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NEW CANAAN, Conn. — In the decade since the Siguenza family opened Cava Wine Bar & Restaurant in New Canaan, they have been sharing their love of the world’s best wines and Italian cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere that keeps customers coming back for more. But the journey didn't begin there.
As a child in Ecuador, Nube Siguenza, the restaurant’s executive chef, began cooking alongside her grandmother, mother, sisters and cousins and embraced the aromas and textures that filled the kitchen.
She soon discovered she had a natural talent to create unique dishes with unexpected flavors, which gained the admiration of her family and friends.
Based on that encouragement, along with her ability and passion, Siguenza pursued a career as a professional chef in the United States.
Although cooking has always been a strong family tradition, for Siguenza, it was “so much more,” and she fell in love with everything about it.
“I always knew I was going be a chef someday,” she said.
Initially working as a pastry chef in New York and Connecticut, Siguenza began studying with some of the area’s top chefs and eventually attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.
There, she developed her talent for pairing flavors and preparing side dishes to accompany and liven up Italian cuisine and old world foods.
Siguenza's brothers Vincente and Kleber, owners of the restaurant, also immigrated to the United States from Ecuador in 1994. They teamed up to open the restaurant in 2004.
Siguenza's cooking complements her brothers' broad knowledge of fine wines. Her unique blending of spices and experimenting with foods on the lunch and dinner menus transforms ordinary Italian dishes into something remarkable.
“Being able to do what I love is a gift, and to do it with my family is truly a blessing,” she said.
For more information about the Cava Wine Bar & Restaurant on Forest Street, call 203-966-6946 or visit its website.
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