Orlando Benavidez and his zen-like approach joined the culinary world in 1994 and he has been feeling the positive results of his organizational and creative prowess ever since.
After steering himself away from a budding art career, Orlando pushed his creative passions towards a culinary-based future. The Arizona Culinary Institute was the right fit; there he earned a BA in Culinary Arts. After school, Orlando got right to work on his practical cooking, a path that started in New Mexico, led to Colorado, and then out to Las Vegas, where he made a name for himself as a rising star in the world of culinary arts with the Las Vegas Light Group.
From Vegas, the allure of the snowy Rocky Mountains was just too tantalizing to resist, so he ventured back to the hills of Beaver Creek where he pulled stints at the Hyatt Resort and Spa and finally ended up back in the big city working for venerable chefs like Kevin Taylor and Richard Sandoval.
These days, he runs his exceptional food truck, Bits N’ Pieces con Cerveza; participates in tasting events across the state; and creates corn tortillas and spice rubs for his retail line. (bio credit: Jamey Fader)
