Chef Juan Jose Cuevas outside his restaurant, 1919, at the Hotel Condado Vanderbilt in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Last September, a year after Hurricane Maria devastated the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, I was sent to the island to report a story about how some farmers were shifting from export crops to growing food for local people. I met some savvy, organic, badass farmers, such as Daniella Rodríguez Besosa, who are eager to grow food for people rather than profit. And I met chefs such as Juan Jose Cuevas who oversees San Juan’s 1919, one of the island’s top restaurants, who are working with these farmers to help them survive. It’s the type of story that involves so much of what I love to cover: sustainability, commitment to place and collaboration. I even shot all but one of the photos for the story. Thanks to Dina Mishev for the assignment.
Here’s the story from Inspirato magazine:
