About the Chef

Born in New York to Dominican parents,  Kelvin Fernandez never dreamed as a kid he’d be a chef. In fact, he never showed an interest in food, despite the fact that his dad was a chef. He only enrolled in a high school cooking class to impress his high school sweetheart. That class ignited a passion for all things culinary.

Chef Kelvin was runner up on Food Network’s “Chopped” and winner on FYI Network’s "Man vs Child." At the age of 22, he became the youngest executive chef ever in New York City’s fine dining scene. He was named Forbes Magazine Top 30 Chefs Under 30 for Food and Wine where he competed for best chef in America and won two years in a row! He is also a two time winner of Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay Show. 

Fernandez earned a full scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. After graduation, Fernandez worked at Michelin-starred Water’s Edge in Long Island City under renowned chef George Masraff. Equipped with French training and fine dining know-how, Fernandez then spent several years working at Gotham Bar & Grill before landing at Café des Artistes. At 22 years old, he was tapped to become the executive chef at Antipasti in Westchester. He spent two years there before landing at the Strand Hotel in NYC, where he specialized in contemporary American dining as the hotel’s executive chef. Chef Kelvin began preparing Latin cuisine when opening Blend on the Water in Long Island City. He served creative dishes at La Marina Restaurant in Washington Heights. Currently, Fernandez operates Kelvin’s Kitchen LLC and is a partner in a rum bar Las Lap in NYC.