The co-star of Food Network’s exciting new series, Chefs vs. City, Aarón is the owner and executive chef of restaurants Paladar and Centrico, both located in New York City. The son of celebrated Mexican cooking authority Zarela Martínez, Aarón’s passion, commitment and skills have placed him among the country’s leading contemporary Latin Chefs. Paladar is a funky but chic restaurant, a pan-Latin inspiration on the Lower East Side. At Centrico, Aarón goes back to his roots to cook the Mexican food of his childhood with a fresh interpretation.

He began his career with the Food Network as co-host of Melting Pot, where he introduced a national audience to his technique and creativity with contemporary interpretations of classic Latino cuisine. Today Aarón stars on multiple Food Network shows including: Chefs vs. City, Chopped, Best Thing I Ever Ate, Next Iron Chef, and more. Aarón was nominated as the “Rising Star Chef of the Year” by the James Beard Foundation in 2005. Aarón is a restaurateur, television personality, consultant, spokesperson
and author.

www.paladarrestaurant.com - www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com

An American chef born to Ecuadorian parents and raised in Chicago, Chef Garces began his culinary training in the kitchen of his paternal grandmother. In developing his personal cooking style, something he says is an ongoing pursuit, Garces spent years perfecting different cuisines in top rated professional kitchens. Since opening his first restaurant, Amada, in 2005, Chef Jose Garcés has emerged as an enormous talent and one of the nation’s most gifted young chefs. He has opened six additional restaurants, in both Philadelphia and Chicago; authored a stunning cookbook, Latin Evolution (Lake Isle Press, September 2008); won the James Beard Foundation’s prestigious “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic” award 2009; appeared on Food Network’s Iron Chef America; and won the most recent season of The Next Iron Chef, making him one of just six chefs in the country to hold the prestigious title of Iron Chef America.

www.grg-mgmt.com

Is an Argentina native, who does seem born to be a chef. Raised in Buenos Aires, with summers spent in Patagonia, she was able to experience both the sophisticated cuisine of the big city and the excellent seafood of the coast. Natalia’s culinary career started when she took her first job at Museo Renault, a super-trendy restaurant in Buenos Aires. Shortly after having arrived in New York, she was introduced to Chef Maricel Presilla. They worked side-by-side developing Maricel’s definitive Latin America cookbook. Natalia eventually became the chef de cuisine for Cucharamama.

In 2005 she joined internationally-known Argentinean chef Fernando Trocca, as chef for Industria Argentina Restaurant and Azul Bistro. One of her signature dishes at the restaurant is her wood oven-roasted lamb, which combines her influence from both Northern & Southern Argentina. Natalia has competed and won twice on Food Network’s Chopped.

www.iatribeca.com - www.azulnyc.com

Is the chef/owner of Fonda restaurant in Brooklyn and the owner of Truly Mexican a New York based food consulting firm. As a native of México City and a graduate with honors from Paris’s top culinary institutions, award-winning Chef Roberto Santibañez' culinary resume includes stints as restaurateur, culinary consultant, author and teacher in México, Europe and the United States. Roberto has been responsible for the culinary development of some of the most highly regarded Mexican restaurants in the United States. His 2007 book Rosa’s New Mexican Table was nominated for a 2008 James Beard Award and currently he is working on his second cookbook to be published in 2011. Roberto is a member of The Culinary Institute of America’s Latin Cuisines Advisory Council.

www.fondarestaurant.com

Maricel E. Presilla was born in Santiago de Cuba. She is a culinary historian, author, and chef specializing in the cuisines of Latin America and Spain. She has written The New Taste of Chocolate:
A Cultural and Natural History of Cacao with Recipes and has completed a Latin American cookbook that explores the cuisines of twenty Latin American countries (forthcoming). Presilla is the co-owner and chef of Zafra, a pan-Latin restaurant, and Cucharamama, a South American restaurant, both in Hoboken, New Jersey. In 2007, 2008, and 2009 Presilla has been nominated as Best Chef for the Mid-Atlantic Region by the James Beard Foundation. Last February, she opened Ultramarinos, a food store, bakery, and cooking atelier in Hoboken, NJ specializing in Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese foods and ingredients.

