Diego Felix
Private Chef
Santa Cruz, California -
Born and raised in Ciudad Evita just outside of Buenos Aires, Diego grew up within a vegetarian/macrobiotic family. At the time, healthy food options were very simply prepared and used few flavors and ingredients—a defining influence on Diego’s now rebelliously vibrant and diverse cuisine.
Originally, Diego sought a career in theater, and at 22 decided to travel throughout Latin America in search of work, ending up in Mexico. To get there, he had eaten his way through Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru and other countries, awakening his curiosity about Latin American food and indigenous ingredients, and decisively making him a performer of culinary art instead of theater art.
In Buenos Aires, Diego began his life in the food world cooking at Dominga restaurante in Buenos Aires. At the same time he studied at Buenos Aires Natural Chef and after operating his own vegetarian delivery business daytime and on the line of Dominga by night he moved to San Francisco with his partner Sanra Ritten. There, he discovered a style of cooking integrated with the land and farmers, a holistic view of gastronomy. He ended his Californian resume at Millennium, working under Eric Tucker, the guru of vegan cuisine.
A few years later, Diego and Sanra moved back to Buenos Aires wanting to learn and research anything edible the southern continent had to offer. They created Casa Felix in 2007 as a way to share and showcase their findings and experiences and became the forerunner of the closed-door restaurants movement in Buenos Aires, attracting a national and international public who came to taste a vibrant cuisine that showcased indigenous ingredients in a different way. Casa Felix was quoted in many international newspapers, magazines, travel websites like NYTimes, Conde Nast, Vice, London Times, Washington post, Vice.
Casa Felix won the best restaurant award voted by the people by the prestigious Guia Oleo Buenos Aires foodie guide in 2010.
In 2008 Casa Felix turned into a culinary troubadour band during the southern hemisphere winter and traveled across the USA cooking in private parties, wineries and farms. Sponsored by Argentina wines Ernesto Catena winery, Colome winery, Algodon winery and Yacochuya wines.
In 2008, 2010, 2012 Diego was invited to be part of the international Terra Madre ( Terra Madre network was launched by the Slow Food grassroots organization, and the intent is to provide small-scale farmers, breeders, fishers and food artisans whose approach to food production protects the environment and communities) event in Turin Italy organized by the Slow food movement representing the Argentina chefs network three times where he expose his point of view of food and culture.
