Ana Castro, Chef

Ana Castro was raised by her grandmother in Mexico City. It was in her grandmother's kitchen that Ana's curiosity awoke, not only about food's sourcing and preparation, but also about the healing properties that a meal cooked with love and passion can bring to those who share a table. Inspired, Ana pursued a formal culinary education and then spread her wings. She has travelled and cooked around the world, from India to Denmark and New York to New Orleans. Since laying down roots in Louisiana, Ana has worked her way up from line cook to sous chef to executive chef. In 2021, Ana opened Lengua Madre with a desire to showcase Mexican cuisine through her lived experience. Under her leadership, Lengua Madre was a semifinalist for the 2022 James Beard Foundation Awards' "Best New Restaurant," was included in The New York Times' 2021 "Best Restaurants in America" and Bon Appetit's "50 Best New Restaurants" in 2022. She was named one of Food & Wine's "Best New Chefs" in 2022 and went on to become a 2023 finalist for the James Beard Foundation's "Best Chef: South." In July 2024, Ana started the next chapter of career as a first-time owner, alongside her sister Lydia Castro, with the opening of ACAMAYA, a contemporary Mexican mariscos restaurant that features dishes rooted in Mexican flavors and technique while celebrating the bounty of the Gulf of Mexico. Since opening, ACAMAYA has been awarded two stars by The New York Times, given "Bibb Gourmand" status in the inaugural Michelin Guide American South 2025, and has been named a "Best New Restaurant" by Esquire in 2024 as well as Bon Appetit, Conde Nast Traveler, and Robb Report in 2025, among other accolades.