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Renowned Puerto Rican Chefs Showcase the Flavors of the Island

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 Article

What does Puerto Rico taste like? That’s the question answered by Puerto Rican semifinalists of the 2025 James Beard Awards in the video series Tastes Like Puerto Rico, produced by Discover Puerto Rico and La Mafia PR to spotlight their stories and celebrate their nominations in this prestigious culinary award program.

The full series is available on Discover Puerto Rico’s YouTube channel. It includes nine videos—one for each semifinalist, plus a special feature on Natalia Vallejo, chef and owner of Cocina al Fondo and the first Puerto Rican to win a James Beard Award for Best Chef: South in 2023.

Each episode offers an intimate look at the chefs’ journeys, inspirations, and culinary visions as they reflect on what Puerto Rico tastes like. The chefs were also featured on Discover Puerto Rico’s official destination marketing website.

The 2025 Puerto Rican semifinalists in the Best Chef: South category include Kevin García of La Faena AgroCocina in Guaynabo, Ángel David Moreno Zayas of El Gallo Pinto in Guayama, Gabriel Hernández of Verde Mesa in Old San Juan, and Carol Reyes of Bóveda in Hato Rey.

Get to know the Island's Top Chefs

Tastes like Puerto Rico

In Collaboration with La Mafia

Lucía Pâtisserie

Lucía Pâtisserie specializes in high-quality pastries and desserts crafted with French techniques, always adding a local twist.

In Collaboration with La Mafia

Orujo Taller de Gastronomía

In Orujo Taller de Gastronomía, you’ll experience a creative and dynamic exploration of local food.

In Collaboration with La Mafia

Bóveda

A powerful culinary vision awaits at Bóveda, where local ingredients meet traditional techniques and global flavors.

In Collaboration with La Mafia

Vianda

Vianda is fully committed to quality and local ingredients, with expertise shining through in every bite.

In Collaboration with La Mafia

Verde Mesa

Verde Mesa’s mission remains strong: celebrating local ingredients, embracing self-sustainability, and championing Puerto Rico’s culinary revival.

In Collaboration with La Mafia

La Faena Agro Cocina

La Faena Agro Cocina is a culinary treasure that brings native ingredients from the backyard to the table in a modern criollo menu full of flavor.

In Collaboration with La Mafia

Identidad Cocktail Bar

Identidad Cocktail Bar blends warm Boricua hospitality with innovative cocktails that spotlight Island ingredients and tell rich, layered stories.

In Collaboration with La Mafia

El Gallo Pinto

Set in a beautiful colonial house, El Gallo Pinto delivers bold, punchy, and globally inspired flavors.

In Collaboration with La Mafia

Cocina al Fondo

Cocina al Fondo's cuisine is full of intuition, love, and local ingredients, driven by a mission to honor who we are as a people and the rich flavors of our history.

Chef Lucía Merino of Lucía Patisserie was a semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.

Carlos Portela of Orujo Taller de Gastronomía and Francis Guzmán of Vianda—both in San Juan—were nominated in the Outstanding Chef category, while Identidad Cocktail Bar was recognized in the Best New Bar category.

Kevin García, Ángel David Moreno Zayas, and Identidad Cocktail Bar advanced as finalists in their respective categories: Best Chef: South and Best New Bar.

If any of them win, they will join a select group of Puerto Rican honorees recognized by the James Beard Foundation—alongside Natalia Vallejo and La Casita Blanca in Santurce, which received the America’s Classics Award for the South in 2023.

“These nominations reflect the momentum of Puerto Rico’s culinary scene, driven by the talent and determination of chefs and entrepreneurs who have embraced food as a vehicle for innovation, cultural identity, and economic development,” said Davelyn Tardí, Director of Public Relations at Discover Puerto Rico. “These eight chefs and businesses represent a powerful opportunity to expand destination marketing strategies that encourage travelers to visit and experience Puerto Rico’s world-class cuisine.”

“There’s a boom in Puerto Rico’s culinary movement—from visitor experiences and innovative restaurants to a growing farm-to-table trend,” added Tardí. “This is the first time we’ve seen such a broad and diverse list of nominations, and it gives us the chance to develop content that excites travelers and positions Puerto Rico as a top-tier culinary destination.”

According to Discover Puerto Rico’s 2024 Visitor Profile, culinary experiences ranked as the most popular activity among visitors, with 84% participation and an average daily food spend of $142.

“We’re committed to elevating the destination through gastronomy. At the end of the day, a chef becomes an ambassador for the country. And through this project, we’re helping them continue to be the leading voice for Puerto Rico through their craft,” Tardí concluded.

This initiative with La Mafia PR—a 2024 James Beard Awards finalist itself—is part of Discover Puerto Rico’s broader promotional strategy focused on showcasing the Island’s cuisine as a compelling reason to travel to Puerto Rico.