Bella Cora Bakery

EL PASO, TX

Chef Bowden has been baking for 18 years. Starting in 1999 with high school culinary classes in El Paso's Ysleta school district, Bowden went on to attend the Culinary Institute of america in Hyde park, new york, where he completed his degree in baking and pastry.

Bowden returned to el paso and worked at the greenery restaurant and market where he ran their pastry department. in 2007 he spent five months working at bouchon bakery in New york city, a tme he considers indispensable to his eventual effort to open and run his own bakery. 

in 2012, Bella Cora Bakery was opened in West el paso. Bella Cora's second location opened in november of 2015 in far east el paso. 

Chef Bowden Specializes in french-style pastries such as macarons and croissants that has made Bella Cora Bakery unlike any other bakery in the entire Southwest region.

chef bowden is indebted to the people of el paso for their long continued support in his efforts to become the best baker he is capable of becoming. 

MARIA CHUCHENA

CIUDAD JUAREZ, MX

Chef Diaz began his culinary career at age 16, when he discovered his passion for food. He is a 2012 graduate of Instituto de Alta Cocina (ISAC) in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua.

Diaz has collaborated on some of the most important restaurants in México, such as the 450 Past + Grill in Guanajuato, cooking international food. He has also been able to develop his practice alongside renowned Chef Luis Arellano of Criollo restaurant in Oaxaca, and has collaborated with important Chefs from all over mexico such as Erick Guerrero and Israel Loyola.

since 2012 he's been Executive chef at  María Chuchena in Juárez, where he uses fresh and seasonal products sourced from all over Mexico to create contemporary Mexican dishes – his specialty. He has also been the lead on other projects such as the design and operation of La Pezcadería, El Barba Negra food truck (specializing in octopus tacos), Anafres (Oaxacan Tlayudas), and most recently, La Querencia in Juarez. 

He is currently working on creating a new catering brand named Mokaya (from the word zoque-mixe that means “children of the maize”) focused on contemporary Mexican cuisine.

Hacienda Flor de Nogal

Juarez, mx

Since early childhood Chef Herrera had an intense passion for being in the kitchen. As soon as he formally entered the culinary scene, he participated in a handful of different restaurant projects and culinary events all while being an ambassador of the Borderland region.

Herrera is the Head Chef of Hacienda Flor de Nogal in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and, according to Culinaria Mexicana, currently holds a spot on “The Best 120 Restaurants in Mexico” list. He is also on the Nespresso San Pellegrino 2017 list, and is the #1 Restaurant in Juarez according to Trip Advisor from which he has also received a 2017 Excellence Award.

He is one of the founders of the “Cook Instituto Culinario”, a culinary school in Ciudad Juarez where future young Chefs are being trained.

Chef Herrera is currently working on an upcoming restaurant project in El Paso, TX. 

St. Clair winery & Bistro

Las Cruces, NM

Chef Tim has been working in the culinary industry for over 37 years. born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin he became interested in  food service at a young age by his grandparents who owned and operated concession stands at the Wisconsin State Fair and Raceway. For years, he helped with simple clean-up and grilling tasks and met many famous stock car and formula Drivers including A.J. Folt, Al and Bobby Unser among others.

His interest in Food service became more than just a simple job when he started to work for other operations like Marie Callenders as an apprentice baker but found that there was more to the culinary world.

Chef Nichols went to Minneapolis and started working at different restaurants in the Twin Cities where he became a sous chef and kitchen manager with a local restaurant group. This eventually took him to Duluth M.N. where he worked for Black Woods on the Lake along with Chef James Schneller developing the restaurants seasonal menus and every year operating the V.I.P Areas for one of the country’s biggest Jazz and Blues Festivals catering to artists such as Little Richard, Koko Taylor, Johnny Lang and Bob Dylan - a Duluth native.

After a 130” snowstorm chef nichols decided to move to a warmer climate and headed west through Colorado working in “the Springs” and eventually made it to Albuquerque, New Mexico, then to Las Cruces where he has been Executive Chef with St. Clair Winery and Bistro for 9 years continuing menu development and preparing wine dinners for guests.

ANSON 11

El paso, TX

Chef Martinez has been on the culinary scene for over 10 years. His extensive experience includes working as a line Chef in Chicago at Alinea and Blackbird.

Chef Martinez is currently a Sous Chef at Anson 11 and has been there for four and half years.

anson 11

el paso, tx

Chef Ramos received his culinary degree from the Instituto Superior de Alta Cocina (ISAC) in Juarez, MX in 2010.

Chef Ramos worked in several prestigious restaurants in El Paso, including Café Central where he was Chef de Partie, Bogarts where he was Chef d’cuisine, Suzu and Buddha. He is currently the Sous Chef at Anson 11.