Chef Denise Roa

Denise Roa is the Executive Chef of Rancho La Puerta and is keen to fuse the culinary and cultural heritages of her own life with the healthful “spa cuisine” pioneered 75 years ago by Rancho La Puerta co-founder Deborah Szekely. Chef Roa instructs Ranch guests in healthful cooking that emphasizes just-picked ingredients only steps from her large teaching kitchen. She began her culinary career at Johnson & Wales University in Miami. Her previous positions at many of the San Diego area’s top restaurants include Pacifica Del Mar, Crescent Shores Grille, the Turf Club at the Del Mar Thoroughbred track, and her own restaurant, La Trattoria.