Who’s your chef?
Julio Delgado, executive chef of JP Atlanta, offers anecdotes about how his Puerto Rican heritage influences his cooking, a family-owned restaurant that he loves to dine at and more in this edition of "3 questions with."
What is one dish that you can prepare blindfolded?
I can prepare seared scallops with fresh yellow corn "grits" and lemon chervil salad, which is also one of my signature items, blindfolded. I’ve been preparing it for years and it's currently on the menu.
How and why did you decide to get involved with Ser Familia and Heritage Celebration dinner, which will be held on Sunday, June 12?
The event honors Puerto Rican heritage and I’m a proud Puerto Rican. There are a lot of talented [chefs] in this city like Hector Santigo of El Super Pan, Carlos Casals of Cherokee Country Club and Pablo Colon of The Ritz Carlton Atlanta, who, along with myself were chosen for this year’s event. Ser Famila is a fantastic organization that helps Hispanic families in Atlanta with everything from summer camps to marriage counseling. They believe in family values and strengthening the community.
What is distinctive about Puerto Rican food and how is that reflected on the menu?
JP Atlanta’s menu is new American, however, I am Puertan Rico, so guests dine at the restaurant and say that they can taste [the influence] in my seasonings—from garlic to cilantro and a variety of other spices. I’m not a chef that uses too many items in one dish; [I want] guests to taste everything, so most dishes contain four to five ingredients.
BONUS: When you’re not at JP Atlanta, where do you dine in Atlanta?
I love to go to Tuk Tuk. The food is delicious and I love restaurants that are family-run.
JP Atlanta is located at 230 Peachtree St. N.E. Atlanta. 404-523-4004. jp-atlanta.com.
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