From a comal in Oaxaca to a kitchen with his name on the door.

Leo Velazquez grew up watching his abuela toast chiles on a comal in Oaxaca, learning early that the difference between food and a meal is attention. He's spent the last two decades chasing that line.

After stages at Pujol and Mugaritz and a decade running fine-dining kitchens in New York, Leo opened Brasa in 2014, a restaurant built around live fire and the Latin pantry. Today he splits his time between the restaurant, his cookbooks, and Velazquez Studio, his recipe and technique school for home cooks.

His work has been featured in the New York Times, Bon Appétit, Eater, and on Chef's Table. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two daughters, who are both better at making tortillas than he is.