René Rodriguez grew up in Mexico and as a preteen started cooking while working in his uncle’s restaurant. At 18, René came to Ottawa to work as an apprentice cook. He enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu cooking school and completed his Red Seal Certification at Algonquin College.

With his education behind him, René mastered his skills working in some of Ottawa’s best restaurants: ARC THE Hotel, Social, Black Cat Café, and Luxe Bistro. He consistently garnered accolades including two stars in the Where to Eat In Canada guide, and was voted as one of the best new restaurants in Ottawa (Ottawa Magazine) and in Canada (En Route).

In 2002-2003, René was invited to be a host for the television show Cook Like a Chef. In 2005, he traveled to Cuba in conjunction with Agriculture Canada to teach Havana’s top hotel chefs how to cook Canadian pork and Alberta beef. In 2008, he was chosen to participate in the prestigious Gold Medal Plates competition.

Rene’s passion lies in the cooking of northern Spain and the Basque where he travels annually. Last year, he opened Navarra restaurant – Navarra being a region of amazing wines and delectable cuisine. Navarra was voted one of Ottawa’s “10 Best New Restaurants” in 2008 by Where Magazine.

LCBO RIDEAU STREET | TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2009

LCBO NEPEAN CROSSROADS | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2009