BIO

A native of Los Angeles, Carlos grew up in a small family-run bakery. In 1996, Carlos moved to Las Vegas and was part of the opening team of the Paris Hotel. Here he met artisan bread chef Stephan Mourabit, an early mentor and friend who taught Carlos the true techniques of artisan bread making.

In 2002 Carlos moved to Colorado to become assistant executive pastry chef under Sky Goble at the famous Mobil Four Star, AAA Four Diamond Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver. In 2003 Carlos joined Goble at the prestigious Ahwahnee Resort in Yosemite National Park, Calif. During their time in Yosemite, the colleagues created beautiful wedding cakes, seasonal breads and desserts for the famed yearly Bracebridge dinners, Vintner’s holidays and the Ahwahnee Dining Room.
In 2006 Carlos was recruited as the assistant executive pastry chef for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, under Executive Pastry Chef Frederic Larre (Le Cirque, Mix, Bellagio and Payard). The Hard Rock pastry team created some of the most intricate and funky desserts for many of the hotel’s celebrity clientele. Carlos then had a stint at Mobil Five Star / AAA Five Diamond / Two Star Michelin Alex Restaurant at Wynn Las Vegas.
In 2008, Carlos took on the role as the executive pastry chef at Cafe del Rey in Marina del Rey, Los Angeles. Carlos was the sole director of the pastry, bread and cheese programs at the restaurant. While at Café Del Rey, Carlos was a participant at the First International Pastry Competition held in New York City, in conjunction with the ICC by Star Chefs.
In 2010 Carlos was approached by Block 16 in Las Vegas to oversee and open Holsteins Restaurant at The Cosmopolitan Resort, along with creating the dessert programs for Barrymore Restaurant ans LBS Burger Joint. Since then his desserts have been featured at the South Beach Food & Wine Festival, Esquire Magazine, Las Vegas Weekly, 944 Magazine, Taste Of The Nation – Las Vegas and Five Star Sensation 2011.
A father of six, Carlos loves to add a playful modern twist to childhood desserts. “Food to me is a simple playground,” Carlos says. “How you approach it will determine how much fun you will have in it.”