Nothing brings people together like La Ventanita. The Miami Herald interviewed some of the world’s best chefs to get a window into their lives, while tasting strong Cuban coffee and delicious traditional Cuban snacks.
A conversation with
Chef José Andrés
Listen to the longer, in-depth interview:
Chef José Andrés, who was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, sees the United States and all it represents in every bite of a pastelito or croqueta.
A conversation with
Chef Michelle Bernstein
Listen to the longer, in-depth interview:
Before Michelle Bernstein was one of the first women on the Food Network and before her Miami restaurants made her a culinary favorite, the award-winning chef was the only woman in a kitchen full of men.
A conversation with
Chef Daniel Boulud
Listen to the longer, in-depth interview:
A dropout at 14, Daniel Boulud turned a childhood cooking in Leon, France into becoming one of the best living French chefs. Now the owner of 15 restaurants, he has a recent fascination with Cuban food.
A conversation with
Chef Thomas Keller
Listen to the longer, in-depth interview:
Growing up with four brothers and single working mom inspired Thomas Keller to nurture families around the dinner table. Then he changed American fine dining with his restaurants, including French Laundry in Napa Valley and his new Miami spot at the Surf Club.
A conversation with
Pitbull
Listen to the longer, in-depth interview:
Pitbull, the rapper and owner of a new South Beach restaurant, talks to us about how growing up in Miami shaped him, where his catchphrase "Dale" comes from, and the only way to take photos in the club. Plus, he teaches us the Pitbull way to eat a pastelito over Cuban coffee and croquetas.
A conversation with
Chef Marcus Samuelsson
Listen to the longer, in-depth interview:
Chef and TV star Marcus Samuelsson got his culinary start thanks to his adoptive mother, who helped him write to every Michelin-star restaurant in Sweden until he got a job. He’s opening a high-end eatery in Miami.
A conversation with
Chef Norman Van Aken
Listen to the longer, in-depth interview:
Norman Van Aken was a carney, field hand and pumped concrete as he hitchhiked down to Key West, where a Cuban meal would change his palate — and his life.
