Originally from Mexico City, Chef Fernando Olea, formerly Chef/Owner of Epazote Restaurant and Bert’s La Taqueria, has been enthralling diners in Santa Fe since 1991. Chef Olea creates sophisticated flavors using Old Mexico’s indigenous and culinary traditions alongside ingredients from around the world for his “New World” cuisine. He is honored to have won the National Restaurant Association’s “Faces of Diversity Award” in 2020, The New Mexico Restaurant Association’s award for “Chef of the Year” in 2022 and the James Beard award for “Best Chef, Southwest” in 2022. He has been actively involved in the local community while representing the Mexican culinary culture in Santa Fe and abroad. Some of the organizations and events he has been involved in include: – Past President of the Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta 2016-2017 – Iron Chef Participant, Toronto, Canada – President, Founder of the Mexican Restaurant Association of the US & Canada – Past President and CEO of the New Mexico Restaurant Association – Recognized by Former First Lady, Michelle Obama, for his involvement in the Cooking With Kids organization. Chef Olea is well known for his exquisite moles, a sauce of complex flavors that usually includes toasted and ground spices, seeds, nuts, chocolate and chile. Many mole recipes contain more than thirty ingredients and some recipes have five varieties of chile alone.