The Team

Favorite memory at Arc Culinary: Two stand out: The students! My first cohort here wouldn’t even look at me on day one to regularly calling me “Chef Craig”, bringing me samples of their foods to try, and stopping by my office daily to chat. Second was during a team Chef’s meeting with David and Cristina we ended up talking about foods for a couple hours…from Chocolate Croissants to herbs. Was so great to share our passion for foods and our experiences as chefs.

Favorite dish served at Arc Culinary: A combo of Braised Short Rib and the Roasted Garlic Polenta Mash with Fresh Herbs and Mascarpone, with Fresh Roasted Asparagus from one of our Emeril Lagasse Foundation Innovation Kitchen dinners.

Álvaro Cabrera is a Colombian chef, who started his education at the well-known Mariano Moreno culinary school in Bogota, Colombia and then continued at Le Cordon Bleu in Miami, FL. He made his way up working in places like STK Miami with New York celebrity chef Armando Ávila, Fontainebleau South Beach, Hyde Beach Kitchen and Cocktails. Alvaro Cabrera undertook a very promising opportunity at Terrazas at Hyde located on the ninth floor of the Hyde Beach Resort and Residences in 2017 when it opened its doors and has been a success ever since.

Chef Joel J. Vazquez Cruz was born in Utuado, Puerto Rico, and is a graduate of the Caribbean Culinary Institute. He began his professional culinary career in San Juan, working in multiple restaurants alongside some of the island’s top chefs. Throughout his career, Chef Joel has gained broad experience in hotels, restaurants, and corporate food service operations across the United States, including New York, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, New Orleans, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

He currently serves as Executive Chef at Arc Broward in Florida, where he oversees food service operations that support programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In this role, Chef Joel is committed to delivering nutritious, high-quality meals while upholding dignity, inclusion, and respect through food service.