Adam Zensinger

Years of Participation

Chef Adam Zensinger was 13 years old when he landed his first job in a restaurant in his native New Jersey. Working his way up from bus boy to dishwasher to fry cook during his high school years and summers home from college, he fell in love with the dynamic environment of a professional kitchen. As a student at Auburn University majoring in finance, he continued to cook at local restaurants in the Alabama town. Upon graduating, he decided to pursue a career as a chef and enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Atlanta, graduating with honors. Following cooking school, he worked in Atlanta for two years at Kyma under Chef Pano, then made his way back up north to Philadelphia. While in Philly, he had the opportunity to work under Chef Jose Garces for seven years, serving as chef de cuisine at his flagship restaurant, Amada, in his final two years with the company. Zensinger went on to work as a chef for a number of restauranteurs, including Stephen Starr, Aimee Olexy and Tim Spinner, before opening his own catering company. In March 2017, he moved with his family to Hilton Head Island to join The Sea Pines Resort where he serves as chef de cuisine at Fraser’s Tavern. When he’s not working in the kitchen, Zensinger enjoys hitting the road with his wife Shelly, their kids and dog, Fiver.