José Ramón Andrés Puerta (Spanish pronunciation:[xoˈseraˈmonanˈdɾesˈpweɾta]; born 13 July 1969) is a Spanish and 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]
Andrés received widespread popular attention in April 2024, when seven WCK workers in Gaza were killed by Israeli military airstrikes in the city of
Deir al-Balah during the
World Central Kitchen aid convoy attack.[5][6][7] Andrés has rejected assertions that the strike was not deliberate. In response, he labeled the conduct of the
Israel Defense Forces "not a war against terrorism anymore" but a "war against humanity itself."[8][9]
Early life and education
José Ramón Andrés Puerta was born in
Mieres,
Asturias, Spain,[10] on 13 July 1969.[11] Andrés family moved to
Catalonia when he was 6.[12] He enrolled in culinary school in
Barcelona at the age of 15, and when he needed to complete his
Spanish military service at age 18, he was assigned to cook for an admiral.[13] He met
Ferran Adrià in Barcelona, and he worked three years at
El Bulli, from 1988 to 1990.[14] In December 1990, he was fired by Adrià and decided to move to the United States.[15]
Culinary career
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.[13] 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: Cafe Atlantico, Zaytinya and Oyamel, along with two more Jaleo outposts.[16] In 2003, Andrés started minibar – a restaurant space within a larger restaurant – at a six-seat counter within Cafe Atlantico.[16][13]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.[17]
Chef and restaurateur
As he opened more restaurants in the US, Andrés became more well-known in his native Spain, starring in his own cooking show, Vamos a Cocinar, which debuted in 2005.[10] He also published his first book, Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America, in 2005.[16] In 2006, he partnered with Robert Wilder to form ThinkFoodGroup, making Andrés a co-owner in his restaurants.[16] Together, they opened more restaurants in Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Puerto Rico.[14]
The World Central Kitchen (WCK) raised almost $30 million in 2019, then $250 million in 2020.[29] In response to the
2010 Haiti earthquake, Andrés provided locally cooked dishes specific to the region essential to comforting people touched by disasters.[30] 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.[31] 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.
In 2022, WCK took in $519 million in grants and donations.[29] Early 2023 Andrés collaborated with the US government and he worked with the
United States Department of State as a member of the “American Culinary Corps”, a partnership with the
James Beard Foundation.[34]
Israel-Hamas war
During the
Israel–Hamas war, on 16 October 2023 Andrés responded to a tweet on X by
Ione Belarra, Spanish Minister for Social Rights criticizing the Israeli treatment of Palestinian civilians and for "not letting in humanitarian aid (no dejan entrar ayuda humanitaria)."[35] Andrés wrote that Netanyahu was "defending Israeli citizens" (está defendiendo a sus ciudadanos…). He expressed his opinion that prime minister
Pedro Sánchez should fire Belarra.
On 1 April 2024, seven
WCK workers in Gaza were
killed by multiple Israeli military airstrikes in the city of
Deir al-Balah.[5][6][7] Andrés rejected Israeli and U.S. assertions that the strike was not deliberate. Andrés stated the seven workers were “targeted deliberately” and killed “systematically, car by car”. The war in Gaza, he said, is “not a war against terrorism anymore” but a “war against humanity itself.”[8][9]
Restaurants
Along with partner Rob Wilder,[36] Andrés owns several restaurants:[37]
Signature restaurants:
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]
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]
Bazaar Meat by José Andrés – Las Vegas,
Chicago, and
Los Angeles (opening in 2024)[42] – Modern, high-end steakhouse featuring imported cuts of rare meat.
Other restaurants:
Agua Viva –
Downtown Los Angeles (at the Conrad Hotel) – Rooftop restaurant with beach club theme that focuses on flavors from across the Latin and Asian diaspora.[43]
Airlight – Downtown Los Angeles (at the Conrad Hotel) – Poolside café featuring handheld bites and creative cocktails.[43]
Bar Mar by José Andrés – Chicago – Seafood-focused happy hour venue with a raw bar and fancy cocktails.[44]
barmini by José Andrés – Washington, D.C. – Cocktail bar adjacent to minibar.
Beefsteak – Washington, D.C. (on campus of
George Washington University) – Vegetable-focused fast-casual restaurant.
The Beaudry Room – Downtown Los Angeles (at the Conrad Hotel) – Lobby bar featuring experimental cocktails and bite-sized tapas.[43]
Butterfly Tacos y Tortas — located inside of
Audi Field in Washington, DC — Mexican and Latin fast-casual concept.
Café by the River – Chicago – All-day coffee shop and café.[45]
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.[46]
China Poblano by José Andrés – Las Vegas – Chinese and Mexican fusion.
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.[46]
Oyamel – Washington, D.C. – Small plates and
antojitos. Included in
Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand list of exceptional restaurants at moderate prices.[46]
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.[49]
San Laurel – Downtown Los Angeles (at the Conrad Hotel) – An interpretation of California cuisine through a Spanish lens.[43]
SED by José Andrés – Downtown Los Angeles (at the Conrad Hotel) – Craft cocktail bar highlighting seasonality and local ingredients.[43]
Spanish Diner –
Bethesda,
Maryland (spin-off of location inside of NYC's Mercado Little Spain) – A Spanish take on the classic American diner.
Zaytinya – Las Vegas,[50] Washington, D.C., and New York City – 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.[46]
Andrés is married to Patricia "Tichi" Fernández de la Cruz and has three daughters; they live in
Bethesda, Maryland, United States.[77][78][79] He met his wife while they were both living in Washington, D.C.; she is originally from
Cádiz, Andalusia,[80] in the southwest of Spain.[79] He became a naturalized
U.S. citizen in December 2013.[81]
Andrés, José; Wolffe, Richard (2018). We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time.
Anthony Bourdain/Ecco.
ISBN978-0062864482. – 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.
ISBN978-0062668387.
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.
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abcRuhlman, Michael (Fall 2016).
"José Andrés". Humanities. 37 (4). National Endowment for the Humanities.
^
ab"All about Chef José Andrés". explorelasvegas.com. Retrieved 23 November 2018. He started his culinary career when he interned at the world-famous El Bulli Restaurant in Catalonia, Spain with friend, mentor, and equally-famous Ferran Adrià. He worked in El Bulli for three years from 1988 to 1990.