Chef Juan Carlos (JC) Piña - Born and raised in Mexico City, Piña was already handy with a knife upon arriving in Philadelphia in 2001.
He cooked professionally in his home city and had mastered the Pueblan specialties taught to him by his grandmother Concepción. After putting in time in well-regarded kitchens Morimoto, Tinto, Parc and Pod, Piña became the chef de cuisine at Jet Wine Bar in 2010, which led to his current position at Ynez, also owned by restaurateurs Jill Weber and Evan Malone. At this all-day cafe on the border of the Graduate Hospital and Point Breeze neighborhoods, Piña offers specialties like his hearty carnitas cemita and pollo mole, dishes inspired by his family’s cooking. In his free time, Piña is an avid collector of rock-and-roll vinyl.
Cafe Ynez Mexico City Inspired BYOB - Taco lovers can indulge all day long at Cafe Ynez, Point Breeze’s all-day-dining Mexico City-inspired BYOB. In addition to the selection of delicious tacos on the regular lunch and dinner menus, including Taco de Camarones ($12) and Taco de Pescado ($12), Executive Chef JC Piña will serve up Tacos Campechanos ($13) all day Wednesday in celebration of the holiday. The feature dish is served with 3 traditional-style tacos boasting multiple meats. Piña’s tacos will be served with three corn tortillas piled with chorizo, steak, potato, Queso Oaxaca, pickled peppers, sliced avocado and cilantro salsa verde. 2025 Washington Ave. | 215.278.7579 | www.cafeynez.com
Philadelphia's Latino Chefs & restaurateurs - Philly's national reputation as a thriving, open-to-all city extends to its flourishing culinary scene, which features a multitude of executive chefs of Latin descent. From nationally renowned luminaries with multiple successful restaurants (Jose Garces, Guillermo Pernot) to upstarts making a solid name for themselves here (Jezabel Careaga, Adan Trinidad, Cristina Martinez), these talented chefs come from all over Latin America, the Caribbean and South America, bringing a highly diverse set of flavors and traditions to the communal table
7 Facts About Philadelphia's Latino Community - Philly honors Hispanic Culture thought the year with food, fun and fiestas. Revelers can catch the Latino spirit at the Mexican Independence Day Festival on Penn’s Landing and the Puerto Rican Day Parade on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.Thought the year, arts and culture lovers have more to look forward to: the such as last years opening of the El Corazon Cultural Center in El Centro de Oro and the North American debut of the exhibition Paint the Revolution: Mexican Modernism, 1910-1950 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.