Chef Joel Padilla seems to cook his Dominican dishes with his mom’s voice in his ear and her presence behind his shoulder. And even though Marianela Padilla is happily retired and splits her time between New York City and the Dominican Republic, her spirit is with him for each ingredient, reduction and serving.

“When I was a kid, I could smell my mother’s cooking as soon as I reached the third floor after walking home from school,” Joel says. “She always had something waiting for me even in the middle of the night, and in our house, everything was made from scratch.”

Marianela owned a restaurant in Brooklyn and her son’s first job was to help with prep, which involved a certain fruit he has since sworn off.

“It’s funny, the plantain is such a staple in Dominican food, but I swear I can barely go near one now after the thousands I had to peel, slice and mash,” Joel says.

His mom’s restaurant and home cooking served as his only culinary family legacy until a few years ago when his eldest son did a research paper on their lineage and uncovered a little-known fact.

“I guess our family had a tradition of cooking for royalty,” Joel says. “I didn’t have any idea about that, but ‘Padilla’ means saucepan or bread pan in Spanish, so it kind of makes sense.”

After moving to Florida in 2007, Joel attended Daytona State College for culinary arts, worked in many high-end kitchens, volunteered for Guy Fieri, was a mentor at the James Beard Foundation and attended Le Cordon Bleu, where he was classically trained. 

While his menu tells a story and his ingredients fill the kitchen with smells and sounds of his childhood, he translates that history into innovative and flavorful dishes.

He hopes his style of cooking takes diners on a culinary journey based on his own.

“My recipes are close to my heart as they bring back amazing memories and have my modern stamp on them.” 

He is now partnering with local farmers Tracy Freeman and Darrell Teddick who own Dirty Dog Organics, a working farm and B&B on Lewis Road in Leesburg. They grow food and raise animals to sustain their own lifestyle, as well as contribute to their eatery. While indoor and outdoor kitchens provide the places to cook, hospitality and forward-thinking help propel the farm-to-table fare to delight foodies and curious diners.

“We started out as real estate investors and mortgage brokers,” Tracy says. “Now we have a fully functioning farm and organic restaurant.” 

Together, they hope to bring quality ingredients to their customers and the community. Chef Joel’s cooking school, The Culinary Lab, along with his concept kitchen, Platinum Chefs Empingao, collaborate with Dirty Dog to develop exciting new concepts, such as a secret or ghost menu designed to draw diners to the farm.

“The Empingao menu only works with a code through Uber Eats/Grub Hub,” Joel says. “It’s something that a few big cities have that we are trying here.”

In the teaching kitchen, the sweet smell of sweating onions and Dominican oregano pleasantly overwhelms the senses as chef Joel deftly and deliberately spins between the stove and prep area. 

“If you walk into a place, you should be able to tell what food is coming from what region of the world,” he says. “I guarantee you that this would smell like a Dominican household.”

Joel rarely uses measurements, cooking “al gusto” and using his olfactory senses instead of thermometer to know when something is ready. He also creates deep, umami flavors without spending hours over the stove.

“I refuse to spend all day in the kitchen,” Joel says. “If you prep your sauces and bases like sofrito, it won’t take too long to put your dishes together.” 

His collaboration with Tracy and Darrell is a work in progress as the cultures and ideas come together. Darrell is very strict about his ingredients being organic and healthy. Joel cooks for flavor and authenticity. And Tracy is there to enjoy it all.

“We go back and forth about the ingredients,” Joel says. “They are very particular about what goes into the menu and so we try to accommodate both.”

He says that food is a great conversation starter and something we can all bond over no matter what race or culture. 

 While Joel teaches culinary skills, he believes that humility is the greatest life skill one can have.  

“There is no such thing as becoming a master of anything,” he says. “I genuinely hope to continue to grow as a chef and explore all the amazing things the culinary world has to offer.”

Sofrito Seasoning Base

Dominican Pollo Guisado (Stewed Chicken)

Quipes Dominican

Black Beans & Rice

Batida De Le Lechosa (Papaya Milkshake)

Photos: Matthew Gaulin and Nicole Hamel