Born to Portuguese immigrants in Danbury, Connecticut, Chef Mendes has spent more than three decades shaping and elevating contemporary Portuguese cuisine in America. Upon graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 1992, he began his professional journey with Chef Ed Brown at Tropica in New York City. In 1994, he joined his longtime mentor David Bouley at Bouley in Tribeca, an experience that profoundly influenced his craft.Mendes’ pursuit of classical training then led him to Paris, where he apprenticed at Alain Passard’s three-Michelin-starred Arpège. In the late 1990s, he continued refining his technique in the South of France under legendary chefs Roger Vergé and Alain Ducasse. After returning to New York for several formative years—including serving as Chef de Cuisine at Tocqueville—he expanded his European perspective with stages in Spain, first with Martín Berasategui and later at the iconic El Bulli on the Costa Brava.

In 2009, Mendes opened his first signature restaurant, Aldea, in New York City. Aldea earned immediate acclaim, receiving two-star reviews from The New York Times and New York Magazine, named one of Food and Wine’s Best New Chefs, and was awarded a Michelin star in 2011, which Mendes maintained through 2020.

In 2023, Mendes together with his family, moved to Boston and opened Amar at Raffles Boston.Today, he is building his next chapter in Boston’s South End, debuting Agosto and Baby Sister in 2026, continuing his lifelong commitment to craftsmanship, heritage, and modern Portuguese expression.