House in Boulder. His competitive work ethic and the experience he gained in these positions pushed Rosenberg to achieve national culinary fame when he won Bravo TV’s “Top Chef, Season 5” in 2009.
By 2011, Rosenberg launched his own dream: Blackbelly, which started first as a catering company with a food truck and farm, and then evolved into a full-service, brick-and-mortar restaurant. Its immediate popularity prompted Rosenberg to take over the space next door to open Blackbelly Butcher. The shop became Boulder’s only artisanal butcher shop licensed to produce and sell cured and fermented meats. In its first year, Blackbelly was named 5280 Magazine’s Best New Restaurant and 15th Best Restaurant in Denver/Boulder in its second year. To date, Rosenberg has achieved numerous accolades, including Best Chef of Denver International Wine Festival and Guest Chef at the James Beard House. He was also recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a business owner inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit of the nation.
