Guillermo Pernot opened his Nuevo Latino Restaurant, ¡Pasión!, December 18, 1998 to an insatiable local crowd and within months was recognized on the national restaurant scene. After two years, Pernot received over 60 sensational reviews and awards. Among them, ¡Pasión! was named Best New Restaurant by Philadelphia Magazine, Best of Philly 1999 as well as Best Ceviche for 2001. John Mariani, the food and travel correspondent for Esquire named Pernot “Chef of the Year” for 1999 saying “¡Pasión! is one of the most exciting new restaurants this year….perhaps the best exemplar of Nuevo Latino food in America…Pernot’s ceviches are the very best I’ve ever tasted.” Pernot has also received two of the most prestious awards given in the food industry, James Beard Best Chef Mid-Atlantic 2002 . Past recipients of this award have been Georges Perrier and Suzanna Foo. More importantly, Pernot continues to be the forerunner of Nuevo Latino cuisine in Philadelphia introducing and creating sensational dishes such as his signature ceviches and a head turning parillada to name only two. Pernot’s latest accomplishment has been the publication of his first book ¡Ceviche! Seafood, Salads and Cocktails with at Latino Twist, published by Running Press. ¡Ceviche! won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award as the Best Latino Cuisine Book in English 2001 as well as the very prestigious James Beard Best Single Subject Cookbook 2002. Most recently ¡Pasión! received the honor of being named the 34th Best restaurant of the United States by Gourmet Magazine for 2001.

Perhaps the biggest credit to Pernot would be the trend that he has started in Philadelphia with his stunning and sensational cooking. In 1996 he opened the first Nuevo Latino restaurant in Philadelphia and never imagined that in just six years over half a dozen new Latino restaurants would follow suit. This Latino craze was started by Pernot alone and he continues to be in a class by himself.

After only cooking for five years, Pernot was chosen as one of Americas 10 Best New Chefs for 1998 by Food and Wine Magazine. Pernot was also named one of 10 Rising Stars by Restaurant Hospitality Publications for 1998. A self-taught culinary talent, Pernot joins a prestigious club that includes, among others David Bouley, Daniel Boulud and Nobuyuki Matuhisa.

Pernot began his culinary career as the Chef/Innkeeper for Sweetwater Farm Bed and Breakfast in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where he prepared creative and elegant seven course dinners for guests lucky enough to obtain reservations for his sought after dining room. Word spread about his impressive dinners, which were ultimately praised in Fodors, America’s Wonderful Little Hotels and Inns and Getaways for Gourmets.

He left Philadelphia for a short period to open Allioli, the well-known eatery in South Beach owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan. But the city of restaurants lured him back. Pernot spent two years as chef de cuisine for Treetops Restaurant at the Five-Diamond Rittenhouse Hotel before leaving to open Vega Grill, the popular restaurant that created tremendous excitement when it opened in 1996, in Philadelphia’s trendy Manayunk section.

With a menu featuring Latino cuisine, Pernot is credited with bringing exciting new ingredients to Philadelphia: boniato, yuca, plantains and malanga to name a few. His success has been attributed to his passionate, intense, fiery, and direct cuisine, a tasty combination of the cuisine’s from The Americas.

Many agree that Pernot’s food deserves special recognition. Philadelphia Magazine chose Chef Pernot as the Chef to Watch, Best of Philly 1997. Pernot also won the Art Institute of Philadelphia Best Menu Design. His chimichuri and vidalia onion, coteja cheese combined with skirt steak assured him first place in the second annual Gourmet Cheesesteak Competition sponsored by Philabundance. He has appeared on local TV and radio shows as well as National Shows such as Chef on a Shoestring, Martha Stewart Living and TV Food Networks Ready Set Cook.