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My name is Desiree Passaro and I am the chef and owner of Cannella. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, I have been living in the U.S. since 2007. I started working as a cook in 2014 at Maialino in New York City and after almost three years of climbing the ranks, I decided to travel and learn about different cultures and cuisines. I went to Bilbao, Spain where I cooked at Michelin-starred Mina; I worked at an organic chocolate factory in Arequipa, Peru called Chaqchao where I learned not only how to make bean-to-bar chocolate but also the intricacies of retail.
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My last stop was Mexico City, where I interned at Pujol, a San Pellegrino Top 50 Restaurant. It was the hardest I’ve ever worked but what I learned was worth every minute of those 19-hour work days! After nine months of living out of a suitcase, I returned to New York and worked at Michelin-starred The Nomad, Danny Meyer’s Union Square Cafe, Daily Provisions, and tried my hand at catering at Cleaver Co. But the warmth of the Caribbean was calling me back so I moved to San Juan in August 2018 looking to open my own bakery and explore my own culinary personality.
Since then I was a part of two of San Juan's most celebrated restaurants, Marmalade and Vianda, where I learned about local traditions, flavors and ingredients. With Cannella, I look forward to bringing all of my experiences together; to highlight the folklore, quirks and flavors of Latinamerica, celebrating what makes us different and what brings us together through food.
My name is Desiree Passaro and I am the chef and owner of Cannella. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, I have been living in the U.S. since 2007. I started working as a cook in 2014 at Maialino in New York City and after almost three years of climbing the ranks, I decided to travel and learn about different cultures and cuisines. I went to Bilbao, Spain where I cooked at Michelin-starred Mina; I worked at an organic chocolate factory in Arequipa, Peru called Chaqchao where I learned not only how to make bean-to-bar chocolate but also the intricacies of retail.
My last stop was Mexico City, where I interned at Pujol, a San Pellegrino Top 50 Restaurant. It was the hardest I’ve ever worked but what I learned was worth every minute of those 19-hour work days! After nine months of living out of a suitcase, I returned to New York and worked at Michelin-starred The Nomad, Danny Meyer’s Union Square Cafe, Daily Provisions, and tried my hand at catering at Cleaver Co. But the warmth of the Caribbean was calling me back so I moved to San Juan in August 2018 looking to open my own bakery and explore my own culinary personality.
Since then I was a part of two of San Juan's most celebrated restaurants, Marmalade and Vianda, where I learned about local traditions, flavors and ingredients. With Cannella, I look forward to bringing all of my experiences together; to highlight the folklore, quirks and flavors of Latinamerica, celebrating what makes us different and what brings us together through food.
