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Chef Carlos Salgado
Chef Carlos Salgado Chef/Owner at Taco Maria, Carlos Salgado has led a flight of fancy all his own to miraculously land back in Orange County, CA. Chef Carlos’s flight is one of the best for a successful independent restaurant owner. Carlos grew up in the restaurant industry, pursued a career in technology, then went to culinary school when he was trying to recreate the flavors he grew up with. Salgado apprenticed with fine dining greats starting out in the pastry department (where precision is vital) at Philadelphia’s acclaimed Winterland. He went from Philadelphia to San Francisco joining Daniel Patterson at Coi, then on to work with James Syhabout at Commis which soon earned its first Michelin Star.
Believe it or not – he left these fine dining meccas to come home to Orange County. He started with the Taco Maria food truck and then opened Taco Maria, a modern Mexican Restaurant at SoCo serving lunch and prix fixe dinner. So when folks rave about his mole or chorizo or you observe the kitchen plating up your tacos with tweezers the way they do in starred restaurants you will immediately realize this is no ordinary flight of fancy that has brought Chef Carlos’ “Chicano Cuisine” to us in Southern California.