Napa chef Rogelio Garcia's cooking is deeply rooted in his family's heritage

NAPA VALLEY, Calif. -- Born in Mexico City, Chef Rogelio Garcia moved to the United States with his family as a child. He remembers the challenges his family encountered and cites them as a reason for his success.

"Everything that my mother went through to bring us to a new country, all the disadvantages that she had," Garcia shares. "I felt responsibility to whatever I do, to do it well and to excel. I wanted to make it. I wanted to be successful."

Garcia started his culinary career in Napa Valley with no restaurant experience at all.

"I don't come from, you know, a big restaurant background," Garcia reveals. "All I know was home cooking and just helping with my mother with dishes."

Garcia's culinary journey had its fair share of obstacles.

"There was a lot of failure. There's a lot of times where I didn't feel good enough," Garcia explains. "You really had to look yourself in the mirror and pick yourself back up from that and try again and try for another year and do that all over, all over again."

Garcia's hard work, dedication and talent led to his current position as chef at the Four Seasons Resort's Auro, where Garcia roots his cooking in his family's heritage.

"Growing up In Napa Valley as a chef, it was all about kind of European style cooking," Garcia reveals. "There was nothing kind of highlighting Latin America or anything in that sense and I always kind of felt that I was neglecting my roots and my culture."

Under Garcia's leadership, Auro earned its first Michelin star in 2023 and a second in 2024.

Garcia has also just published a cookbook, "Convivir: Modern Mexican Cooking in California's Wine Country."

"Read through the stories, there's a little bit about myself and trials and tribulations that I went through," Garcia says. "Definitely the recipes, some that I ate as a kid, some that are more of a twist, and a little bit more of fine dining."

Having grown up not seeing his heritage represented in the culinary world of Napa Valley, he hopes his success will change that.

"If I'm able to pull more inspiration for the younger generation, not just in Latin America, but anywhere, I feel like I've done something, or I feel like I've accomplished something. It's definitely a dream come true," Garcia states.

For more information about his book, visit this website.

To learn more about Auro, visit this website.