Executive Sous Chef Rodrigo Alvarez has been working his magic at Tavern N Town for over seven years now. His culinary journey to Key West began in his native country of Chile where is father sent him to engineering school. “That lasted a year,” Alvarez says with a smile, “I was on my own for the first time and let’s just say that studying wasn’t my main objective.” One thing he did enjoy was cooking for his college friends. After much insistence, his parents finally agreed to let him go to culinary school. “It was great, I was one of two guys with 36 female students,” said Alvarez. Each year the school held a competition for the new chefs and his team won first place the year before graduating. He then interned at a country club in Chile where he honed his skills.
His first cooking job at an exclusive Chilean island resort, was a handshake away when they discovered his English skills were very limited; he was turned away. English became a priority and he learned through a U.S. work visa program he learned about through a friend. The visa program gave him a job in Alabama where he continued to learn English. “Yes, I studied English in Alabama and somehow have no southern accent,” said Alvarez. He opened a restaurant from scratch with a friend in Alabama and enjoyed learning American Southern cooking along with the business end of running a restaurant.
After a year and a half it was time to move beyond Alabama. Alvarez came to Key West by way of vacation and by 2009 had a job at Tavern N Town. “I love everything about Key West, I ride my bike everywhere.” He continues, “Keys living is simple and everyone treats each other the same-very unpretentious.” Alvarez is especially proud of his Tavern N Town staff; they have a great camaraderie. He helped developed the Tavern N Town menu that displays his name. “I have specials each day and I always have something in the works.” His creativity is obvious with entrees such as Cilantro Seared Swordfish with roasted red beets, kale and carmelized shallot beurre blanc. They have plenty of entrees from the land as well properly seared on the wood fire grill. “I’m proud to be a chef at such a beautiful restaurant with so much to offer in such a friendly place.”
-Susan Kochan
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