www.zafrakitchens.com - www.maricelpresilla.com - www.ultramarinos.biz

He was born in the Dominican Republic, where he was fascinated by his grandmother’s soulful home cooking and by the colors, sounds and aromas she created for each meal. Chef Máximo puts his passion into each dish, creating inimitable combinations of ingredients that inspire a memorable reaction with each bite. Through his two stylish restaurants in the Lower East Side, he introduced Estilo Libre Latino (Freestyle Latino) cuisine, which respects yet redefines contemporary Latin American and Spanish dishes. Tejada graduated from the French Culinary Institute and was quickly recruited by Patria. He soon followed his mentor Douglas Rodriguez to Chicama and Pipa Tapas Restaurant at ABC Carpet & Home. As head chef he helped Chicama ear two stars from the New York Times.

www.rayuelanyc.com - www.macondonyc.com

Steven Olson, aka wine geek, is dedicated to the education and consultation of degustation for appreciation and celebration. He teaches, lectures, and writes all over the world about wine, beer, spirits, sake, and virtually any other beverage under the sun, discussing their integral cause-and-effect relationship with food. Steve has hosted a couple of his own TV series’ and been a guest on many others. Olson also acts as wine and spirits consultant for Bon Appétit magazine. He was honored by being selected as Santé Magazine’s Spirits Professional of the Year for 2003, and in 2005, he was chosen as CHEERS Magazine Beverage Innovator of the Year, a lifetime achievement award. To many he may be best known, however, for his restaurant consulting, having designed the innovative beverage programs and service systems for several nationally acclaimed restaurants. In March 2006 in New York City, Olson, along with four partners, opened Beverage Alcohol Resource, LLC (BAR). BAR is an independent organization whose mission is to educate, guide, and propagate the healthy, enlightened, and responsible use of beverage alcohol products. BAR was chosen as CHEERS Magazine Beverage Innovator of the Year 2007.

www.akawinegeek.com

He grew up in the culinary melting-pot of Central México. When Junior was just 10, his food-loving parents taught him to cook with local produce ranging from indigenous cocoa beans, to pomegranates native, to the Middle East cilantro with its Mediterranean roots, planting him an early passion for culinary mestizaje or blending diverse flavors. Shortly after immigrating to New York, Junior achieved the position as beverage manager at Roth’s Westside Steakhouse. At Roth’s, the wine list he put together –his first ever- won an award of excellence from Wine Spectator. Within months, he was initiated into the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Guild of Sommeliers. In 2006 Junior decided to create The Liquid Chef, Inc., founded to educate, create new experiences, and to showcase the artistry and mixability of ingredients and liquors from all over the world. Due to his well-known creativity, Junior has won a “Rising Star” award from Star Chefs, among other highly notable recognitions. Junior has created signature cocktails for dozens of restaurants and bars across the world.

www.theliquidchefinc.com

His eclectic take on traditional Latin American Cuisine draws influence from Caribbean family roots. Chef Gautier graduated from the chef training program at The Natural Gourmet Institute, and at age twenty he was invited to cook at the James Beard House, remaining still as the youngest to have received that honor. As a wine maker’s assistant in Argentina, and through his travels he conducted an intensive study of South American wine and perfected the Latin market cooking that Palo Santo offers on a daily changing menu.

www.palosanto.us

Chef Zarela Martínez is one of this generation’s leading U.S. restaurateurs, born and raised in México but began cooking professionally during the late 1970’s in El Paso, Texas. She quickly made her mark as menu-designer and later executive chef for Café Marimba, New York City’s first serious attempt to recreate regional Mexican cuisine with local sources. In 1987 she started her own restaurant, Zarela. Since it’s opening, the restaurant has become a favorite meeting spot as well as a culinary standard-setter, regularly winning superlative reviews and professional awards. In her continuing commitment to bringing regional Mexican food to New York, Zarela has launched an ongoing series of weekly gastronomic festivals featuring foods from different states in México. A cookbook author and and a public television series, among other projects, have proven that her mission is to make her culture in all its manifestations know and understood. Ms. Martínez has been honored on numerous occasions for her entrepreneurship and business accomplishments.

