Kelvin Fernandez

Kelvin Fernandez was born in New York City into a Dominican family and developed an interest in cooking during high school. He pursued formal culinary education at the Culinary Institute of America with the support of a C-CAP scholarship. His early career included working at Water’s Edge in Long Island City under Chef George Masraff, followed by a position at Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City. He then advanced to executive sous chef at Café des Artistes.

Fernandez continued to build his experience by holding executive chef roles at several establishments, including Antipasti, Strand Bistro, Blend on the Water, and La Marina. In 2015-2016, he worked as a personal chef for professional baseball player Jose Reyes, focusing on healthy meal preparation. He returned to Strand Bistro as executive chef from 2016 to 2018. Following this, he undertook an apprenticeship in Lyon, France, in 2018, supported by another C-CAP scholarship. Upon his return, he became a chef and partner at Las Lap Rum Bar on New York City’s Lower East Side, where he developed a small plates menu featuring his well-known arepas.

Throughout his career, Kelvin Fernandez has received significant recognition, earning a spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for Food and Wine in 2015 and holding the title of “Best Chef in America” for three consecutive years (2016-2018). He has achieved success in multiple food television competitions, including winning “Beat Bobby Flay” in 2015 and “Man vs. Child: Chef Showdown” in 2016. He was also a runner-up on “Chopped” Season 8 and “Cook Your Ass Off” Season 1. Since 2019, Chef Fernandez has been an instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), where he continues to inspire new culinary talent.