About Leslie Brenner

Leslie Brenner / Photograph by Manny Rodriguez

As a former restaurant critic who also has deep practical experience in the industry, Leslie offers a uniquely valuable perspective and outstanding skills as a food and beverage consultant. 

Winner of two James Beard Awards and a leader in the food and beverage community, she has eaten all over the world, and lived and worked in New York City, Los Angeles and Dallas. As founder and editor in chief of the award-winning international cooking website, Cooks Without Borders, and a former contributing editor for Travel + Leisure magazine, she has expertise in a wide variety of global cuisines. The author of four books about food and one about wine, she was also Food Editor for The Los Angeles Times and Restaurant Critic and Dining Editor for The Dallas Morning News. 

Here’s what she brings to the table to help your business:

• Deep expertise in global cuisine and a passion for excellence — At a macro level, Leslie can curate the F&B component of a large development project or lead F&B visioning for a boutique hospitality project. At a more focused level, she can help a restaurateur understand why certain dishes aren’t working and how to fix them; improve menu assortment aesthetically and economically; offer fresh ideas and recipes; revamp a wine list.

• An unparalleled network of relationships throughout the food world — From food editors to designers, architects and branding experts, to chefs, cooks, FOH specialists, bar managers, purveyors, artisans and farmers, Leslie knows the people who can help your business thrive. Need an executive chef for a new project? She knows the perfect candidate. Looking for the best artisan products to feature in your shop or online store? Leslie can lead you to the most delicious goods.

• Powerful storytelling and persuasion — Imagine if you could have one of the top restaurant critics in the country write your menu descriptions, website copy and press releases. You can! Leslie has an MFA in Fiction Writing from Columbia University; her writing has won armloads of honors, including two James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards. There is no one who tell your story more compellingly and persuasively.

• Marketing, branding expertise, thoughtful leadership — Having spent a couple decades creating her own memorable, meaningful brand, Leslie has the creative marketing ideas that will attract the right kind of attention for your business.

• Entrepreneurial savvy — Want to start a new food business but don’t know how to begin? Leslie can help you create a business plan, marketing strategy and more.



“Designing the weekly seasonal menus for our Dallas-based meal-delivery service is a difficult task, as it involves so many moving parts. Leslie’s invaluable help with developing our menus enabled us to elevate our overall offering, and her marketing savvy helped us increase our customer base. Any food business, whether an established restaurant or a start-up, would benefit greatly from her consultancy!” 

  — Josephine Giesen, Founder and CEO, À Table