www.zarela.com

Guisippe comes from a family of bartenders going back to the 1950's.  His father and grandfather both being in the "business."  He moved to the United States from Puerto Rico, 12 years ago, to attend college at Cornell University. Although he has been behind a bar his whole life, he has only worked in New York City for the past 5 years.  These places include, the position of head bartender at Julie Reiner's Flatiron Lounge & Clover Club and Sasha Petraske's latest project in Long Island City, Queens: "Dutch Kills." He is the winner of the Plymouth Gin cocktail competition 2006(Boston), the 2008 Vinos de Jerez Sherry Competition, 2008 Cabana Cachaca cocktail competion (runner-up). He was also invited to participate in the Martin Miller's Gin Master's Competition representing the winning USA team and, most recently, won the Tales of the Cocktail "On the Fly" Competition.  He has been honored by Sauza Tres Generaciones as one of New York's best bartenders and by StarChefs.com as a "Rising Mixologist to Watch." Giuseppe will be opening a Tiki bar called Painkiller in the upcoming weeks.

www.painkillernyc.com - www.dutchkillsbar.com

Born in Miami to Cuban parents. She has built her career on the love of teaching all things culinary. She is the author of two cookbooks Eat, Drink, Think in Spanish (2009) and Simply Mexican (2009), which was selected by Food & Wine magazine as one of the 25 best cookbooks of 2009. Her third cookbook is due out on the Spring of 2011. Lourdes serves as a part-time instructor at New York University’s Food Studies department and in 2001 created the Ars Magirica Cooking School in Miami, through which she accomplished her dream of owning her own business. She is an active member of Les Dames d’Escoffier.

www.lourdes-castro.com

He has been creating refined Latin cuisine for nearly fifteen years. As a young boy in México City he was inspired by his father’s and grandfather’s authentic home cooking which lead him to become a chef. Julián earned his culinary stripes at New York City’s French Culinary Institute where he received the “Best Final Project” award. Having joined fellow Mexican chef Richard Sandoval at Maya Restaurant, was the beginning of a tight relationship that led them to open new restaurants across the country. Julián truly came into his own when he opened Toloache, forging a meeting between authentic dishes and contemporary discourse. In 2008 he opened Yerba Buena in Manhattan’s East Village, with a menu that traverses Perú, Cuba, Argentina, Colombia, México and Spain. Julián and his recipes have received rave reviews from every major publication and under his influence restaurants have proven that Mexican cuisine in New York City can be inventive and innovative.

www.ybandco.com

New York native born to mainland Puerto Rican parents, Daisy Martínez learned though her family that the kitchen is the happiest room in the household, and also to appreciate the diversity of Latin cuisine. In 1998 she matriculated at the French Culinary Institute, where she won first prize for her final project. In 2005 Daisy launched her new career with Daisy Cooks! on PBS, and her cookbook, Daisy Cooks! Latin Flavors that Will Rock Your World, which was an IACP nominee, and American Category Finalist, as well as winner of the Best Latino Cuisine Cookbook in the World by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. As Daisy's star ascended she had the opportunity to work with Rachel Ray's production company, Watch Entertainment, producing Viva Daisy!, which debuted on the Food Network in January 2009. Daisy's newest show continues her focus on celebrating life and family through food, while demonstrating her knowledge of the broad spectrum of Latin cuisine.

www.daisymartinez.com

Joaquin Simo has traveled a long way from his native Ecuador in his search for the perfect daiquiri.  Raised amongst Cuban family in Miami, he grew up eating fruits and vegetables fresh from his grandfather's farm and helping his father at his French bakery.  His epicurean roots firmly established, he sought out new seasons in New England, Boston. He tended bar in crowded college dives, raucous rock n' roll bars, neighborhood restaurants and trendy hot spots, all the while furthering his education on food, spirits, flavor combinations and balance. Joaquin was part of the opening staff at New York's acclaimed cocktail bar Death & Company, where he cheerfully regales customers with the colorful stories and hallowed history of classic spirits and cocktails. In 2009 and 2010, he served as deputy editor for the Food & Wine Cocktail books.  Joaquin was awarded BAR Ready status following his completion of the BAR Five Day Intermediate Certificate Program in September 2009 and named one of Playboy's Top 10 Mixologists in 2009.  Currently a partner in Alchemy Consulting, some of his clients include Diageo and Hyatt Andaz Hotels. 

