Jason
"I started cooking about 3 years ago as a part-time job, and it slowly became my full-time career because I fell in love with cooking. I come from a family from the South, and we had the typical joke of vegans food being only grass and things, but being here and seeing first-hand everything you can do has been extremely interesting and eye-opening. I learned most of what I know working here, and it’s been a game-changer.
I like learning as much as possible about what I do, I’ve even taken the time to learn more about the front of house; in fact, when I initially started where I’m working now, I was hired to work out the front!"
TJ
"I was born here in Miami, and I knew from an early age that this is the career I wanted to have. My grandmother was the one who influenced me the most, she taught me to cook at the age of 9, and by age 15 I had already made up my mind! I started working at 17 and haven’t stopped since. When I first landed this job, I was simply looking for a second job, but over it sparked my interest and I enjoyed how things were done.
I think with modern food trends, if you’re a cook that isn’t actively trying to cater vegan/vegetarian food, you’re behind the times and will eventually be left behind; there are a lot of people looking for vegan food in Miami. Our city’s still behind in some ways with the food scene when compared to other states, but there is such a growing international community and that push for diverse cuisines, that nowadays you can find just about anything you want to eat in Miami, it’s very eclectic."
Angel
"I was born here but I come from an Ecuadorian family. Chefs from Ecuador have a good reputation in the USA. I choose sushi and sushi choose me; I’ve been working for a long time in that specific type of cuisine but recently made a switch to vegan sushi, it was a difficult switch, but sushi is an art, and the common denominator is that it comes out beautiful – you can shape it and do almost anything you want with it, and I love it.
With vegan sushi, you really need to focus on the preparation. It is both visual art and a taste and balancing the flavors of the vegetables during prep is key to creating delicious bites! In the future I would like to learn more about my cuisine and blended with my knowledge of sushi."
Julian
"I come from Medellín, Colombia, and the culture shock that I got when I first started working in kitchens here in the US that were heavily international was huge. Back home, everyone tends to sugarcoat things more, but I started in a sushi restaurant and the two Asian sushi chefs were much more direct and to the point. At first, I thought people just didn’t like me. But once you get used to the fact that it isn’t personal, it’s all great!
I never went to culinary school, when I first arrived here I got my first job as a car cleaner. Eventually, I found an offer to do a trial in a restaurant, I saw an opportunity to earn some more money and I jumped on board at a sushi restaurant.
Working in the kitchen eventually ignited a passion in me for this art form and now it’s what I want to do and continue progressing in!"
Cesar
"One thing I can say is that when things go all wrong, the kitchen has always been there for me! During the pandemic, I lost my job and I had a DUI, lost my car and then was left without a home. I didn't receive government unemployment help at all unlike many others, and I had no other way to fight. However, growing up as a kid and remembering my family and my younger days when I used to get on a crate to be able to reach the kitchen table, reminded me of the lessons I learned in the kitchen, and that there is always a way out, no matter how bad things look.
If you find a goal or have a dream that wakes you up at night in excitement, work towards it. Eventually, things will take a turn for the better for you, you just have to keep on pushing! Focus on your vision, take care of yourself!"
Carolina
"I’ve been in Madrid for the last 10 years, I got my current job because I fell in love with this plaza the first time I visited, and I felt an instant connection that made me want to settle down here.
There is something between cheese and me that has drawn me in completely, and being at the plaza allows me to talk to people every morning, recommend all different types of cheese to people who want to try new things. I’ve been able to experience how people open their palates and expand their horizons and change their perspectives, some have even told me that blue cheese is really strong, but I always find the way to start them off and change their minds!
Lastly, my boss lets me add some products from my country, and it’s amazing how I can bring a little of what I love from home to this authentic plaza and see my people getting those little flavors that remind them of home, daily!"
Greta
"I was born in Peru but have been in Miami for the last 20 years. And 20 years later, I’m still doing what I love. I studied culinary at the Cordon Bleu Miami.
The kitchen is much more than just a job; it’s a chain, one that goes far beyond what people can imagine. Despite the pandemic and the problems that have come up with people’s mental health, coming into work and being in that environment that I’m used to is a perfect way for me to cope with the current situation.
Honestly, I no longer make plans – I live day by day. Death happens daily, and this world is rough. The thought that gives me strength is acknowledging that God gives the best fights to his best warriors."
Fabrizio
"I’m from Uruguay with Italian roots, I’ve been cooking for over 20 years and I started like many, as a dishwasher; I then got moved to pastry and it was horrible at first – imagine how important fire is to an Uruguayan? All I wanted to do was work on the grill for those 3 years. Then I moved to bread-making and it wasn’t until 2011 that I decided to do my own thing and I opened my first grill. That’s where I started doing what I always wanted – working with fire. In 2012 I got an offer in Houston and did a master’s in meat and that’s what brought me over to the states.
Eating first-grade meat in Uruguay is also hard, you always get third-rate stuff; the good stuff’s always exported.
Even though I’m from Uruguay, I believe the best meat is that from Argentina – they have more tender meat thanks to the rearing methods they use. Meat nowadays has an astounding flavor here in the US as well, the key is the combination of diets between grass-fed and grain-fed gives the meat a great ratio of fat/meat.
In hindsight though, moving through all those stations has been a learning process that has made me a more complete cook and I really value that experience nowadays."
Brandon
"I’m from Savannah, Georgia and a retired military veteran. I went to culinary school and then began working as a dishwasher then worked my way up!
My military career gave me speed and discipline but my ideas and believes as a Rastafari carved my path into the decisions that have taken me to be where I’m at today.
I believe in a plant-based diet and in search of that knowledge I started working in this restaurant; My goal is to actually specialize in vegan food, and one day I want to open my own vegan restaurant or food truck!"
Fernando
"I’ve been cooking for 12 years. Everything started back in my country; but before my gastronomic career started, I owned a construction company.
A few years before moving here, I got the opportunity to open a Spanish restaurant, but destiny played its cards and, looking back now, luckily the business fell apart before it kicked off. Using this as a sign, I moved to Spain to study gastronomy and wine with the idea of opening a restaurant here in Miami.
Now I’m working at my second restaurant, and both my knowledge of construction and passion for gastronomy have greatly helped me in this successful journey.
My new concept sits in a zone that’s currently growing and has a lot of potential, but there’s still more to be done and the pandemic doesn’t help; when we started the business it had a different idea, but we had to adapt and adjust, we initially planned to open a fresh chargrilled seafood restaurant because of the amazing grill we have, but had to diversify it so it could also work as a craft beer/market & Sandwich shop, extending outdoor seating - we even had to adjust the logo and our sign outside!"