I Grew Up Peeling Tomatillos

My name is Ramon, but those closest to me call me Roe. My sister gave me that nickname back in high school, and it stuck ever since. I’m a proud Chicano, born and raised in California. My mom is from Guadalajara, Jalisco, and my dad is from Morelia, Michoacán. Everything I am comes from them and the stories that came before them.

On my mom’s side, food is the legacy. After immigrating to the U.S., her family built their lives around the restaurant industry. They opened businesses, ran kitchens, and kept tradition alive through every plate. My parents followed the same path. I like to say I started my culinary career at age four, peeling tomatillos in the back of our taquería after kindergarten. That’s when I fell in love with food, standing beside my mom, watching her hands work magic with simple ingredients.

On my dad’s side, music runs deep. My great-grandfathers were mariachi musicians in Morelia as early as the 1930s. My dad carried that torch. He’s a classically trained violinist, a violin maker, and a mariachi. He even played with legends like Mariachi Sol de México and recorded with Linda Ronstadt on her album Canciones de mi Padre. Through him, I learned the richness of Mexican music, culture, and folklore.

Between both of my parents, I was raised on rhythm and flavor. One taught me discipline through sound, timing, and repetition. The other taught me patience, care, and instinct through food. I didn’t just grow up around these worlds. I grew up learning how craft, culture, and responsibility show up every day, whether on a stage or in a kitchen.

Professionally, I’ve been in restaurants since I was a teenager. I started bussing tables at 15, served for years, and became a general manager at 24 for a family-run spot. I studied business and marketing, then went to culinary school, and I’m currently earning my MBA. I’ve worked with taquerías, fine dining, fast casual, and everything in between. Later, I moved into education, where I taught culinary arts and restaurant management and mentored students who reminded me of myself. I took pride in showing up for others in ways I didn’t always have growing up.

During the pandemic in 2020, I saw small businesses struggling. I knew how hard it could be to run a family restaurant, so I stepped in to help with what I knew: branding, marketing, and strategy. From there, my company Chef Roe was born. What started as helping a few restaurants became a full-blown consulting business. Since then, I’ve worked with food trucks, content creators, wellness brands, and more. I’ve learned that at the core of every business is a story, and my job is to help tell it.

This is the heart behind Chef Roe. At ChefRoe.com, you’ll find more than recipes. You’ll find stories shaped by culture, kitchens, and lived experience. I share reflections from behind the line, lessons from restaurant floors and boardrooms, creative work from branding and media, and the strategy that helps small businesses grow with intention. Some of it is rooted in tradition, some of it is practical, and some of it is still being figured out in real time. Whether you’re here for flavor, perspective, or guidance, there’s room for you at my table.

Welcome. I’m Chef Roe.