Carmen González is a professional chef

Chef

A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...

, restaurateur

Restaurateur

A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...

, and media personality.

González grew up in the Puerto Rican

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...

 coastal town of Aguadilla before moving on to the New York Restaurant School to pursue a culinary career. She then trained under Chef Barry Wine

Barry Wine

Barry Wine is a former restaurateur and current restaurant consultant whose noted establishment "The Quilted Giraffe" founded with his now ex-wife Susan was for the time it was open one of the most lauded eateries in the United States. The "Quilted Giraffe was first opened in New Paltz, New York...

 at the Quilted Giraffe in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 before finally opening her own restaurant, Carmen the Restaurant in Coral Gables, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

.

Top Chef Masters

In the second season of Top Chef Masters

Top Chef Masters

Top Chef Masters is an American reality competition show currently broadcast on the cable television network Bravo. It is a spinoff of Bravo's hit show Top Chef. In the series, 24 world-renowned chefs compete against each other in weekly challenges...

 (March 2010), González competed against 21 other renowned and established chefs for the coveted title of "Top Chef Master" and a prize to the charity of their choice. In the season premiere, Chef Carmen found herself in a situation that almost forced her to forfeit the competition. However, Chef Carmen managed to improvise on the bad luck and ended up earning the top score, qualifying for the Finals Round. Chef Carmen's charity of choice is the ASPCA

Accolades

• April 30 The Miami Dade Count Office of the Mayor: Chef Carmen's Day
• 2008 Boys Town Club: NY Tenacious Women Award
• 2004 Rising Star: Star Chefs
• 2003 Ocean Drive: 8 Best Chefs
• 1999 The House of Representatives: Washington DC: Unsung Heroines of Florida
• 1996
  • Florida Governor Lawton Chiles: Florida Finest Award
  • National Coalition of Hispanic American Women: Woman of the Year 1996
• 1995 South Florida Magazine: Up and Comers of South Florida Award

Carmen the Restaurant Reviews

• "America's Top Restaurants" book, 2004, 2005, 2006 Zagat
• "Four Diamond Award, 2004, 2005, 2006" AAA
• "One of the 50 Best Hispanic Restaurants 2004, 2005, 2006" Hispanic Magazine
• "Award of Excellence 2004, 2005, 2006" Wine Spectator
• "Best Puerto Rican Food 2005" Miami New Times
• "Best Hamburger 2005" Miami New Times
• "Best New Restaurant 2004" Miami New Times
• "One of the Best New Restaurants in America 2003" Esquire Magazine
• "State's "Best New Restaurants" Florida Trend

External links

• Official Homepage