Angelo Sosa is the executive chef of Tía Carmen, the new signature restaurant at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. “Named after my aunt (Tía) Carmen, the contemporary Southwestern restaurant is the newest addition to Phoenix’s growing culinary scene.” Learn about Angelo Sosa…
Hometown: Durham, CT
First job: A waiter at a retirement home in CT. I was 16 years old.
Favorite ways to spend your free time in AZ: I enjoy spending time in nature and watching a beautiful Arizona sunset. I like to be outdoors, and Arizona is the perfect landscape to do that.
Your biggest accomplishment and why: Raising a special needs child and teaching him that anything is possible as he is teaching me that anything is possible.
The biggest obstacle you overcame: I previously had a restaurant and the outcome didn’t go according to plan. I was left with a great financial burden and being responsible, I felt it was important to honor the financial obligations. I found myself homeless and sleeping in my car. In those moments, I wondered why it happened to me. I remember vividly sitting in a parking lot in Panda Express, and I found why this was happening to me. I realized that I needed to transform myself into a life of vision and purpose.
Someone who inspires you and why: My Tia Carmen – simply because she taught me the power that food holds. She radiated this love and inspired a 9-year-old boy to be a chef and find compassion in the world through food and love.
Favorite quote: Mark 9:23. “If you can believe all things are possible to those who believe.”
Something someone would be surprised to learn about you: A perfect day off for me is to be in bed by 7 p.m., watching Netflix and ordering from Grubhub.
What makes someone fabulous: Be true to yourself, honor yourself and honor your creator.