Introducing José Santaella:
I first met Chef
José Santaella in 2009 at his kitchen in Santurce. He'd prepared a few canapes and other tasty bites from his vast catering repertoire, and while I ate, he told me about his unique take on Puerto Rican cooking.
Chef Santaella is the master chef of JSB Cooking Group, one of the most respected and in-demand catering companies in Puerto Rico. With a culinary pedigree that includes stints in gourmet capitals Barcelona, New York and San Francisco, Santaella is among the new breed of chefs who parlay their love of local ingredients and flavors into innovative nouveau 'Rican creations.
Why Santurce:
I wasn't expecting to find a chef of Santaella's caliber in the humble environs of Santurce's
Plaza del Mercado, or
Placita. But a walk through the marketplace quickly enlightened me: as the chef guided me through its stalls, posing with pineapples and chatting with local vendors, he explained that the market brings chefs from all over the city for its fresh produce and local ingredients.
And that's what Chef Santaella is all about: using local ingredients, celebrating the roots of the island's comida criolla, and incorporating techniques, flavors and fusions from around the world into his food.
A Taste of Things to Come:
When one of your dishes snags the cover of a new book on Puerto Rican cuisine (a book that carries a prologue by über-chef Eric Ripert, under whom chef Santaella once worked), you know you're in good hands. And if you want a taste of what he can do, what better way to check out his restaurant, Santaella, at 219 Calle Canals at the Plaza? The chef opened his eatery in June 2011, and he serves up food that range from the simple (ham croquettes) to the special (rabbit fricassé and escargot spring rolls) to the simply succulent (angus beef sliders with chipotle sauce).
If that sounds like the kind of food you'd like your guests to munch on as you celebrate your special day, get an online quote and leave the gourmet details to Chef Santaella.
