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José Andrés

Spanish-American chef From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

José Andrés
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Andrés and the second or maternal family name is Puerta.

José Ramón Andrés Puerta (Spanish pronunciation: [xoˈse raˈmon anˈdɾes ˈpweɾta]; born 13 July 1969) is a Spanish-American chef and restaurateur. Born in Spain, he moved to the United States in the early 1990s and since then, he has opened restaurants in several American cities. He has won a number of awards, both for his cooking (including several James Beard Awards), and his humanitarian work. He is a professor as well as the founder of the Global Food Institute at George Washington University.[1]

Quick Facts Born, Nationality ...
José Andrés
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Andrés in 2012
Born
José Ramón Andrés Puerta

(1969-07-13) 13 July 1969 (age 55)
Mieres, Asturias, Spain
NationalitySpanish
American (since 2013)
OccupationChef
SpousePatricia Fernández de la Cruz
Children3
AwardsMichelin stars
José Andrés's voice
José Andrés on World Central Kitchen's humanitarian efforts during the Gaza war
Recorded March 8, 2024
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Andrés is the founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a non-profit organization devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters.[2] He is often credited with bringing the small plates dining concept to America.[3] He was awarded a 2015 National Humanities Medal at a 2016 White House ceremony for his work with World Central Kitchen.[4] In addition, he has received honorary doctorates from Georgetown University, George Washington University, Harvard University, and Tufts University. In March 2022, he was named as co-chair of the United States President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, a role he served in until he submitted his resignation one week before Donald Trump took office in January 2025.

Early life and education

José Ramón Andrés Puerta was born in Mieres, Asturias, Spain,[5] on 13 July 1969.[6] Andrés' family moved to Catalonia when he was 6.[7] He enrolled in culinary school in Barcelona at the age of 15, and when he needed to fulfill his Spanish military service at the age of 18, he was assigned to cook for an admiral.[8] He met Spanish chef Ferran Adrià in Barcelona, and he worked three years at Adrià's restaurant El Bulli in Roses, Catalonia, from 1988 to 1990.[9] In December 1990, he was fired by Adrià and he decided to move to the United States.[10]

Culinary career

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Coming to the United States

At the age of 21, Andrés arrived in New York City to cook in Midtown Manhattan at an outpost of a popular Spanish restaurant, Eldorado Petit. During his time in New York, he also staged servings at The Quilted Giraffe.[8] In 1993, Andrés was hired to lead the kitchen at Jaleo, a new tapas restaurant in Washington, D.C. In subsequent years, he helped the owners of Jaleo to open more restaurants: Café Atlántico, Zaytinya and Oyamel, along with two more Jaleo outposts.[11] In 2003, Andrés started a minibar – a restaurant space within a larger restaurant – at a six-seat counter within Cafe Atlantico.[11][8] This Minibar eventually became a stand-alone restaurant that has a twelve-seat counter. Seats are released on a monthly basis; according to the Washington Post they typically are reserved within 24 hours.[12]

Chef and restaurateur

As he opened more restaurants in the U.S., Andrés became more well known in his native country Spain, starring in his own cooking show, Vamos a Cocinar, which debuted in 2005.[5] He also published his first book, Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America, in 2005.[11] In 2006, he partnered with Robert Wilder to form ThinkFoodGroup, making Andrés a co-owner in his restaurants.[11] Together, they opened more restaurants in Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Puerto Rico.[9]

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Andrés with White House Liaison Staff in 2012

Beginning in the fall of 2010, Andrés taught a culinary physics course at Harvard University with Ferran Adrià.[13] In May 2012, Andrés was named dean of Spanish Studies at The International Culinary Center, where he and Colman Andrews developed a curriculum in traditional and modern Spanish cuisine, which debuted in February 2013.[14] On 29 October 2012, he announced he was heading back to the classroom, and would teach his first course on how food shapes civilization at George Washington University.[15] He did so until 2023, when he started the Global Food Institute at George Washington University.[1]

Trump Hotel restaurant and lawsuit

Andrés planned to open a restaurant in the Trump International Hotel (also known as Old Post Office) in Washington, D.C., in 2016. After Donald Trump made disparaging comments about illegal Mexican immigrants in June 2015, Andrés withdrew from the contract with the Trump Organization, which then sued him.[16] Andrés counter-sued, and the parties reached a settlement in April 2017.[17]

The Trump International Hotel, Washington, D.C., closed on 11 May 2022.[18] It was sold to CGI Merchant Group, and later reopened as the Waldorf Astoria Washington, D.C., on 1 June 2022.[19] On 13 June 2022, Andrés announced that he would return to the location to open the restaurant that he had planned in the original 2015 deal.[20] The Bazaar by José Andrés opened on 8 February 2023.[21] Andrés remains an outspoken critic of Trump.[22][23]

World Central Kitchen

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Main article: World Central Kitchen

