Ramon Personal Chef Hits it Out of the Park

Ramon Alvarez hit a homerun when he moved from being a professional baseball player to becoming a personal chef.

Ramon first came to the United States 37 years ago to play ball but when that didn’t go as planned, he began cooking at Chili’s. He already knew how to cook Spanish food but it turns out he showed real talent – something Chili’s quickly recognized and therefore sent him to the company’s culinary arts school. He moved up in the company becoming a corporate trainer and then managing the St. Augustine Chili’s for more than 10 years.

One of his co-workers at Chili’s branched out on his own and started the Florida Cracker Café on St. George Street. Ramon joined him as chef and kitchen manager where he remained until a few months ago when he began working full-time as Ramon Personal Chef, his food truck and catering business.

Ramon Personal Chef’s menu has a European (particularly Spanish) flair featuring dishes such as seafood paella and chicken pesto parmesan over rigatoni pasta. Ramon likes sautéing combinations of veggies, oils and spices to create delicious sauces served over rice and pasta.

Ramon says he loves seeing customers enjoy the taste profile of his meals – and of course, hearing all the compliments to the chef. He plans to grow his business to multiple mobile units spreading his good eats across the county. You can currently find his food truck at festivals and events around the area as well as the Wednesday Farmers Market at the St. Augustine Pier.

Sample Ramon Personal Chef’s delicious dishes when you visit his food truck at Made in St. Augustine.