Sisha Ortuzar of Riverpark: Skiing in the Kitchen

Sisha Ortuzar"I've always been a city person, but having a direct connection to the source of our produce is also very important to me. So in lieu of moving out to the country to speak with farmers and watch the growth of our crops each day, we brought the farm to New York City. I decided to get involved with food because I enjoyed being in restaurants as a guest, and realized I didn't have a clear idea of a traditional career I wanted to pursue. So I followed what I enjoyed most and started to cook," Sisha Ortuzar says. THe Chilean is known for his unique cuisine at Riverpark, a restaurant on the first floor of the Alexandria Center.

At the restaurant, where you can see the East River as you eat, Ortuzar recommends the Pisco drink called "Pink Condor" or the Chilean wine with a dessert! "Our desserts are more of a sweet or refreshing extension of our savory dishes that are also inspired by the Farm's harvest-rather than big bursts of sugar. In New York, we're lucky to be exposed to many different cultures and flavors. Some are authentic and some are modern interpretations of classic dishes. Our food has all of these influencers, including international inspirations such as Chilean, Japanese, Spanish, and Oaxacan. Our farm is just feet from the restaurant. Our guests enjoy seeing what's growing as they walk into the restaurant, knowing they'll eat several things from that day's harvest."
You will find the chef in the mountains when he is not cooking. "I also enjoy skiing, but bringing the slopes to the restaurant is much more challenging. I'm working on it."
http://www.riverparknyc.com