The World Central Kitchen (WCK) raised almost $30 million in 2019, then $250 million in 2020.[24] In response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Andrés provided locally cooked dishes specific to the region essential to comforting people touched by disasters.[25] Since it was founded, the NGO has organized meals in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Zambia, Peru, Cuba, Uganda, Cambodia,[2] and in Poland on the border of Ukraine.[26] It has provided aid and meals in the United States and Puerto Rico and has helped during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Andrés runs WCK's operations with the help of ~200 devoted colleagues[27] including CEO Erin Gore and Director of Emergency response Sam Bloch.[28]

In 2021, Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post and Amazon, handed Andrés $100 million through his Courage and Civility Award.[24] During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Andrés announced that he was going to donate a part of the $100 million[29] to the organization to address the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.[30]

In 2022, WCK took in $519 million in grants and donations.[24]

On 1 April 2024, seven WCK employees in Gaza were killed by multiple Israeli drone strikes in the city of Deir al-Balah.[31][32][33] Andrés rejected Israeli and U.S. assertions that the strike was not deliberate, stating the seven employees were "targeted deliberately" and killed "systematically, car by car". The Gaza war, he said, is "not a war against terrorism anymore" but a "war against humanity itself."[34][35]

Restaurants

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Along with partner Rob Wilder,[36] Andrés owns several restaurants:[37]

Signature restaurants:

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Inside of Andrés's restaurant é in 2013
  • minibar by José Andrés – Washington, D.C. – several chefs serve a prix fixe menu of about 25 small courses to twelve diners at a time.[38] Received two stars from the DC edition of the Michelin Guide in 2016.[39]
  • barmini by José Andrés – Washington, D.C. – Cocktail bar adjacent to minibar.
  • é by José Andrés – Las Vegas – several chefs serve a prix fixe menu of about 25 small courses to nine diners at a time. Modeled after minibar and located inside Jaleo.[40]
  • The Bazaar by José Andrés – Miami Beach, Washington, D.C., and New York City[41] – A combination of traditional Spanish tapas and foods inspired by molecular gastronomy.
  • Bazaar Meat by José Andrés – Las Vegas, Chicago, and Los Angeles (opening in 2025)[42] – Modern, high-end steakhouse featuring imported cuts of rare meat.
  • Bar Mar by José Andrés – Chicago and Glendale (inside of VAI Resort) – Seafood-focused happy hour venue with a raw bar and fancy cocktails.[43]
  • Bazaar Mar – Las Vegas (inside The Shops at Crystals)[44] – Seafood-driven interactive restaurant highlighting Spanish flavors.
  • Bar Centro – Las Vegas (adjacent to Bazaar Mar inside The Shops at Crystals) – Spanish bakery and craft cocktail bar.[44]
  • Nubeluz – New York City – Rooftop cocktail bar at the Ritz-Carlton in NoMad, Manhattan.[45]
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Jaleo restaurant in Las Vegas

Other restaurants:

  • Airlight – Downtown Los Angeles (at the Conrad Hotel) – Poolside café featuring handheld bites and creative cocktails.[46]
  • The Beaudry Room – Downtown Los Angeles (at the Conrad Hotel) – Lobby bar featuring experimental cocktails and bite-sized tapas.[46]
  • Butterfly — located on the rooftop of the Shay Hotel, a Destination by Hyatt property, in Culver City, California — Mexican and Latin concept featuring tacos, ceviches, and agave spirits.[47]
  • China Chilcano by José Andrés – Washington, DC – Chinese, Japanese and Peruvian fusion. Included in Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand list of exceptional restaurants at moderate prices.[48]
  • China Poblano by José Andrés – Las Vegas – Chinese and Mexican fusion.
  • Fish by José Andrés – Paradise Island, Bahamas – Fresh Seafood and Bahamian Food
  • Jaleo by José Andrés – Washington, D.C., Orlando (inside of Disney Springs entertainment complex), Las Vegas, Chicago, and Dubai – Traditional Spanish tapas. DC location included in Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand list of exceptional restaurants at moderate prices.[48]
  • Mercado Little Spain – New York City – Spanish food hall in The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards.[49]
  • Oyamel – Washington, D.C. – Small plates and antojitos. Included in Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand list of exceptional restaurants at moderate prices.[48]
  • Pepe – Washington, D.C. (food truck) and Orlando (brick-and-mortar location inside of Disney Springs complex) – Fast-casual Spanish concept featuring sandwiches, salads, gazpacho, and more.
  • Pigtail by José Andrés – Chicago – Speakeasy-style cocktail bar located in the basement of Jaleo Chicago.[50]
  • San Laurel – Downtown Los Angeles (at the Conrad Hotel) – An interpretation of California cuisine through a Spanish lens.[46]
  • Spanish Diner – Bethesda, Maryland (spin-off of location inside of NYC's Mercado Little Spain) – A Spanish take on the classic American diner. It serves asturian cuisine dishes including Arroz a la Cubana (a plate of rice, tomato and two fried eggs with sausage and sweet banana).[51]
  • Zaytinya – Washington, D.C., New York City, Miami Beach, Culver City, and Las Vegas (opening in 2025)[52] – Small plates of food from the Mediterranean regions of Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon. Included in Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand list of exceptional restaurants at moderate prices.[48]

Awards and honors

Awards and prizes
Media recognition
Honorary degrees
Appointments

Personal life

Andrés is married to Patricia "Tichi" Fernández de la Cruz and has three daughters; they live in Bethesda, Maryland, United States.[89][90][91] He met his wife while they were both living in Washington, D.C.; she is originally from Cádiz, Andalusia,[92] in the southwest of Spain.[91] He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in December 2013.[93]

Andrés is an avid golfer[94] and loves cigars.[95]

He has a collection of rare cookbooks, totalling to 1500, including an 1825 first edition of Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin's The Physiology of Taste, a rents and receipts notepad from 1795 that belonged to Thomas Jefferson’s chef Honoré Julien, and an 1851 edition of The Virginia House-Wife by Mary Randolph.[96] He has expressed a predilection for his early edition of Auguste Escoffier’s Ma Cuisine, his first edition of Irma S. Rombauer's Joy of Cooking, and Ángel Muro's El Practicón.[97]

On 5 November 2024, Andrés said he planned to challenge Rep. Andy Harris in the 2026 election. He called Harris, a Republican and chair of the House Freedom Caucus, a "disgrace making so many lies and hateful rhetoric."[98]

Filmography

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Date Title Type Role Episode(s) Notes
2005–2007 Vamos a cocinar Television Producer and host Vamos a cocinar, a food program on Televisión Española.[99]
2007 Iron Chef America Television Himself, chef defeated Bobby Flay.[100]
2008 Made in Spain Television a 26-part series for public television.[101]
2008 Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations Television Himself, chef Season 4, Episode 18 Washington, D.C., episode.[102]
2010 Top Chef Television Guest judge season 7, episode 8, "Foreign Affair" [103]
2013 The Taste Television Guest judge, mentor [104]
2013–2015 Hannibal Television Culinary consultant [105]
2017 American Masters Television Himself, chef season 31, episode 5, "Jacques Pépin: The Art of Craft" Discussing working with chef, Jacques Pépin.[106]
2018 Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown Television Himself, chef season 12, episode 2 Filmed in Asturias, Spain[107]
2021 Selena + Chef Television Himself season 2, episode 3, "Selena + José Andrés"
2021 Waffles + Mochi Television Himself, chef season 1, episode 1, "Tomato" [108]
2021 Tom + Talks Podcast Himself, chef season 1, episode 9, "Tom Talks - Ep9 w/ Chef José Andrés"
2022 Green Eggs and Ham (TV series) Television Sylvester (voice) season 2, episode 2, "Tinker Tailor Mother Spy"
2022 We Feed People Documentary Himself This documentary, which Ron Howard directed, focuses on World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that José Andrés founded, and his involvement with it.
2022–present Firebuds Television Chef Al (voice) 3 episodes
2022 José Andrés and Family in Spain Television Himself 6 episodes Awarded a Daytime Emmy
2024 Dinner Party Diaries with José Andrés Television Himself 1 episode
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Bibliography

  • Andrés, José (2007). Vamos a Cocinar (in Spanish). Planeta Pub Corp. ISBN 978-8408070368. – a book based on his Spanish cooking show Vamos a cocinar.
  • Andrés, José; Wolffe, Richard (November 2008). Made in Spain: Spanish Dishes for the American Kitchen. Clarkson Potter. ISBN 978-0-307-38263-4.
  • Andrés, José; Wolffe, Richard (November 2005). Tapas: A Taste Of Spain In America. Clarkson Potter. ISBN 978-1-4000-5359-9. – a cookbook on tapas and Spanish cuisine
  • Andrés, José; Wolffe, Richard (2018). We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time. Anthony Bourdain/Ecco. ISBN 978-0062864482. – after Hurricane Maria in 2017, Chef José Andrés had a "crazy dream" to feed Puerto Rico.
  • Andrés, José; Goulding, Matt (2019). Vegetables Unleashed—A Cookbook. Anthony Bourdain/Ecco. ISBN 978-0062668387.
  • Andrés, José; Chapple-Sokol, Sam; World Central Kitchen (2023). The WCK Cookbook — Feeding Hope, feeding Humanity. Clarkson Potter. ISBN 9780593579077. – a cookbook on dishes served on the ground with his NGO and recipes celebrating the countries they have served.
  • Andrés, José; Costa, Michael (2023). Zaytinya — Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon. HarperCollins/Ecco Press. ISBN 9780063327900.

See also

References

External links

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