CACHETTE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Proprietor of Cachette Bistro
Proprietor of Cachette Bistro & Creperie has an extensive background in the restaurant industry. Originally from Medellin, Colombia, he came to the U.S. with a degree in Journalism & Media and with the dream to accomplish film production. He found his love for food, wine and customer service in his travels when he arrive in the United States 12 years ago. He has worked in many areas of the country including Manhattan and Miami. From the beginning of his restaurant career he has conquered every position available from server/bartender to General Manager, and now proprietor. He currently resides in Bethlehem, PA and has come to truly love the Lehigh Valley. He is also the owner of Tapas on Main in Historic Downtown Bethlehem (our neighbor), home of authentic Spanish cuisine. He owns The Flying Egg boutique diner, Urbano Mexican Kitchen & Bar and soon to open Peculiar Wine Bar & Bites all located on Main Street.
People say that talented artists aren't usually business people; Chef/proprietor Rafael Palomino is an exception to this rule.
Whether he's in the kitchen, penning his cookbooks-or working the stove in one of his eight-and-growing establishments, Palomino is the consummate creator, and astute businessman. Keenly aware of flavors people love and crave, Colombian-born Chef Palomino draws from his childhood in Bogotá, his younger years in New York City-alongside such culinary legends as Larry Forgione and Charlie Palmer-as well as his time in France, with Michel Guèrard in Eugènie-les-Bains. Today his many restaurants-his menus and his success-represent the culmination of his artistry and business savvy; he knows food, and he knows how people relish their dining experiences.
These days, in between scribing cookbooks (he's got five published to date: Bistro Latino, Viva la Vida, Nueva Salsa, Fiesta Latina and Latin Grill!) and teaching cooking classes, Chef Rafael Palomino is an active participant in all of his restaurants, which currently span three states and many miles! In addition to Cachette Bistro & Creperie in Bethlehem, along with Tapas on Main next door, Palomino boasts ownership of one more in PA (Mesa Modern Mexican in Easton), two in Connecticut (Pacífico in New Haven, and Bistro Latino in Greenwich), one more in New York (Sonora in Port Chester) and of course more in the works!
Chef Rafael Palomino is living testament to his own motto, "If you dream it, you can live it!" Open any of his cookbooks, or enter any of his establishments, and you'll soon see-and taste-the successful combination of Palomino-style ingredients.