El Nido is proud to introduce head chef Jose Montalvo Alas, or Chef Ziggy as he is more commonly known in the local restaurant industry. Chef Ziggy developed his signature cooking style working in the Santa Fe restaurant industry since relocating here in 1992 from El Salvador. His passion for open flame cooking began in 1998, when Chef Ziggy mastered his grilling techniques at Mark Miller’s groundbreaking modern Southwestern cuisine restaurant, the Coyote Café. During his career in Santa Fe, Chef Ziggy has worked for fine dining establishments including La Casa Sena, Luminaria, and El Nido. We welcome you to enjoy the contemporary menu and flavors Chef Ziggy has developed for El Nido and invite you to the visual feast offered by our open kitchen cooking concept.

Ziggy joined El Nido in April of 2021.