Executive Chef Gonzalo Rivera Jr. at La Marea Restaurant
Executive Chef Gonzalo Rivera Jr. joins The Tides South Beach from one of Mexico's renowned dining experiences: Nemi Restaurant in Mexico City, the Mina Group's first international presence, which he opened as Executive Chef in November 2006. Nemi earned high praise for Rivera's inventive take on seafood and was named one of the country's Top 23 Best Restaurants by Travel + Leisure.
Rivera earned a Bachelor of Science in Gastronomy from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco in 2003. He got his start there as Chef de Partie at Aqua and Pisces Restaurant. In 2004, he joined Mina Group at Michael Mina Restaurant; he rose from a humble line cook to Sous Chef in just two years. Rivera also has experience in training staff at various Mina Group outposts across the U.S., including Stonehill Tavern in Monarch Beach, California; Strip Steak at Mandalay Bay Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas; and Michael Mina Las Vegas at Bellagio Casino & Hotel. Despite his palate and technique having been refined by Chef Mina, Rivera remains humble to his roots of home style comfort food.
Born and raised in California, Rivera's love for food began at the tender age of 10 while he assisted his "abuela" or grandmother and learned to cook traditional Mexican dishes such as tamales, carnitas and braised baby goat. "My family had emigrated from Mexico and with all their cultural influences, it was very exciting to learn about flavors and food," points out Gonzalo. His love was further fueled during high school by watching "Great Chefs of the World" on the Discovery Channel. Studying these European techniques on television combined with his family's use of local ingredients provided the backbone for Rivera's embrace of local farmers and purveyors.
Now married with two children, he is fluent in Spanish as well as English, and enjoys collecting vintage kitchen appliances and utensils. In his time off, Rivera spends it with his wife and children keeping old family traditions alive. Asked what his family says of his accomplishments and he broadly smiles, "What are you going to cook for us today?"....Perhaps the best award he may be bestowed with yet.