Natalia L. Vallejo

Natalia Vallejo is a Puerto Rican chef who has worked in leading restaurants around the world. She has immersed herself in programs and courses studying oenology, sensory analysis, nutrition, artisan baking, molecular cuisine, and wine pairing, to name a few. She spent time researching the ancestral food of the Mapuche community in Chile, began her studies in Puerto Rico in Nutrition and Dietetics, and then went to Argentina to continue her studies with the renowned Gato Dumas and Mausi Sebess.

With experience working in kitchens across Latin America and South America, including Chile, Argentina, Spain, and Puerto Rico, Vallejo has spent most of the last two decades developing and researching unique flavor profiles and culinary arts through her work and travels. In 2019 Vallejo opened her restaurant, Cocina al Fondo, in the Santurce neighborhood of Puerto Rico. The restaurant offers a dynamic, constantly evolving menu that incorporates locally sourced ingredients with integrity. Vallejo's entire spirit is based on elevating the island and its people through her gastronomy. Just a year after opening, Cocina al Fondo was nominated as "Best New Restaurant" and Natalia Vallejo as "Best Chef: South" by the James Beard Foundation. In 2023, she was nominated again and this time won the "Best Chef: South" award, becoming the first Puerto Rican woman to take home a James Beard award. She has appeared in Food & Wine, Travel & Leisure, The New York Times, Eater, Bon Appetit, BBC, Axios, NPR, USA Today, Broken Palate, Forbes, Lonny, Downtown magazine, among others.