Chef Ruben Piña, Jr

Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, I was inspired by my mother, grandfather and uncles who were always cooking for the family. After high school, I began cooking at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort. My focus there was on garde manger, smoking meats, and Tex-Mex cuisine.

Then, I moved to Seattle to pursue a formal education in French based culinary arts. This training included extensive education and experience in working with French pastries. Afterwards, I taught at some of the local colleges and worked at several different local restaurants in the Seattle area. There is a lot of creativity that goes into cooking and baking. During the holidays, I spend a lot of time baking so many Christmas cookies and other treats for friends and family.

I look forward to making wonderful, flavorful dishes for you and introducing you to new ideas and experiences in the kitchen. In particular, I love teaching people how to cook and bake. There are many topics I can present for Seattle cooking classes in the comforts of your home or a corporate lunch and learn.