We had the good fortune of connecting with Jodrick I. Ujaque and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jodrick I., can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I believe that my ethnic background plays the biggest role in the how and why of the creative process.

I was born into the service industry and was raised in a hotel in Southwestern Puerto Rico with our family’s butcher shop established in 1943 (still in operation). Food and service have always been in my life; as a child living in what could be considered the “most modern” island of the Caribbean, we grew up with our heritage’s favorite cuisines. These cuisines include Spanish, Chinese, Italian, and contemporary American cultures, I’ve always considered Puerto Rico to be the original melting pot of the New World; our culture consists of Native, African, Spanish, French, Dutch, Portuguese, and American people. Maintaining diversity in my menu is the biggest tribute that I pay to my race.

What should our readers know about your business?
I believe that what sets our restaurant apart from others is our dedication to a true culinary experience and customer service to mach it. We recognized years ago that the world was changing and so are our eating habits, within our restaurants walls, we are capable to cater just about any way of eating, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, celiac, can find a safe heaven with dishes tailored to their dietary needs without having to over look the overall passionate foodie.

Remembering that we are part of the Service Industry reminds us that we are here to take care of our guests and thriving to meet their expectations is never easy, but it is very rewarding. Along the way we’ve learned how to grow not only as a business but as people by creation strong relationships with our community, local leaders, our team members, our loyal locals that have started family traditions by making as a destination for them and their loved ones. In order to survive the pandemic we’ve leaned to be innovative and we created menus to fit the times, we packed thousands of meals to distribute along the community in collaboration with World Kitchen as we answer the call to serve others.

I’d like for the world to know that our brand started as a small as it come, we’ve sprouted into a who we are today, we are a SoBE WFF veterans, the only restaurant from Homestead Fl, to ever be invited to part of a world recognized food festival, we’ve become a traveling destination in South Dade, hundreds of 5 star reviews, recognized by a French tourist guide as on of the best 500 restaurants in Florida all of this and many more possibilities couldn’t be possible without family support, dedication, sacrifice and a team that believes in you as you believe in them.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Lunch or dinner at Chefs on the Run Cinnamon Rolls at Knaus Berry’s Farm
Fruit Shakes at Heritage Farms
Local Craft Beers at Schnebly winery Tap room
Fruit & Spice park for a botanical walk
Mexico Market for traditional Mexican products and the best damn tortillas ever.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to thank my mother Ana A. Trabal for teaching me about food. My mother-in-law Nelida Estrada for believing in my talent
and to my wife Jessica M. Ujaque, the inspiration behind the creation
who never gaving up on our brand.

Website: www.chefsontheruninhomestead.com

Instagram: @chefsontherun

Facebook: Chefs on the Run Assorted Cuisine

Yelp: Chefs on the Run

Other: Chefs on the Run (Google)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jodrick I. Ujaque.

Hi Jodrick I., we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Our story begins as many other restaurant stories begin, I lost my job working on the trendy Miami culinary scene, I was fired without a real justification and it was the best thing that could have happened to my career. Then, an opportunity opened up where I least expected allowing me to be my own Chef by making food that I believed in.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Throughout the years, we’ve encountered many obstacles, we opened on the slowest time of the year, we had a fire within the first three months and the ongoing workforce challenge, the service industry is full of moments that can either make you or break you, but nothing is impossible when you grow with the experience of overlapping your obstacles.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a Chef, I’d love to tell you that I am creative, original and unique, but that would be a partial lie. We are all created unique as individuals, but I grew up eating the food that was passed on for decades, and that belongs to them, I just execute it with a modern eye. Our family restaurant Chefs on the Run (COR) is the result of an extroverted child with a craving for pickles that was always hungry that grew up to be a man that only talks about food in his sleep. We are the first Caribbean-American Gastro cuisine of its kind where flavor, traditions and new classics are served.

For over ten years, I’ve heard our clients refer to me as ” that Chef in Homestead” yes I am.

I believe that our commitment to a culinary experience (from food to service) is what separates us from many. We don’t allow the size of our location to determine the might of our flavors, small but mighty.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Most important lessons:

Always make time for your family.

COR is always closed on Sundays, yes Sunday is a great day for profits and it is also a great day to make memories that money can’t buy.

Feed the people not your ego.

At the end of the day cook from the heart and cook food that you believe in (because the guest can tell) but cook the food that your guest are looking for that pays the bills. Make your special menu you know, special.

Teach others how to cook not just. How to eat.

We’ve done a great job on creating foodies, we’ll need future cooks too.

Inspire the next generation

Contact Info:

• Email: cor@chefsontheruninhomestead.com
• Website: www.chefsontheruninhomestead.com
• Instagram: the_ruggedchef

Where to Get Bottles of Coquito in Miami. We were recently featured on Miami New Times, Miami’s independent source of local news and culture.

The holiday season is here, and Miami celebrates it with coquito. Sometimes called Puerto Rican eggnog, the recipe varies by household, but traditionally it’s made with coconut cream, condensed milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and a healthy helping of rum.

Though no Puerto Rican holiday gathering is complete without a few bottles of this delightfully sweet beverage, Miami has adopted it as its own.

Coquito is a traditional gift, and some people save glass bottles for months to package the creamy libation as presents. In Miami-Dade, you can find coquito at restaurants, bakeries, and bars. Here are some of the best places to buy it:

Chefs on the Run. At Chefs on the Run, find a traditional coquito containing cinnamon, nutmeg, clove-spiced rum, and a special liquor ($20), and a peanut butter variety that blends creamy peanut butter, various sugars, coconut milk, cream of coconut, coconut rum, spiced rum, and a finishing touch of cardamom ($25). Send a message on Instagram @chefsontherun to claim your bottle for pickup at the restaurant. 10 E. Mowry Dr., Homestead; 305-245-0085; chefsontherunhomestead.com.

FOOD IS NOT JUST AN EXPRESSION OF WHO WE ARE, BUT MAINLY IS A MEMORY TO BE PASSED TO THE FUTURE GENERATIONS.

August 2019 – 8 year anniversary

Sunday was the final day of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s Grand Tasting Village. From noon until 5 p.m., foodies and oenophiles stormed the beach to partake in fine food and drink.

Sunday’s session also saw Bobby Flay, Anne Burrell, the Deen family, and Robert Irvine take the stage to cook, drink, and entertain the crowds.

The highlight of the village was the food, with top notch South Florida restaurants presenting delicious dishes, hosted by culinary captains who made sure to let it be known by all that their neighborhood was the finest for foodies. Each restaurant, of course, was in the running for the Miami New Times’ Best Bite on the Beach award.

The award is chosen by GTV attendees, who vote online for their favorite restaurant. The votes for Sunday have been tabulated, and today’s winner is Homestead’s Chefs on the Run. The eatery took home the title last year as well.

Puerto rican chef Jodrick Ujaque wanted to bring his native cuisine and flair for signature burgers to Homestead after working for several restaurants in Miami. At Chef’s On The Run, patrons can savor dishes reminiscent of La Isla Del Encanto such as surullitos, alcapurrias, and a selection of mofongos curated for carnivores, pescatarians, vegetarians, and vegans alike. For the burger lovers, there’s a variety of eighteen impressively loaded options also suited for all diets. Local beers, wine, and sangrias are also available to wash down the meal.