www.deathandcompany.com - www.alchemyconsultingnyc.com

Best known for her delectable Mexican cuisine- she is an expert on combining flavor, color, and texture through her culinary art. Her philosophy of cooking with fresh ingredients developed during childhood, since her grandparents grew vegetables in their home garden and taught her the basics of preparing meals with organic foods. After completing her studies at the Culinary Institute of America, Sue started working in some of New York’s finest restaurants like The “21” Club, Grenouille and Isabella’s. Her curiosity for the depth of Mexican ingredients drove her to become the head chef at Rocking Horse Café Mexicano, noted by the New York Times as “the most exciting Mexican food in the city". Torres made her ultimate dream a reality with the opening of her own restaurant, Sueños. Sueños, Spanish for "dreams", has grown to be one of New York's favorite hideaways.

www.suenosnyc.com

Partner, aka wine geek and Beverage Alcohol Resource Andrew Seymour is one of America’s top bartenders and educators, bringing a diversity of experience to the profession. In 1993, Andy began a three-year stint at noted New York live music destination, The Louisiana Community Bar & Grill where he settled in as lead bartender. His enthusiasm for creating drinks became a top priority. A year later, Andy met his greatest influence in the spirits world–industry expert and educator, Steve Olson. Working together, Andy acquired a deep knowledge and understanding of spirits and he refined the basis for his approach to cocktails and mixology; integrating fresh juices and purees and working with high-end products. He stepped out from behind the bar to focus on his work with Olson’s company aka wine geek. In the process, Andy worked with their clients to create and mix cocktails at the highest level of the industry. In addition to his work with aka wine geek and his own company Liquid Production, Andy is also a partner in Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR). BAR was founded in 2006 to fill an industry need for training on the subject of beverage alcohol products, and to help return the craft to the profession of the bar. BAR was chosen as Cheers Magazine Beverage Innovator of the Year 2007.

www.akawinegeek.com

At 16 years old, the Greenwich Village native was already working full-time under chef David Bouley at three-star restaurant Montrachet. Upon finishing high school, Julián enrolled in the French Culinary Institute. After having graduated he set off on an extended period of globetrotting, where his first stop was famed Paris eatery Guy Savoy, owner of two highly-coveted Michelin stars. He then went to cook at various Club Med locations around the world. Julián is a rarity on the upscale culinary scene - a chef with both the energy of youth and the wisdom of experience. He has been the executive chef at Brasserie 8 1/2 since the restaurant opened nine years ago.

www.patinagroup.com

Denisse Oller is not your typical Chef. While she is highly adept at cooking up a lavish feast, she can also research, produce and host a sizzling exposè about that feast. She is one of the most honored women in Spanish-language television, and made history as the first Puerto Rican to anchor a national news show when she joined Univision. After years in broadcast news Denisse decided to pursue her love of food by enrolling in the Institute of Culinary Education (I.C.E.) in New York City. Upon graduation she created and hosted a weekly cooking segment on Univision, “Al Despertar” and also created “A la Mesa con Denisse” on Telemundo/NY, a weekly cooking and lifestyle interview segment. Denisse is currently working on her first cookbook, a memoir inspired by her travels.

www.denisseoller.com

Born in Acapulco, México, Chef Sandoval virtually grew up in the kitchen of his father’s world class restaurant Madeiras. At an early age, Sandoval moved to New York City to work with his older brother Richard, in his own restaurant Maya. It was while working alongside Richard that Sandoval discovered his passion for cooking. He studied at The French Culinary Institute and further redefined his skills while working at the legendary Savoy. As Consulting Chef for Richard’s restaurant Pampano, he began to consider opening his own restaurant. His inspiration for Mercadito restaurants drew from his experiences shopping in the markets of his native México where he instinctively gravitated towards local merchants selling native delicacies. The six Mercadito location in New York, Chicago and Miami are a fitting tribute to the rich culinary tradition that began with his father Manuel and lingers throughout the Sandoval family today.

www.mercaditorestaurants.com

Chef and cookbook author Leticia Moreinos Schwartz was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After finishing college in Rio with a BA in economics and working in finances, she changed careers and chose to follow her dreams. She moved to New York City in 1997 and enrolled at the French Culinary Institute where she graduated with degrees in both Culinary and Pastry Arts. She continued her career at legendary NY restaurants such as Le Cirque 2000, La Grenouille, La Caravelle, and Payard Patisserie & Bistro. She works as a cooking teacher at many NY cooking schools and as a food writer – her first cookbook- “The Brazilian Kitchen: 100 Classic and Contemporary Recipes for the Home Cook “ was published in February 2010, by Kyle Books.

