Chef Carlos Delgado was born and raised in the bustling port city of Callao, Lima, where his passion for cooking was sparked in his grandmother’s kitchen. Her stories, flavors, and timeworn techniques instilled in him a deep sense of pride in his Peruvian roots — and a belief that food is one of the most powerful ways to tell a story. For Carlos, cooking is a form of memory, a way to preserve the past while sharing it with the next generation.
His culinary journey began in the cevicherías of Lima before he immigrated to the United States at sixteen. As a young man in a new country, Carlos turned to cooking as both creative expression and a way to stay connected to home. Rooted in Peruvian tradition yet driven by innovation, he crafts dishes that reflect where he comes from and where he’s going.
Carlos’s talent and leadership have earned him national acclaim, including a spot on Eater’s “30 Under 30” and four Michelin Bib Gourmand awards for his work at China Chilcano by José Andrés.
In 2022, he partnered with Chad Spangler and Glendon Hartley to open Causa/Amazonia — a dual-concept restaurant inspired by Peru’s diverse ecosystems and culinary heritage. The restaurant has since received a MICHELIN star (2023 & 2024), the MICHELIN Young Chef Award (2024), two RAMMY Awards for “Best New Restaurant” (2023) and “Best Fine Dining Restaurant” (2024), and national recognition as a James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant (2023) and Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (2025).
Chef Matt Conroy: Chef Matt Conroy is a 2025 James Beard Foundation “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic” semifinalist and a MICHELIN-starred chef behind DC’s Pascual, Lutèce, and the forthcoming Maison Bar à Vins. Pascual, the hearth-focused Mexican restaurant he opened alongside spouse Chef Isabel Coss and The Popal Group in 2024, is now one of 14 Eater Best New Restaurants in America, a 2024 New York Time's America's Best Restaurant, & The Washington Post's #1 Best New Restaurant 2024. Pascual is also a current "RAMMY" nominee from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington for New Restaurant of the Year, Chef(s) of the Year (Conroy & Coss), and Manager of the Year. Lutèce, the group's neo-bistro in Georgetown, is a New York Times “America’s Best Restaurants” 2022, Washingtonian's current #13 “Very Best” Restaurant, a multi-time "RAMMY" winner, and one of RESY's "40 Restaurants Across America Worth a Journey in 2025."
Chef Isabel Coss: Chef Isabel Coss, a Mexico City native, is the Executive Chef of Pascual and Executive Pastry Chef of Lutèce in Washington, DC. She is best known for landing on FOOD & WINE’s list of the eleven "Best New Chefs in America" Class of 2023, as a 2025 James Beard Foundation "Best Chef Mid-Atlantic" semifinalist, and one of “100 Latino Leaders in the United States.”
Coss has shaped two of DC’s most celebrated restaurants in Pascual & Lutèce. Pascual, the hearth-focused Mexican concept she co-founded with The Popal Group and her spouse, Chef Matt Conroy, has earned widespread acclaim as one of 14 Eater's Best New Restaurant in America in 2024, a 2024 New York Time's America's Best Restaurants, The Washington Post's #1 Best New Restaurant 2024, and Eater DC's #1 Best New Restaurant 2024. Pascual is also a current "RAMMY" nominee from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington for New Restaurant of the Year, Chefs of the Year (Conroy & Coss), and Manager of the Year. At Lutèce, the French neo-bistro in Georgetown, Coss pastry expertise has contributed to its recognition as a New York Times “America’s Best Restaurants” 2022, a multi-time RAMMY winner, and one of RESY's "40 Restaurants Across America Worth a Journey in 2025."
