Ana Castro
Ana Castro
Executive Chef, Lengua Madre; Chef-Owner, Acamaya
Ana Castro was raised in Mexico City by her grandmother, who played a crucial part in her culinary development by awakening her curiosity about not only food’s sourcing and preparation, but by showing her that a meal, however simple, can bring people together and cure whatever ails the soul. After pursuing a formal culinary education, Ana traveled from India and Europe to New York City and, ultimately, New Orleans, driven by her desire to learn from different cuisines and cultures.
Since laying down roots in New Orleans, Ana worked her way up to sous chef at the nationally acclaimed Coquette, a local gem in the Lower Garden District. While there, she was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s 2018 Rising Star Award and, in the same year, a recipient of the coveted Ment’Or Grant, which allowed her to work for 3 months under Chef Jonathan Tam at Relae in Denmark.
In 2021, Ana opened Lengua Madre with a vision to elevate our current understanding of Mexican cuisine. Under her leadership, Lengua Madre was a semifinalist for the 2022 James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant award and was included in both the New York Times’ “Restaurant List” 2021 and Bon Appetit’s “50 Best New Restaurants” 2022. She was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs” 2022 and went on to become a 2023 finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef: South” Award. The celebrated restaurant will close its doors December 31, 2023.
Acamaya, Ana’s first solo venture as chef-owner, is slated to open in New Orleans’ Bywater neighborhood in spring 2024. The coastal Mexican seafood restaurant will feature dishes utilizing the bounty of the Gulf of Mexico in a lively, laid-back atmosphere.
