Alex Garc�a is a Cuban American chef who helped popularize a version of Cuban food at several New York City restaurants and on the Food Network. Born in Havana, Garc�a attended Northeastern University in Massachusetts where he earned a degree in hotel and restaurant management. Garc�a later attended the Culinary Institute of America, and Florida International University. He worked alongside chef Douglas Rodriguez for four years at Yuca restaurant in Miami. Garc�a's work in New York has included stints on the Food Network in Soho, Babalu, Patria, and Calle Ocho. Garc�a's first cookbook, In a Cuban Kitchen, was published in September 2004 in the United States and in England. His career suffered a setback in 2003 when he was indicted in federal district court in Brooklyn and charged with conspiracy and money laundering. Garc�a was found guilty of money laundering, but served no time. In 2007 Garc�a was the consulting chef at a new restaurant called Carniceria on Smith Street, Brooklyn, as well as the Gaucho Steak Company, a themed South American fast food outlet in Hells Kitchen. 

Cuba (Age 54)