THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE CHEF SANTIAGO GOMEZ
EVER RECEIVED IS TO “COOK WITH LOVE”
The Mexico City native’s love is driving him to define a new line between traditional and modern Mexican cuisine.
Gomez’s interest for cooking sparked while he was working for a local seafood distributor. While making deliveries to various restaurants, he became curious about the kitchen and began observing chefs at work. This inspired him to go to culinary school and in 2007 he graduated from one of Mexico City’s top culinary academies – Centro Culinario Ambrosia. Gomez decided to further expand his knowledge and enrolled at the renowned Hofmann in Barcelona, Spain. There, Gomez honed his culinary skills.
He was then drawn to sunny South Florida where he took a position at NOBU in Miami under the auspice of executive chef Thomas Buckley.
A year later, Gomez was transferred back home to launch the opening of NOBU in Mexico City. His journey since then had the fortune to create and develop the kitchen of Cantina La 20 in Mexico City rescuing and positioning again the Cantina’s in Mexico, likewise he worked together with the renowned chef Edgar Nuñez in SUD777 (Latin America’s 50 best restaurants), in 2012 he went to New York City, where he did a stint at Daniel by renowned chef Daniel Boulud.
As a pioneer of modern Mexican cuisine in Miami, Santiago has positioned Cantina La Veinte among the best restaurants in Miami Named: “Best Mexican Restaurant by Miami New Times” (2016-2017), “Best Mexican Restaurant by Zagat” (2015), “Best Latin Restaurant by Zagat”,(2016) “31 Best Mexican Restaurant by America by Thrillist”(2017), "Best Mexican Restaurant by Time Out (2018). After the great success of Cantina, early 2017 Gómez opened his most recent restaurant Tacology “One of the best restaurants in Miami 2017 by Zagat”, "Best Mexican Restaurant by Miami New Time " (2017), " Best Taco in Miami by Miami New Times (2017)"Best Mexican Restaurant by Time Out" (2018) in which he takes tacos as an inspiration and transforms a traditional Mexican Taqueria in a Restaurant.
In 2014 was recognized by Travel & Leisure as “An Ace Young Mexican Chef.” In 2017 he won the Iron Fork Miami title, He’s been a featured chef at the annual Food & Wine Festival (2016-2019), as well as various events at the American Airlines Arena, Marlins Stadium. Gomez regularly appears on Univison’s Despierta America, Telemundo’s Que Rico Con Kiko and Sabor Latino, NBC Six in the Mix and more.
In 2017 he found the successful non-profit organization “Recipes For Change” a localized society created to evoke social change by inspiring and educating people through gastronomy. Since 2019 Recipes for Change is also part of Social Gastronomy Movement an international organization that uses the power of education and gastronomy as agents of social change, aiming to transform the lives of the underprivileged and victims of social exclusion, we successfully empower our community including Chefs, local farmers and entrepreneurs, and volunteers by connecting them with sustainable F&B suppliers, manufacturers, and hospitality groups with great experience in environmentally friendly methods of production.
Gomez has been a spokesperson for brands like Barilla, Tabasco, Don Julio, Hispanic Kitchen, Cacique, Coca Cola, Estrella Damm, Kellogg's , Miami film festival, Pot d'Huile, Cerveza Modelo, American Express, among other brands.
