Chef Manuel De Luca brings a vast knowledge of global cuisine to the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar

Manuel De Luca has traveled—and cooked—across the world. As executive chef of the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar, he incorporates his knowledge of French, Japanese, Argentine, and Mexican cuisine into the established flavors of the resort’s five restaurants, including the Five-Star Diamond Award–winning De Cortez Mezquite Grill, where the results border on the exotic.

De Luca was born in Buenos Aires. After graduating from Argentina’s Gato Dumas Colegio de Cocineros, he studied his craft around the world in places like France and Japan. He’s continued his education with courses at the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa, The Ritz Escoffier School, Ecole de Cuisine de Beatriz Chomnalez, and Escuela Superior de Cocina Alicia Berger. In 2010, De Luca began work at the Sheraton in Los Cabos after six years at the Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel & Convention Center. Three of those years were spent as the executive sous chef for the Park Tower, part of the brand’s Luxury Collection. De Luca has a clear passion for fresh, quality ingredients and fully nurturing the talents of his kitchen staff. “With a good team, a restaurant becomes a second family, and you can taste their love in the food. I want each chef at the resort to express his or her enthusiasm in the dishes they create,” he says.

De Luca is married with a 7-year-old daughter (already a good food critic, he says) and baby boy. His secret to juggling work and family? “I’m a believer in discipline and enjoy the challenges. Not only am I a chef, in this position, one must be a psychologist and mediator. I sometimes feel like a puppeteer, managing many marionettes.”—Sandra Berry