It’s been four months since Alejandro Rivero, Sous Chef of Blackthorn Club in Jonesborough, Tenn., stepped into his first-ever culinary competition and walked out as the runner-up for Club + Resort Chef’s 2025 Chef of the Year. The nerves have settled. The adrenaline has faded. But the experience still holds weight.
Held during the Chef to Chef Conference in Austin, the competition brought together four chefs from across the country, each selected for their culinary talent. The challenge? Create a two-course meal and a non-alcoholic beverage in just one hour, all while being filmed and judged in front of a live audience of peers.
“I wanted to create something that reflected who I am, where I’ve come from, and how far I’ve grown,” says Rivero. “I knew I had to take a risk.”
His appetizer was rooted in memory. Inspired by vuelve a la vida, a seafood cocktail he remembers from childhood beach trips, Rivero’s version featured a crisp potato fondant in place of the traditional saltine. Spanish salsa brava, tandoori escabeche mussels, and salsa criolla brought depth and heat. “I kept the soul of the dish and added a few twists. It felt personal and fun,” he says.
For the entree, he poached golden tilefish in fennel and Mediterranean-spiced milk, plated it over Spanish sofrito Arborio rice, and finished with mango curry sauce and lime-crisped chicharrón made from the fish skin. “It was my version of paella with influence from a mentor’s sauce. I just let it evolve.”
His mocktail was a Japanese matcha lemonade with thyme simple syrup, a clean and refreshing drink born from an off-the-cuff collaboration with a bartender at Blackthorn. “We made it casually one day,” he says. “It worked, so I brought it with me.”
The pressure of the competition was real. “Managing time while trying to cook something meaningful with unfamiliar equipment was a challenge,” Rivero says. “I’m used to gas, but we were working with induction. It forced me to stay calm and adjust.”
He was the first competitor to begin cooking, with cameras on and a room full of chefs watching. “That moment hit hard. But I reminded myself that this is what I do every day. One movement at a time, each with a purpose.”
His apprentice, Jake Powers, Sous Chef of Great Oaks Country Club (Rochester Hills, Mich.), played a key role. “We connected right away. I gave him the rundown, and he picked it up fast. Once we started, it felt like we had worked together for years.”
Rivero ultimately placed second behind Geo Lanez, MBA, CEC, Executive Chef at The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Conn., who took home top honors. Still, Rivero walked away with something far more lasting than a title.
“You never know how much you’re capable of until you test yourself,” he says. “And no matter how far you go, humility keeps you grounded.”
Would he do it again? “Without hesitation. I wouldn’t change a thing,” he says. “The competition did exactly what it was meant to do. It challenged me and brought out my best.”
