IT’S JUST LIFE TO ME
From growing up on a farm to cooking in kitchens across the country, Chef Anthony Lamas brings an uncommon voice to Louisville’s culinary landscape.
AN INSIDE LOOK
Finding his heritage
Looking back at Chef Anthony Lamas’ childhood, the man was destined to be an artist using food as his medium. As a child in southern California, his mother’s heirloom recipes sparked his interest in the cuisine of his Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage. His passion for food developed further as a teenager working in his family’s Spanish restaurant. By helping to prepare meals on the family farm and participating in Future Farmers of America, Lamas was practicing the “farm to table” philosophy long before it was a national movement. To him, it was just a way of life.
Finding his point of view
Unsure of where to take his agricultural and culinary background after high school, Lamas applied for several jobs as a cook. What he found ended up being a pivotal point in his career. Lamas trained with the San Diego Culinary Apprenticeship Program and worked with Jeff Tunks at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort. Under Tunks’ tutelage, Lamas explored West Coast flavors while developing Pacific Rim recipes, and he credits the acclaimed chef as his mentor. It was in this environment of mixing traditional recipes with local flavors where Chef Lamas had his aha moment: “I could do this with my mama’s food!”
Finding his home
In 1992, Lamas discovered Louisville, Kentucky as an emerging culinary destination. Always inspired by his Latin heritage, Lamas began crafting innovative recipes with locally sourced Southern ingredients. His style of cooking was unique to the area, and in 2005 he opened Seviche to rave reviews. Since then, Lamas continues to garner significant national attention for the restaurant. He has cooked at the James Beard House five times, and he was honored as a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Southeast award in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2022. Still, Chef Lamas remains hungry and curious. Today, Seviche is the chef’s pride and joy, but also his playground. Our seasonal menu gives Chef Lamas a place to showcase his ability to bridge cultures, people and flavors with plate after stunning plate.