www.chefleticia.com

Known as one of the world’s premier mixologists, Dale DeGroff has been credited with reviving and reinventing the profession of mixology when he took command of the beverage program at the world famous Rainbow Room in 1987. DeGroff pioneered a gourmet approach to recreating the great classic cocktails, creating a cocktail renaissance that would soon spread around the world. DeGroff is the author of "The Essential Cocktail" winner of the 2009 Spirit Awards, and "The Craft of the Cocktail" winner of 2002 IACP Julia Child Award. He has received many industry awards including: the 2009 James Beard Award for Wine & Spirits Professional, the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from Nightclub & Bar Magazine, 2008 Tales of the Cocktail Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2007 Cheers Beverage Industry Innovator of the Year. His award-winning bar training program, Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR), is a partnership of six of the world's leading spirits and cocktails authorities who provide training and credentialing in distilled spirits and mixology.

www.kingcocktail.com

In 1990, Jayne Rockmill started her eponymous company as an independent sales and marketing consultant, promoting lifestyle products including illustrated books, specialty foods and wines from around the world. It was her desire to give back to the community, that led Jayne to work with many organizations that feed the hungry and less fortunate and she began producing consumer food and wine events with proceeds going to diverse charitable organizations in NYC. Jayne has worked closely with chefs and wine producers, creating an accessible approach to food and wine parings, which she developed into a series of seminars at the Institute of Culinary Education and continues through wine dinners in NYC restaurants. After agenting hundreds of illustrated books, Jayne now herself is an author as her first book I LOVE BACON will be published September 2010 by Andrews McMeel.

www.rockmillandcompany.com

Alex Garcia, the acclaimed New York chef, was born and raised in Cuba, and learned firsthand from his family the art of Cuban cuisine.  He went on to study at Northeastern University and the Culinary Institute of America, where he was able to perfect his technique.  He worked alongside chef Douglas Rodriguez in Florida and in New York, where they opened New York Times three star restaurant, Patria, before striking out on his own and earning rave reviews for his sassy, splashy Nuevo Latino hotspots, the former Erizo Latino, Soho, and the always crowd pleasing Calle Ocho. As one of the nation’s leading Latino chefs, Alex Garcia, has contributed to various Latino publications and has been a spokesperson for Goya and Rums of Puerto Rico.  His great success in the culinary arts and his business savvy have made him a greatly sought after consultant for Carnival Cruise Lines, California Avocado Commission and Catena Wines among others. Garcia counts among one of his most cherished accomplishments the publication of In a Cuban Kitchen, Running Press 2003.

www.calleochonyc.com

Fred Dexheimer Master Sommelier is the founder of Juiceman Consulting, a wine and beverage consulting company that specializes in events, education and marketing. Since starting Juiceman Consulting, Fred has developed a diverse group of clients that include Wines of Chile, Max Brenner Chocolate, Motorino Pizzeria’s, Sopexa, Full Circle Wine Solutions and many others.

Living and working in NYC since 2000, Fred’s resume speaks for itself. His experience in many of New York City’s top restaurants like Gramercy Tavern, Jean Georges  and most recently as the National Wine and Beverage Director for the  BLT Restaurant Group, has given Fred a very well rounded understanding of the wine and beverage industry. He has been awarded many accolades for his service in the field and was selected to represent the United States for the Best Sommelier of the World Competition in 2007. Juiceman Consulting has taken Fred all over the world helping make the world a better place to drink. 

www.juicemanconsulting.com

Celebrity Chef Ricardo Cardona is a self-trained chef with over twenty five years experience creating cutting edge Nuevo Latino cuisine. He began his career by working in some of the nation’s leading French and American restaurants, and his hands-on, classical training is evident in his masterful work with a broad range of culinary styles. He is most well known, however, for his use of unique ingredients that dig deep into the heart of the Latin culture. In Spring 2010, Chef Cardona’s Modern Dominican cuisine will be the centerpiece of Corona, Queens’ new dining and nightlife destination, Gabbana. In addition to the new Gabbana venture, Chef Cardona is currently at the helm of six restaurants, including New York’s Hudson River Cafe, Mama Juana NY, Sofrito, 809, Sazon, and Manolito's, as well as Mamajuana in Coral Gables, Florida. He also continues to make appearances on numerous prime time shows and channels including Despierta America!, FOX, WPIX 11, and Good Morning America. He strives to maintain the sense of adventure and unparalleled innovation and visionary thinking that lives in all his dishes.

www.gabbanany.com