Raúl Correa
Chef/Co-owner, BACOA Finca + Fogón; Juncos, Puerto Rico
Raúl Correa is chef and co-owner of BACOA Finca + Fogón, a 3.4 acre farmstead restaurant complete with a greenhouse, vegetable garden, and chicken coop in the mountains of Juncos, Puerto Rico. A native of Carolina, Raúl developed his passion for food while watching his uncle cook. In 1994, at the age of seventeen, he started his culinary career working in hotels on the island and today, in addition to BACOA Finca + Fogón, he owns restaurants Aldeana, Pollos Scharneco, and Tia Dora. At BACOA, Raúl works with co-owners and founding chefs, Xavier Pacheco and René Marichal, to create a restaurant concept focused on a sustainable cuisine that honors the local harvest and Puerto Rico’s culinary heritage. BACOA has been acknowledged as “possibly the best restaurant in America” by the BBC and was honored as one of America’s best restaurants in 2022 by The New York Times.