Alex Piñero | Executive Chef

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The executive chef at Sustain Restaurant +Bar, Alejandro Piñero, was born and raised in Miami. , He has long enjoyed cooking, but his career in the restaurant business was somewhat delayed by his study of microbiology at the University of Florida. The kitchen, however, called, and he soon enrolled in Johnson & Wales University in Miami where he earned a degree in Culinary Arts. He took his first job as a line cook at Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada. Working under Dawn Sieber he cultivated relationships with local homestead farmers and fisherman. Cheeca Lodge also hosted a yearly Eco-Challenge, where celebrity chefs’ cooking demonstrations and dinners utilized eco-friendly products. Such set the groundwork for the maturation of his cooking and his career as a chef.

Returning to Miami Beach, Alex worked under star chef Michelle Bernstein at The Strand, and then acted as lead cook at the Loew’s Hotel in Miami Beach and at the The Ritz Carlton in Coconut Grove. He also assisted in the opening of Talula Restaurant where he was sous chef.  This position was followed by an opportunity to serve as sous chef at one of Miami Beach’s most exclusive restaurants, Casa Tua.  For five years at Casa Tua, Alex sourced the best products and manipulated them minimally in the Italian cuisine he prepared.  Alex left Casa Tua to work at the Design District’s Fratelli Lyon where he was the Chef de Cuisine for two years.

Alex’s desire for sustainable food stems from the early influence by Dawn Sieber and the understanding that dining sustainably means better health for restaurant patrons and the environment.  He will focus on combining seasonal produce with other fresh ingredients (sustainably raised beef, poultry, fish, pork, eggs, and dairy) to create simple and sustainable menu choices.

When not cooking, the 37-year-old chef enjoys fishing and spending time with his wife, Lucrecia, and two daughters, Sofia and Gabriela.