Jose G. Ramirez Ruiz

Born and raised in Isabela, Puerto Rico, I moved to Vermont at the age of 18 to study at the New England Culinary Institute. During this time, I pursued an internship at Bacco in New Orleans. Upon graduating, I secured a spot at Clio in Boston. After that, I moved back to Puerto Rico, where he was part of the team that opened Marmalade in Old San Juan. In search of new challenges, and always looking to refine my skills, I made the move to NYC where I secured a job at Degustation where I eventually became a Sous Chef. After I joined the team at three Michelin starred Per Se, under esteemed chef Thomas Keller. After being awarded the Jean-Louis Palladin Professional Work/Study Grant and looking to expand my knowledge of European cuisine, I journeyed to Europe, securing stages at Michelin starred restaurants all over; In de Wulf in Belgium, El Celler de Can Roca and Els Casals in Spain, and finally Le Chassagnette in Provence. It was here, in the south of France, that I was introduced to natural wines, paving the way for Semilla’s celebrated wine program. Upon returning to New York, I worked at Brooklyn Fare under Chef Cesar Ramirez and later as Sous Chef at Isa under chef Ignacio Mattos [Estela]. Then in 2014, I opened Semilla, the acclaimed, vegetable-forward Brooklyn restaurant, operating as both head chef and managing partner. Within 10 months, Semilla was awarded a Michelin star and included in “Bon Appetit Top 10 Best New Restaurants in America”. The James Beard Foundation followed, nominating Semilla as a “Best New Restaurant” and Jose as one of the Best New Chefs of the Year.