María MercedesMaría Mercedes

Chef Maria is a native of San Juan and a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in NYC. Maria worked under Chef Gabriel Kreuther at The Modern and was part of the opening team at Bar Basque and Maialino. Returning to Puerto Rico in 2011, Maria started Underground Dining Club (UDC). In 2013 Maria and her brother opened Gallo Negro in Santurce. In 2019, Chef María Mercedes became the first female in Puerto Rico’s food industry to be nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Chef. Currently, Chef María is helming the kitchen at the Decanter Hotel in Old San Juan and acting Executive Chef at the Taberna Medalla Beer Garden project in Condado, Puerto Rico.