Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and raised in Los Angeles, famed chef and hospitality entrepreneur Gabriel Morales is renowned for his progressive cuisine, a style built on classic American favorites and hints of his Latin heritage.

During his 18-year career, he has transformed the Polo Lounge at Beverly Hills Hotel, opened the original Boa Steakhouse in Los Angeles and helped reign over Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles. His impressive pedigree includes a Zagat Guide “Award of Distinction” and Angelino magazine’s “Top 50 Restaurants in Southern California.” He has successfully owned and managed five restaurants and nightclubs, and has the rare distinction of cooking for presidents and celebrities. Beyond Los Angeles, Chef Morales spent time in France and Italy to gain classical European technique, earning his certificate from the Ritz Escoffier in Paris.

Most recently, Chef Morales was part owner and executive chef of Provecho, a modern Latin restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. Built from the ground up, Provecho expressed Chef Morales’ creative culinary vision with eco-friendly design elements, more than 100 top-rated tequila varieties and a modern Mexican menu featuring upscale interpretations of the authentic family dishes he cooked as a child. It was also home to Chef Morales’ signature La Sancha cocktail, which was named Southern California’s “Cocktail of the Year” by Angeleno magazine.

Today, Chef Morales adds a more modernized approach to Loews Coronado Bay Resort’s California coastal cuisine. In celebration of his Latin culture and his American heritage, an 18-ounce prime cowboy bone-in rib eye steak, potato tacos, and lobster corn dogs with guajillo grain mustard grace the hotel’s Market Café, Cays Lounge and La Cantina menus. A wine enthusiast with a personal cellar of more than 3,000 bottles, Chef Morales has transformed the resort’s wine collections and plans to host a “Chef’s Cellar” wine series. He is also creating a tequila tasting menu and enhancing our Modern Mixology with his amazing concoctions.