Rancho Santana, an expansive 2,700-acre resort and residential community along Nicaragua’s Emerald Coast, is delighted to unveil its culinary reimagination led by the newly appointed Chef Vandeilson Santi. This exciting evolution, launching in 2024 and continuing into 2025, will enhance the dining experience across the resort’s four distinct restaurants, starting with signature restaurant La Finca y El Mar and extending to El Café, La Taqueria and La Boquita.
We are thrilled to welcome Chef Santi to lead our culinary team,” expressed Luke Maish, CEO of Rancho Santana. “His global perspective combined with our efforts towards sustainable food production and sourcing, namely from our 80-acre farm and 2-acre garden, will infuse new life into our menus property-wide. We are eager and excited to introduce our guests to a host of fresh flavors and new dining concepts from Chef Santi, which will surely enrich their experience at The Ranch.”
Chef Vandeilson Santi comes from a rich cultural background in Southern Brazil, where his early culinary passions were kindled by his mother’s cooking and his Italian family’s food traditions. Starting his international culinary journey in 2010 at Euro Bar & Restaurant in New Zealand alongside famed chef Simon Gault, he delved into Haute and Contemporary Cuisine. At the age of 34, Chef Santi’s career already spans nearly 15 years and includes stints in 17 countries, refining his craft in esteemed venues such as Cable Bay Vineyards, Astrid & Gaston, and Marriott, enriching his expertise and global flair, ideal for innovating Rancho Santana’s culinary ventures.
In 2024, Chef Santi will begin the property-wide culinary reimagination at La Finca y El Mar, revitalizing ancestral cooking techniques, utilizing flames and cast-iron skillets to enhance smoked flavors, and highlighting the resort’s farm-fresh ingredients alongside an exquisite selection of wines and cocktails. His seasonal Sunset Table promises to be a premier culinary experience, offering guests an intimate glimpse into the chef’s creative process and a front-row seat to the action in the kitchen. Later in the fall, El Café will be redefined as an all-day dining experience with a focus on healthy, natural, and fresh meals, in an indoor-outdoor setting that transitions smoothly from morning to evening, complete with ice cream and ingredients straight from the garden.
With the arrival of the new year, Rancho Santana and Chef Santi will revamp the experience at La Taqueria in 2025, capturing the essence of Latin American beach eateries with its vibrant mix of fun ambiance, bright colors, and delicious seafood, enhanced by a festive bar and a full-service kitchen. Later in 2025, La Boquita will also be reimagined a romantic and trendy ambiance, serving Asian and Nikkei style cuisine against the scenic backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, complete with exclusive cocktails and a unique wine selection.
