 Chef Anthony Lamas |
Meet our Featured Chef:
Anthony Lamas Executive Chef
Lamas’ interest in cooking
started at a young age.
American born to a Mexican
mother and Puerto Rican father,
Anthony’s heritage and
upbringing strongly influenced
his appreciation and passion
for Latin American cuisine.
Whether he was cooking
alongside his Grandparents or
working in his uncle’s family
restaurant, Lamasty, in
California he was exposed to
ethnic dishes, traditions and
flavors that sparked a desire to
pursue a professional culinary
career. In 1988 Lamas began
formal culinary training in the
San Diego Apprenticeship
program. While there, he
worked under nationally
renowned Washington, D.C.
chef Jeff Tunks to open Loews
Coranado Bay Resort, that
housed Azzura Point which was
quickly voted best new
restaurant in southern
California and “Best of the Best”
by San Diego magazine.
Shadowing Tunks, Lamas
explored West Coast flavors
while learning to develop Pacific
Rim recipes. Anthony credits
Tunks for being his mentor;
teaching him to see the “art”
and creativity in developing
ethnic dishes. Before heading
east, Lamas took a position as
sous chef for the Ocean Terrace
Restaurant in the Hotel de
Coronado in San Diego where
he prepared elaborate meals
for various celebrities including
Dustin Hoffman and Oprah
Winfrey. Lamas moved to
Louisville, Ky., and took a
position as sous chef at a 4-
star restaurant called Lilly’s.
There he worked with chef
Kathy Cary and had the honor of
cooking at The James Beard
Awards before moving on to the
4-star, 5-diamond rated
Oakroom at the Seelbach Hilton
where he teamed up with
another famed James Beard
Chef Jim Geherhart. But it was
after accepting the executive
chef position at Baxter Station in
Louisville that Lamas began
receiving national attention for
the introduction of his “tapas”
menu. Lamas’ innovative Latin
American offerings also
impressed the locals, and he
was named one of Louisville’s
top five “Chefs to Watch For” by
Louisville magazine. In June
2000, Lamas opened the door
to his dream. Under his
direction, along with partner Jun
Eugenio, Jicama Grill has
quickly become one of
Louisville’s most popular
restaurants. Voted Best New
Restaurant by Louisville
magazine and one of the Top-
Ten Best of the Best
Restaurants by the Courier
Journal, Jicama Grill offers
“Nuevo Latino” cuisine, yet
remains true to tradition and
heritage. Lamas’ creative menu
combines both traditional and
signature offerings such as
Macadamia Nut Crusted
Halibut, Churrascos de
Argentina, Mango Chili Glazed
Pork Tenderloin and Feijoada.
Ceviches continue to be one of
Lamas’ specialties, as his
menu features more than a
dozen selections. In his spare
time Anthony enjoys traveling to
Latin America to discover new
cuisine. Guests at Jicama enjoy
the fruits of his travels when
Lamas adds the fare to his new
menus or nightly specials.
Lamas is an active member of
The American Institute of Wine
& Food and a supporter of
many local charities, including
the March of Dimes and Dare to
Care.
Recipes by Chef Anthony Lamas
Shrimp Ceviche
Ingredients:
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 2 pounds medium-small
shrimp, peeled and
deveined
- Juice from 8 limes
- Juice from 8 lemons
- Juice from 2 oranges,
preferably sour oranges
- 2 large tomatoes, cut into
1/2-inch dice
- 1 red onion, cut into 1/2-
inch dice
- 1 bunch cilantro, stemmed
and roughly chopped
- 1 serrano chile, roughly
chopped
- 2 large avocados, peeled,
seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch
dice
- 1 large cucumber, peeled
and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- Tortilla chips, for
garnish
Method:
- In a large pot of boiling
salted water, add the shrimp
and simmer until just cooked
through, about 5 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer
the shrimp to a bowl of ice
water to chill.
- Drain the shrimp, cut into
1-inch pieces, and transfer to a
bowl. Add the lime, lemon, and
orange juice, stir to combine,
and refrigerate for at least 4
hours and up to 6.
- Stir the tomato, onion,
cilantro, and chile into the
shrimp mixture and let sit at
room temperature for about 20
minutes.
- When ready to serve, gently
stir in the avocado and
cucumber. Divide the ceviche
among 8 chilled martini
glasses and tuck 2 to 3 tortilla
chips around the sides of each.
Yield: about 8 first-course
servings
Preparation Time: about
30 minutes
Cooking Time: about 5
minutes
Non-Active Preparation
Time: about 4 hours
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