Wilo Benet
Encyclopedia
Wilo Benet is a Puerto Rican
celebrity
chef
. He is the chef owner of the Pikayo, Varita and Payá restaurants as well as the president and owner of Museum Restaurant Group.
at the Foxfire restaurant in Florida. After returning to Puerto Rico he started in the kitchens of the Caribe Hilton Hotel
without any pay for a year. He was later a trainee at the same restaurant, where he learned how to make salads, peel shrimp
and perform other simple kitchen chores. With the help of the Hilton executives and his father he was enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America
in New York City
which he graduated from in 1985.
and as poissonier at The Water Club
in New York. He also worked at Maurice Restaurant in New York. He was later chosen as Chef de Cuisine at the Governors Mansion
in Puerto Rico.
In 1990, Benet opened the original Pikayo. The restaurant later moved to the facilities of the Puerto Rico Museum of Art
. In September 2009 Pikayo moved to a luxurious site at the Conrad hotel in the Condado area of San Juan
. In the same location, Benet also opened Varita, a woodburning rotisserie casual restaurant serving Puerto Rican food. After Pikayo he opened a more casual restaurant named Payá. Pikayo was hailed by the New York Times as "maybe the best museum restaurant in the world".
In recent years, Benet has been a guest chef at the James Beard Foundation
and a spokesperson for UNICEF’s Puerto Rico Chapter "Tap Water" Campaign.
, National Geographic Traveler
, American Express
’ Destination magazine and Food & Wine
. In February 2009 he was featured in the cover of Sante Magazine and Comercio y Produccion, the Puerto Rican official magazine of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce.
In June 2009, Benet was featured on the show Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern
. Later in the same month, he participated in Bravo's TV series Top Chef Masters
, a spin-off of the award-winning show, Top Chef
. Benet himself had appeared as a guest judge on the season finale of the fourth season
of Top Chef. On Top Chef Masters, Benet competed against Rick Bayless
, Ludovic Lefebvre
, and Cindy Pawlcyn
. Benet won the "Quickfire Challenge", and beat Lefebvre and Pawlcyn on the "Elimination Challenge". However, he lost to Bayless who eventually went on to win the competition.
Benet has also appeared as a guest chef of the Food Network
as well as his own local cooking segment. He was the principal chef on Martha Stewart
's Perfect Wedding
contest.
titled Puerto Rico True Flavors. The book features more than 100 recipes of Puerto Rico’s culinary style. He followed it with the Spanish book Puerto Rico Sabor Criollo. At the 2008 BookExpo America
in Los Angeles
, both his books won awards as Best Cookbook in English as well as in Spanish.
In May 2009, Benet stepped into the wine
business with a wine called Dobleú. The wine is elaborated by Bodega Ramón Bilbao in Rioja
, Spain
of tempranillo
grape. Wine Spectator
’s Robert Parker
declared it a "Best Buy" in the Wine Advocate 2009 Edition.
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...
celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
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 ...
. He is the chef owner of the Pikayo, Varita and Payá restaurants as well as the president and owner of Museum Restaurant Group.
Early years
Benet was introduced to the restaurant business when his father decided he should pursue the career he wanted. After trying photography at FIT in Miami he told his father he will do cooking and requested not to send any money to help with the expenses as he wanted to do it on his own effort. He first worked as a dishwasherDishwasher
A dishwasher is a mechanical device for cleaning dishes and eating utensils. Dishwashers can be found in restaurants and private homes.Unlike manual dishwashing, which relies largely on physical scrubbing to remove soiling, the mechanical dishwasher cleans by spraying hot water, typically between ...
at the Foxfire restaurant in Florida. After returning to Puerto Rico he started in the kitchens of the Caribe Hilton Hotel
Caribe Hilton Hotel
The Caribe Hilton Hotel, located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is one of the best-known hotels in the Caribbean. It was the first facility ever operated by Hilton Hotels outside of the continental United States....
without any pay for a year. He was later a trainee at the same restaurant, where he learned how to make salads, peel shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
and perform other simple kitchen chores. With the help of the Hilton executives and his father he was enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America
Culinary Institute of America
The Culinary Institute of America is a non-profit culinary college located in Hyde Park USA, founded in 1946. The CIA also has branch campuses in St. Helena, California, and San Antonio, Texas, as well as a campus in Singapore. It is a not-for-profit academic institution of higher learning...
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...
which he graduated from in 1985.
Professional career
After graduating, Benet worked as patissier at Le BernardinLe Bernardin
Le Bernardin is a Michelin Guide three star, Zagat-rated restaurant in New York City. It was started in 1972 in Paris by Gilbert and Maguy le Coze and moved to New York in 1986....
and as poissonier at The Water Club
The Water Club
The Water Club is a hotel that is connected to the Borgata and is located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The $400 million Water Club was Atlantic City's first boutique-lifestyle hotel when it opened in June 2008. Its opening date was delayed by a September 2007 fire that damaged portions of its...
in New York. He also worked at Maurice Restaurant in New York. He was later chosen as Chef de Cuisine at the Governors Mansion
La Fortaleza
La Fortaleza is the current official residence of the Governor of Puerto Rico. It was built between 1533 and 1540 to defend the harbor of San Juan. The structure is also known as Palacio de Santa Catalina . It is the oldest executive mansion in the New World...
in Puerto Rico.
