Local first
Let each Puerto Rican season guide the menu while honoring the growers, fishers, and producers behind every ingredient.
01 · The story
From the family kitchen to a new generation of Puerto Rican hospitality
Food has always been a way to connect, care, and create.
Charles’s culinary journey began at home, helping his grandmother feed a large family while his parents worked. In that kitchen, he learned that nourishment is more than a recipe. It is collaboration, generosity, and respect for every ingredient and every hand that brings it to the table.
After developing his craft across Puerto Rico’s AAA Five Diamond, Forbes Five-Star, and AAA Four Diamond resorts, Charles now leads Palio’s culinary operation at Wyndham Grand Rio Mar. His cooking honors the restaurant’s Italian foundation while allowing each Puerto Rican season to leave a deeper mark through local fish, citrus, vegetables, fruits, and herbs.
He believes no memorable plate belongs to one person. His vision is to make Palio a place where guests discover the story behind an ingredient, young cooks grow into confident leaders, and Puerto Rico’s hospitality reaches the world’s most distinguished tables. For Charles, progress is not moving away from his roots. It is returning to them with greater knowledge and carrying their memory forward.
Lead with purpose
Give young cooks room to learn, test ideas, and grow into leaders with pride in their profession.
Refine the familiar
Give familiar flavors a new expression without erasing the identity and memory that make them ours.
