Chef-Owner, Carmela & Sal | Mexico City, Mexico

Gabriela Ruiz is chef-owner of Carmela & Sal, which she opened in 2017 with her partner, Rafael. She is also the chef-owner of Vuelve Carmela, the most important gastronomic spot in all Tabasco. Both Carmela & Sal and Vuelve Carmela have been included in the annual publication Guía México Gastronómico, Culinaria Mexicana, San Pellegrino, and Nespresso. She is originally from Comalcalco, Tabasco, the birthplace of cocoa in Mexico. She studied gastronomy at the Southern Culinary School, in Mérida, Yucatán, and began her career working in some of the best restaurants in Mexico, including Enrique Olvera’s internationally acclaimed Pujol restaurant in Mexico City.  Throughout her successful career, Gaby has represented Mexico in important culinary festivals, in countries like Germany and India.  In 2015, she was selected as winner of the Young Masters award from Mexico Millesime. Stanford and Berkeley universities have invited her to talk about cacao in the Food Innovation & Design Symposium, and she has also given lectures at The Culinary Institute of America. Gaby is a passionate ambassador of the Tabasco culinary traditions; there is no chef in Mexico that hasn’t traveled with her to the amazing cocoa fields, where she herself explains the production process. (Mexico City, Mexico) @GabrielaruizL