Cuisine with Character

Get to know the creative genius behind Miami’s hottest new restaurant, CHICA by Lorena Garcia.

By Gianna Nolte

All it took was one conversation with CHICA mastermind Chef Lorena Garcia to recognize the warm personality, originality and passion you taste in every bite of her masterful cuisine at CHICA Miami.

Garcia’s rise to the top of the culinary game began at Johnson & Wales University, where this gifted Venezuelan native earned her bachelor’s degree in culinary arts. Her first job? The kitchen of The Ritz-Carlton in Paris. From there, Garcia traveled the globe and the most exclusive and elite kitchens of Italy, Argentina, Peru, Mexico and beyond. She continued to sharpen her keen culinary instinct and skill, and a brilliant career began to take shape. To date, Garcia has been a guest chef at The James Beard House, she’s published two best-selling cookbooks and has starred on national television food shows. Somewhere along the way all her global adventures led to Miami with ideas to expand her already-successful CHICA brand.

CHICA Miami, the sister restaurant of CHICA Las Vegas, was born from a collaboration with founder and CEO of 50 Eggs Hospitality, John Kunkel. At the time, Garcia was looking to create a Latin-infused restaurant built around a centralized kitchen, a lifelong goal of Garcia’s. After two years of conceptualizing, the duo brought to life the vision of CHICA Miami: a flavorful dining experience that celebrates this city and Latin American culture.

Since its long-awaited opening in the fall of 2019, CHICA has been a popular spot. Keeping up in the CHICA kitchen is no small feat, so Garcia takes every opportunity to recognize the hard work and talent of her superstar staff. But exceptional hospitality is only the beginning at CHICA Miami. From a one-of-a-kind mixology program to an inviting ambience that transports you to the lush and most elegant corners of the Latin American tropics, the restaurant located on Biscayne Boulevard and 4th Court focuses on creating a magnificent guest experience incorporating fresh ingredients and fresh fish that arrives daily. “It’s all made with love, commitment and attention to detail,” Garcia beams. “Everything is made from scratch.”

Garcia draws inspiration from her days growing up in Venezuela. She picked up her knack for cooking early on, and by age six she was preparing home-cooked arepas with her grandmother. A wave of proud nostalgia can be perceived in Garcia’s voice when she mentions how some of CHICA Miami’s dishes were re-created from memory. The same goes for most of the food prepared in Garcia’s own household, where flavor was passed down from generations. “My grandmother and mother were a fountain of inspiration, and I want the food we make to trigger a memory or a thought in our guests.”

Maybe that’s why CHICA’s interior has that worldly and welltraveled allure, with its jungle-like setting of upscale furniture, organic patterns and textures, and lush greenery that evokes the same feeling you will draw from the delicious food that is served there: an adventurous journey that still feels deeply intimate and personal.

Garcia currently resides in Miami with her husband and son. She enjoys spending her free time running on Miami Beach, spending time with family or horseback riding.