James Beard Foundation bootcamp and Top Chef season 22 contestant originally from Quito, Ecuador, chef and mixologist Paula Endara has been in the hospitality industry over the last 13 years—from specializing in avant-garde cuisine at the Basque Culinary Center, to working at a nomad restaurant concept in Quito collaborating with Amazonian farmers, all the way to Arkansas where she founded Roots Restaurant.

Throughout all of her endeavors, Paula has focused on identity, culture, and sustainability while advocating for community centered sourcing and improving food systems.

Now, at The Manchester Hotel in Lexington, Kentucky, which features two restaurants: Granddam, Culturally Inspired Bluegrass Cuisine and Lost Palm, the rooftop social drinking parlor that boasts an array of Latin inspired small bites, Chef Paula continues her efforts to focus on those same values as Executive Chef at the Gold Key Award winning upscale boutique hotel.