Meet Orinoco Chef Carlos Walter Rodriguez

By Margarita Martinez

When I met chef Rodriguez at his restaraunt in Brookline Village, he told me his favorite Orinoco meal, aside from his required arepa Gringa in the morning, is the Panela-Marinated Salmon, Churrasco Adobo, the Seared Tuna and a glass of Torrontes wine or a Mojito-Cojito.

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Carlos began his culinary journey at an early age, literally pulling at his grandmother’s apron to help. At 14, he started working with his first culinary mentor, Chef Franz Conde in the kitchen of Seasons in Caracas. Still in his teens, he worked as an apprentice for some of the most revered chefs in the capital. In 1994, Carlos was granted a full scholarship to study in the U.S. and earn a degree in Culinary Arts.
 
After returning to Caracas, Carlos ran a consulting company that opened new restaurants in the city. He also consulted for leading companies including Nestle Latin America, McCormick, and Coca-Cola, and helped established three culinary Schools: the Venezuelan Center for Gastronomical Studies, La Casserole du Chef, and the High Educational Institute for the Culinary Arts.

Carlos moved to Miami in 2001 to become a private chef de cuisine. He soon met his second culinary mentor-- chef Douglas Rodriguez, the renowned Cuban chef and the father of Nuevo Latino cuisine, working as sous chef at his famous OLA Miami restaurant.
 
In 2003, Andres was introduced to Carlos via family and they were soon discussing how to best develop the not-yet-named restaurant’s menu. It did not take long for Carlos to begin dreaming about the excitement of the concept and the collaboration soon took hold. Andres and Carlos began visiting Latin restaurants in Miami, New York and Chicago to gain first-hand experience and insight. Carlos moved to Boston in 2004 and joined Andres and his friends in building Orinoco, literally from the ground up. 
 
While working tirelessly in the open kitchen at Orinoco South End, Carlos’s artistry was quickly noticed.  Beyond the accolades and numerous honors he has received from Orinoco guests and critics, his artistry has also been recognized by academia, having been awarded an honorary Master Degree in Culinary Science from Northeastern University in 2007. Like all great chefs, Carlos is continuously innovating, improving and expanding his creations to delight and surprise his guests – on each and every visit.

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Watch Neighborhood Kitchens online to learn more about Orinoco and the South End.

VISIT NEIGHBORHOOD KITCHENS