TABLES: Puerto Rico's Guide to Great Dining
Official Restaurant Magazine of the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau

Tables Chef’s Hat Award Winners / Ganadores del premio Chef’s Hat
Presented in March 2009 at the International Ballroom of the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino in Condado
Readers of Tables Magazine nominate island chefs and restaurants for the annual Chef’s Hat Awards. They consider superior food, service and ambiance when making their choices. Each nominee is vetted by the Tables Magazine Board of Judges, who narrow the list down to just a dozen winners.

In an award ceremony held in the International Ballroom of the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino in Condado, winners receive an exclusive plate featuring an embossed chef’s hat and the Tables logo. The plate is mounted on a wood base, with a brass plaque affixed.

Restaurants that have won the award for four years go into the Tables Magazine Hall of Fame. The Judges, recognizing the outstanding skills of the chefs of those restaurants, award them personalized medals the 5th year.

This year, Tables Magazine also awarded a special lifetime Culinary Achievement Award to Chef/Restaurateur Alfredo Ayala, who is called “The Father of Nuevo Puerto Rican Cuisine,” and another to Julian Cable Treadwell who, with the San Juan Marriott Culinary Team headed by Chef Ralph Romano, annually presents the outstanding Chef’s Hat Awards celebration.

Look for the distinctive Chef’s Hat Award plate during your next visit to all of these winning establishments!

   Son los lectores de la revista Tables Magazine quienes anualmente nomina a chefs y restaurantes paara los premios Chef’s Hat Awards. Al seleccionar, toman en consideración la calidad de la comida, el servicio y la atmósfera. La junta de juices de Tables examina cuidadosamente a cada nominado y reduce esa lista a solo doce ganadores.

La ceremonia se realize en el Salón Internacional del San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, en Condado, y en ella se entrega a cada ganador un exclusive plato grabado con un sombrero de chef y el logotipo de Tables. El plate tiene su base de Madera y una placa de latón adjunta.

Este año, Tables tamabién concedió un Premio de Logro Culinario especial al chef y propietario Alfredo Ayala, llamado el “padre de la nueve cocina puertorriqueña”, por toda su carrera; y otro a Julian Cable Treadwell, auien, junto con el equipo de cocina del San Juan Marriott – drigido por el chef Ralph Romano – cada año prepara la magnifica celebración de los premios Chef’s Hat.

La próxima vez que visite uno de estos galardonados establecimientos, busque con la vista el distintivo “sombrero de chef”.


Event Presenters (Hall of Fame Chefs/Restaurateurs)
of Pikayo & Paya Chef Wilo Benet
of Bistro de Paris Chef David Chaymol & Thierry Duport
of Che's Restaurateur Juan Pablo Alemán
of Mark's at the Melia Chef Mark and Melodie French
of (former) Augusto's Cuisine Chef / Owner Augusto Schreiner
of Trois Cent Onze Chef Juan Peña & Restaurateurs Sylma Perez & Christopher Gourdian
of Tuscany Ristorante Chef Cesare Biancalana
of (former) Zen Garden Restaurateur Sam Ng
of Dunbars Restaurateur John Belsky
(formerly) of Dunbars Chef Trent Eichler
(formerly) of Dragonfly Chef Roberto Treviño
of Ajili Mójili Restaurateur Rafael & Jose Benetiz Gorbea
of Dragonfly Restaurateur Emilio Figueroa
Restaurateur Emilio Figueroa was also a winner of a 2007 Special Culinary Award for revitalizing the Culinary scene in Old San Juan. Presenting the 2008 Special Culinary Award was Don Paco Villon, who also won it in 2007 for his distinguished career in Culinary Journalism.
MARCH 2008 WINNERS/ GANARORES EN MARZO 2008
4-Time Winners Entering Hall of Fame Chef
Chez Daniel Daniel Vasse
Pamela's Estéban Torres
3-Time Winners Chef
Bottles Trent Eichler
Chayote Mario Pagán
Piccolo e Posto Joe Rao
J.H. Yee's Asian Bistro Danny Mak
2-Time Winners Chef
Augusto's Restaurant Ariel Rodríguez
El Galeón Manuel Álvarez Revuelta
Marmalade Peter Schintler
Il Perugino Franco Seccarelli
First-Time Winners Chef
Al Dente Giancarlo Amenta
Swiss Table Dieter Tschan
Carli's Jazz & Fine Dining Alberto Cortés
Panza Rafael Alejandro

Celebrating Ten Years of Chef’s Hat Awards
The first Tables Magazine was published in November 1998. In 2000, the first annual Chef’s Hat Awards were presented. Celebrations were held in various places over the years: the bar area of Cobia; the private dining rooms at Morton’s, Payá and at Tucany; the rooftop deck at Ajili-Mójili; and, for the past three years, in the glamorous International Ballroom of the San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino. These are the restaurants and chefs we honored:

