Professional Biography, Chef Ruben Calvo, CEC

ACF Certified Executive Chef / Owner

Chef Ruben has always had a passion for cooking, dating back to his childhood years. He says, "One of most beautiful memories as child was spending time in the kitchen with my grandmother and watching her prepare meals with such passion and always making the food look great and taste even better."

Chef Ruben began his career at age 13 as a dishwasher for a catering company in Chicago, Illinois, back in 1984 under the supervision of Chef Greg Wagner. He always had an eagerness to learn, by the age of 15 he was a chef's assistant.

After High School, Chef Ruben enrolled at Kendall College Culinary School, (Evanston, IL) in 1988 and graduated in 1990 with an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts.

He started his professional career at Ambria Restaurant and Café Ba-Ba Reeba, both Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants in Chicago, IL. There he had the opportunity to work with world-known Chefs, Gabino Sotelino, Takashi Yagihashi and Anselmo Ruiz.

Chef Ruben spent a year in Spain, (1992-1993) learning the Mediterranean cuisine, where he had the opportunity to travel to various parts of Spain and work in two different restaurants, under the supervision of Famous European Chefs Manolo Melendez and Chef Antonio Escalante.

In 2002, Executive Chef Ruben Calvo and his wife Hilda Irene started their catering company in Chicago, IL with the idea of serving a full-flavored home style menu that would satisfy not only the simple but the most sophisticated palate, utilizing the freshest ingredients available and to offer consistent quality and satisfaction.

Hilda and Ruben have kept their promise and have earned a well-deserved reputation for superb cuisine, unsurpassed service and flawless execution of detail, through the continuing efforts to not only meet but exceed client expectations! H & R Catering is the exclusive caterer at Banquets at St. George, "Where Elegance Meets Excellence" located in Schererville, IN.

Chef Ruben is currently a member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), Chefs of Northwest Indiana Chapter, where he contributes and donates to many charitable organizations such as March of Dimes, Meals On Wheels and NIAGS.

"Every chef that I have worked with throughout my career has thought me to have great passion for the art of cooking, they have also shown me to respect my clients, my fellow co-workers, but most important, to always share the knowledge. Recipes and ideas should be passed on, not kept as a secret," Chef Ruben says.

Chef Ruben passed the ACF Certified Executive Chef exams on June, 2010 by meeting the national certification and skills standards established by the American Culinary Federation