In 1990, Benet opened the original Pikayo. The restaurant later moved to the facilities of the Puerto Rico Museum of Art
Puerto Rico Museum of Art
The Museum of Art of Puerto Rico is one of the most prestigious art museums in Puerto Rico.-History:...
. In September 2009 Pikayo moved to a luxurious site at the Conrad hotel in the Condado area of San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. In the same location, Benet also opened Varita, a woodburning rotisserie casual restaurant serving Puerto Rican food. After Pikayo he opened a more casual restaurant named Payá. Pikayo was hailed by the New York Times as "maybe the best museum restaurant in the world".
In recent years, Benet has been a guest chef at the James Beard Foundation
James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation is a New York-based national professional non-profit organization named in honor of James Beard that serves to promote the culinary arts by honoring chefs, wine professionals, journalists, and cookbook authors at annual award ceremonies and providing scholarships and...
and a spokesperson for UNICEF’s Puerto Rico Chapter "Tap Water" Campaign.
Celebrity status
Benet has been featured in countless culinary magazines and publications like Conde Nast TravelerCondé Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler is a US magazine published by Condé Nast. It has its origins in a mailing sent out by the Diners Club club beginning in 1953, listing locations that would take the card. It began taking advertising in 1955. In order to attract more advertisers, it became a full-fledged magazine,...
, National Geographic Traveler
National Geographic Traveler
National Geographic Traveler is a magazine published by the National Geographic Society in the United States. It was launched in 1984. Local-language editions of National Geographic Traveler are published in Armenia, Belgium/the Netherlands, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Latin America,...
, American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
’ Destination magazine and Food & Wine
Food & Wine Magazine
Food & Wine is a monthly magazine published by American Express Publishing. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and seasonal/holiday content and has been credited by The New York...
. In February 2009 he was featured in the cover of Sante Magazine and Comercio y Produccion, the Puerto Rican official magazine of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce.
In June 2009, Benet was featured on the show Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern
Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern
Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern is a documentary-styled travel and cuisine television show hosted by Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel. The first season debuted on Monday, February 26, 2007 at 9pm ET/PT....
. Later in the same month, he participated in Bravo's TV series 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...
, a spin-off of the award-winning show, Top Chef
Top Chef
Top Chef is an American reality competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo, in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges. They are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants...
. Benet himself had appeared as a guest judge on the season finale of the fourth season
Top Chef (season 4)
Top Chef: Chicago is the fourth season of American reality television series Top Chef and was filmed first in Chicago, Illinois, and concluded in San Juan, Puerto Rico...
of Top Chef. On Top Chef Masters, Benet competed against Rick Bayless
Rick Bayless
Rick Bayless is an American chef who specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations. He is perhaps best known for his PBS series Mexico: One Plate at a Time....
, Ludovic Lefebvre
Ludovic Lefebvre
Ludo Lefebvre is a French chef. He received his training in restaurants in France beginning in adolescence and in his early twenties immigrated to the United States where he quickly earned recognition, making appearances on television in culinary shows and earning an award for one of the...
, and Cindy Pawlcyn
Cindy Pawlcyn
Cindy Pawlcyn is an American chef best known for the restaurants she opened in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Napa Valley between 1983 and 2008. Pawlcyn was an early advocate for using local, sustainable meats and produce in her restaurants...
. Benet won the "Quickfire Challenge", and beat Lefebvre and Pawlcyn on the "Elimination Challenge". However, he lost to Bayless who eventually went on to win the competition.
Benet has also appeared as a guest chef of the Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
as well as his own local cooking segment. He was the principal chef on Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
's Perfect Wedding
Perfect Wedding
Perfect Wedding is a 2010 Hong Kong film co-produced by Shaw Brothers Studio, Television Broadcasts Limited and Sil-Metropole Organisation.-Cast:...
contest.
Other ventures
In 2007, Benet published his first cookbookCookbook
A cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
titled Puerto Rico True Flavors. The book features more than 100 recipes of Puerto Rico’s culinary style. He followed it with the Spanish book Puerto Rico Sabor Criollo. At the 2008 BookExpo America
BookExpo America
BookExpo America is the largest annual book trade fair in the United States. BEA is almost always held in a major city over four days in late May and/or early June...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, both his books won awards as Best Cookbook in English as well as in Spanish.
In May 2009, Benet stepped into the wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
business with a wine called Dobleú. The wine is elaborated by Bodega Ramón Bilbao in Rioja
Rioja
Rioja or La Rioja may refer to:Spain*Rioja, Almería*La Rioja , a province and autonomous community in northern Spain**Rioja , red and white wines from the province**La Rioja **University of La Rioja...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
of tempranillo
Tempranillo
Tempranillo is a variety of black grape widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. It is the main grape used in Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's "noble grape". Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish temprano , a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks...
grape. Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertainment pieces...
’s Robert Parker
Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. is a leading U.S. wine critic with an international influence. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter The Wine Advocate, with his particular stylistic preferences and notetaking vocabulary, have become very influential in American wine buying and are...
declared it a "Best Buy" in the Wine Advocate 2009 Edition.