Chef Ramon Velazquez’s cooking is best described by those who know it as highly innovative yet intimately and deliciously familiar. Growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, his love of food was nurtured by his mother and grandmother, who taught him how to make traditional Mexican dishes and create meals inspired by the local markets. Velazquez immigrated to the United States in 1990 and began working in restaurants in Santa Barbara, most notably as a sushi chef for the beloved restaurant Arigato for almost nine years and then moving on to the role of executive chef for Cielito.