Ana Castro

Ana Castro was raised in Mexico City by her grandmother. In her grandmother’s kitchen, Ana’s curiosity awoke, not only about food’s sourcing and preparation, but also about the healing properties that a meal cooked with love and passion can bring to those who share a table. Inspired, Ana pursued a formal culinary education and then spread her wings. She has travelled and cooked around the world, from India to Denmark and New York to New Orleans. Since laying down roots in Louisiana, Ana has worked her way up from line cook to sous chef to executive chef. In 2021, Ana opened Lengua Madre with a desire to showcase Mexican cuisine through her lived experience. Under her leadership, Lengua Madre was a semifinalist for the 2022 James Beard Foundation Award’s “Best New Restaurant,” was included in The New York Times’ 2021 “Best Restaurant’s in America” and Bon Appetit’s “50 Best New Restaurants” in 2022. She was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs” in 2022 and went on to become a 2023 finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef: South.” In July 2024, Ana started the next chapter of career as a first-time owner, alongside her best friend and sister Lydia Castro, with the opening of ACAMAYA, a contemporary Mexican mariscos restaurant that features dishes rooted in Mexican flavors and technique while celebrating the bounty of the Gulf of Mexico. Since opening, ACAMAYA has been named one of “America’s Best Restaurants” 2024 by The New York Times and one of Esquire’s “Best New Restaurants in America, 2024.” Ana was named a “Best Chef South” semifinalist for the 2025 James Beard Awards.