Title: Chef/Owner
Company: Gracia
Location: Seattle, Washington, United States
Chester R. Gerl, Chef and owner at Gracia, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Business Owners for dedication, achievements, and leadership in restaurant management and Mexican cuisine.
Mr. Gerl is the award-winning chef and restaurateur behind Gracia, an authentic Mexican-style eatery in the heart of Seattle. Open since 2016, Gracia has been awarded three stars by the Seattle Times and been included in numerous lists of the best Mexican food in the region, including Eater and JustLuxe’s list of the top ten mezcal bars in the country. Serving brunch and dinner menus centered on authentic regional Mexican dishes made from imported corn and locally-sourced meat butchered in-house, Mr. Gerl strives to share his lifelong passion for Mexican food and culture with patrons at Gracia. With 23 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Mr. Gerl discovered his talent early: He began cooking professionally shortly after high school and quickly climbed the ranks in the restaurants he worked in.
By age 25, Mr. Gerl had been named Executive Chef of his first restaurant and had built a reputation for precise menus anchored by creative and modern takes on international dishes. He spent several years traveling the country working as head chef of numerous fine-dining establishments including long-running New York favorites Rosie’s, Five Points, and Hundred Acres, before returning to Seattle to take over Mat’s in the Market before opening Gracia. Mr. Gerl holds an Associate of Arts from the Western Culinary Institute and has studied at the Culinary Institute of America with Mexican-cuisine celebrity Rick Bayless, an experience he describes as “life-changing.” He attributes his success to his early talent and focus on navigating the industry and plans to continue his career for as long as he is able.
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