Born to Cuban immigrants, Doug Rodriguez is father of Nuevo Latino cooking. He is also fueled by a desire to be a strong role model for Hispanic Americans. Oddly it was Julia Child that inspired him as a youngster “ he preferred watching her cooking show over cartoons on TV. Growing up in Miami, he was surrounded by the sights and smells of Cuban American food, and it was there, at age 24, that he would open the highly successful Yuca restaurant in the fashionable area of South Beach. He now is owner chef of restaurants in several cities and Zagat has called him "the most important restaurant chef in the Latin world.?