Meet Chef Maritza Rios: The Heart of Cocina Latina
Discover the inspiring journey of Chef Maritza Rios, the visionary behind Cocina Latina. Learn about her passion for bringing authentic Latin American flavors to St. Louis and her dreams for the future.
From Peru to the Central West End: A culinary dream
Chef Maritza Rios always envisioned opening a Peruvian restaurant in the Midwest. "It was difficult back then - 24 years ago - to introduce Latin American cuisine," she recalls. So, she began with Mexican cuisine, which she mastered. Her dream of owning a restaurant, especially in the vibrant Central West End, came true in 2018. "I fell in love because it reminded me so much of walking around a few streets in New York City," she explains. Cocina Latina became that dream, a highly sought-after location in a popular area where "everybody wants to stay here and not go anywhere else."
A symphony of colors and flavors
Chef Maritza Rios takes immense pride in Cocina Latina's vibrant and flavorful cuisine. "Our cuisine is very colorful and very flavorful," she states. The secret lies in natural ingredients, especially peppers. "We don't use colors from anything but actual peppers: aji panca, which is very red, and aji amarillo, which is very yellow." Cumin and saffron also contribute to the rich hues. "So it's all about your peppers and the spice. Basically, our cuisine is very unique in South America because we use lots of peppers - dry peppers."
The future of Cocina Latina: A dream realized
For years, Maritza Rios harbored the dream of opening her own Peruvian restaurant. After immigrating to the U.S. from Peru and spending over two decades in New York City honing her skills in fusion cooking with Japanese, Spanish, and Italian cuisines, she understood how Peruvian flavors connected with the world. She opened her first restaurant, El Paisano, in Jefferson County. Nearly 20 years later, her lifelong ambition of sharing Peruvian fare with the St. Louis metro area was finally fulfilled with the opening of Cocina Latina in the Central West End, a vibrant space enhanced by Technicolor, Latin-inspired paintings that create an art gallery atmosphere.
"Cocina Latina is a vibrant realization of Chef Maritza Rios's vision, named one of STL Today's Froeb's top 100 restaurants in 2022."
STL Today