La primera revista Tables se publicó en noviembre de 1998. En 2000 invieron lugar los primeros premios Chef’s Hat. Las celebracíones se han realizado en varios lugares: la barra de Cobia; los comedores privados de Morton’s, Paya y Tuscany; el piso superior de Ajili-mójili, y, por los pasados tres años, el glamoroso Salón Internacional del San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. Estos son los propietarios y chefs que hemos distinguído:

Hall of Fame Chefs and Restauranteurs (4-time winners):
  • Rafael & Jose Benetiz Gorbea, chefs Mariano Oritz and Joel Rodriguez of Ajili-mójili;
  • Augusto Schreiner, chef owner (former) Augusto’s Cuisine;
  • Chef David Chaymopl & Thierry Dupont, co-owners, Bistro de Paris;
  • Juan Pablo Alemán, chef/owner, Che’s;
  • Daniel Vasse, chef/owner, Chez Daniel;
  • Phil Belshaw, chef/owner (former) Cobia
  • Restaurateur John Belsky and (former) chef , Dunbar’s
  • Emilio Figueroa & Gigi Fernandez, co owners and (former) chef Roberto Treviño, Dragonfly;
  • Chef Esteban Torres, Pamela’s;
  • Chef/owner Wilo Benet; Pikayo;
  • Chef/owners Mark & Melodie French, Mark’s at the Meliá;
  • Chef Juan Peña, Restaurateurs Sylma Perez & Christophe Gourdain Of Trois Cent Onze
  • Chefs Ralph Romano & Cesare Biancalana of Tuscany Ristorante at the San Juan Marriott;
  • Owner/chef Sam Ng of (former) Zen Garden
Winners of Three Chef’s Hat Awards:
  • Owner/chef Manolo Caamañ of La Casona Restaurant
  • Owner/chef Mario Pagan, of Chayote
  • Chef Daniel Mak, Restaurateur Lisa Yee-Gilmore, J.H. Yee’s Asian Bistro
  • Chef Trent Eichler, restaurateur Roger Gonsalves, Bottles
  • Chef/owner Joe Rao, Piccolo e Posto
Winners of Two Chef’s Hat Awards:
  • Chef/owners Ariel Rodriguez & Alex Viera, Augusto’s Restaurant
  • Chef/owner Manuel Alvarez Revuelta, El Galeón
  • Chef/owners Peter & Harrietrt Schjintler, Marmalade
  • Chef/owner Franco Seccarelli, Il Perugino
Winners of One Chef’s Hat Award:
  • Chef/owners Ciancarlo Amenta & Margie Alvarez, Al Dente Ristorante
  • Chef Alberto Cortes/restaurateur Carli Muñoz, Carli’s Jazz & Fine Dining
  • Chef/owner Theo Ladias Apostolakis, Fleria Greek Care
  • Chef Juan Natal (former) Novo
  • Chef/owner Ramesh Pillai, Tantra
  • Chef Rafael Alandro, restaurateurs Linda & Jose Sanchez, Panza
  • Chef José A. Ramos , El Ancla of Ponce
  • Chef/owner Alex Sanchez, Chef Alex Bistro Catalana
  • Chef/owner Luis Ramiro, Ramiro’s
  • Chef Aaron Wratten, Horned Dorset Primavera
  • Chef/owner Dieter Tschan, Swiss Table
  • Chef Santos Gonzalez, restaurateur Melvin Cintron, Tino’s Restaurant
  • Chef Freddy Alers, Olas y Arenas
  • Chef Jose Rey and Maximillian Rey, Compostela
  • Restauranteur Emilio Figueroa, The Parrot Club
  • Chef/owner Jose Lavilla, Miro’s
  • Restaurateur Willie Li, (former) Yuan
  • Chef Cesar Fernandez, (formerly of) The Water Club
  • Shimas at the Wyndham Rio Mar
  • Ruth’s Chris at the InterContinental
  • Chef Anthony Scott at Morton’s Steakhouse at the Caribe Hilton
  • Ristorante Palio at the Wyndham Rio Mar
Winners of the Tables Magazine Culinary Achievement Award

Don Paco Villon for his extraordinary career in Culinary Journalism

Emilio Figueroa, for his vision, efforts & success in revitalizing the restaurant scene in Old San Juan

Chef Alfredo Ayala, for being the “Father of Nuevo Puertorrican Cuisine”

Hotelier Juan Cable-Treadwell at the San Juan Marriott for his years of support of the Chef’s Hat Awards



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Tables Magazine is printed yearly by Tropical Dining, a division of Read Street Publishing (RSP), and is distributed by in Puerto Rico by RSP and by the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau in PR and worldwide. For ad rates, call 410-837-1116. For more information write to us at 133 West Read Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, or visit our web site at http://www.tablespr.com or email editor@tablespr.com. All rights reserved.

La revista TABLES es publicada dos veces al año y es distribuida en los hoteles de Puerto Rico y mundial por el Puerto Rico Convention Bureau. Para precios de anuncios, llame 888-964-2665 o 410-837-1116. Para más información, escriba a TABLES, 133 W. Read Street, Baltimore, MD 21201; fax 410-727-3174; email: editor@tablespr.com.

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