Juan Jose Cuevas has taken the high road at every turn of his culinary journey. From his early interest in food to his education to his professional accomplishments, everything he has done in the kitchen has been of the highest order. And now, he's doing it here at the Pluckemin Inn.

After completing a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from the University of Puerto Rico, Chef Cuevas studied at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. He graduated with Honors and was a Top-Ten Institute Student Chef.

His professional career has taken him around the world and into the kitchens of some of its most notable restaurants. He has cooked in Spain, Puerto Rico and on both coasts of America. From Jardiniere and the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco to Alain Ducasse at the Essex House and 81 in New York City, Chef Cuevas has had intensive and immersive experiences. In the role of Sous Chef at Lespinasse in New York City, a four-star landmark in the culinary world, he perfected his techniques and became very interested in obtaining the freshest and most seasonal ingredients. This became especially important for his ascendancy to Executive Chef at Blue Hill, one of New York City's first and most celebrated "locavore" restaurants, and a 3-star darling of The New York Times.

This love of fresh ingredients, combined with exacting training and world-class experience has led him to Pluckemin Inn, where he will enjoy the relationship with nearby Three Meadows Farm and begin to put his global flair on the Pluckeminn Inn menus. Juan lives in Nutley, New Jersey, and enjoys cooking for friends and family on his time away from the professional kitchen.