Chef Douglas Rodriguez to visit La Bottega

La Bottega by Carmen Trigueros celebrates La Esencia Latina on Friday September 16, by welcoming the globally acclaimed Godfather of Nuevo Latino, Chef Douglas Rodriguez.

Chef Rodriguez has been taking the nation by storm, opening award winning restaurants across the United States. His culinary creativity has changed the image of Latino food in America. His restaurants are featured in some of the most cosmopolitan cities including his hometown Miami (Ola), Philadelphia (Alma De Cuba), and Scottsdale, Arizona (Deseo). His most recent venue in Miami Beach is De Rodriguez Cuba on Ocean at the Bentley Beach Hotel in Miami Beach.

Chef Rodriguez, son of Cuban immigrants, was raised in Miami. He grew up with the sights, smells and tastes of Cuban cuisine and developed a passion for food early on. By the age of 13, he had a collection of cookbooks, pots and pans, and was developing and preparing original concepts. At 14, he landed his first restaurant job as a summer apprentice at The Four Ambassadors Hotel in Miami. After high school, he gained more experience at the prestigious Fontainebleau Hilton Hotel in Miami Beach before honing his skills and techniques at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI.

Returning to Miami, Rodriguez worked at the Sonesta Beach Hotel and Wet Paint Cafe. In 1989 he opened Yuca, an upscale rendition of Cuban flavors and favorites, in Coral Gables and it became a runaway success, so that at age 24, Chef Rodriguez was a celebrated chef, winning the "Chef of the Year, Miami" award from The Chefs of America, and receiving two "Rising Chef of the Year" nominations by The James Beard Foundation.

Rodriguez became the executive chef and co-owner of the phenomenally successful Patria, which opened in 1994 in New York City. It was the laboratory for his new cuisine, which he called "Nuevo Latino". Patria received a three-star review in the New York Times and accolades from the New Yorker and Gourmet among others. After Patria, Rodriguez opened Chicama, a Peruvian Ceviche bar, to two-stars in the New York Times followed by Pipa, a tapas bar that became one of the favorite spots for New Yorkers. Longing for his hometown, Rodriguez headed back to Miami Beach and opened OLA in 2004 followed by De Rodriguez Cuba at The Astor Hotel in December 2009. Most recently, De Rodriguez Cuba moved to The Hilton Bentley Beach Hotel.

In 2000, Chef Rodriguez was selected by Newsweek Magazine as one of the "100 Americans that will influence the coming millennium." In 2009, Rodriguez was one of the distinguished culinary elite to be on the first season of Top Chef Masters on Bravo.

Featured at La Bottega on September 16, starting at 8 pm, will be:

First Round
1 White Gazpacho: Spanish Marcona Almond and Garlic soup with Cantaloupe Granita
2 Smoked Marlin Tacos
3 Shrimp Ceviche in Tostone Garlic Olive Oil Sauce

Second Round
4 Mixed Seafood Ceviche with Pink Grapefruit and Tarragon
5 Avocado wrapped Tuna Tartar

Third Round
6 Mock Fois: Chicken Liver Parfait served with Cuban Toast
7 Cuban Beef Picadillo Lettuce Wraps with crispy potatoes and pickled chayote

Fourth Round
8 “Pan con Bistec” de Rodriguez
9 Sugar Cane-Smoked Tuna Potato Purée
10 Cuban Pork Belly with black beans and rice, sweet plantain, and oregano mojo

Fifth Round
11 Flan de Vainilla with Guava Glaze
12 Hot Chocolate Croquetas

This 12-course tapas is $50 per person.

LA BOTTEGA 3540 MAIN HIGHWAY COCONUT GROVE 305-441-0219