
If passion creates innovation, excellence, and success, Chef Carlos Altamirano is a great, local example of such a truth. Altamirano, 44, immigrated from Peru as a teenager and wasted no time pursuing the American Dream. From his mother’s influence and guidance, Altamirano’s passion for food was already fired when he arrived to the U.S. Working with top chefs in New York and San Francisco gave him a classical training in French and Italian cooking, though his true passion was for Peruvian food.

