King of the Amazon

Darwin’s Evolutionary Cuisine

If I need to formally introduce Darwin Santa Maria, then I’m guessing you aren’t from around here. Welcome to town!

Here’s a bit of backstory: Locals have been following Darwin for years, ever since he brought Peruvian flair and flavor to our city many, many moons ago. In the past decade, he’s opened, owned, or operated several restaurants which all showcased his signature style of intensely flavorful dishes that combine his Latin heritage with modern trends, like Lechon Con Ta-Ca-Cho (roasted pork belly with lime, citrus, spices, cabbage, kimchi, and Amazonian plan tains); Crispy Pulpo (octopus with pine nuts, pickled daikon, la col rizada, and aji limo gastrique); and “Corazon Mio” Anticucho (tender beef heart, panca chilli, choclo, and salsa criolla).

Darwin’s approach to food has always been centered on experimentation and growth, hence the name of his current restaurant, Darwin’s Evolutionary Cuisine, which focuses on just that: evolution. So it comes as no surprise that he’s now further expanding his culinary repertoire by homing in on a fresh take on his traditional cuisine, highlighting “nutrition” as the star ingredient.

“The health aspect started when I met Manny Machado,” the elite Major League Baseball player who was doing his spring training in Sarasota. “He’s Latin, so he loved the Peruvian cuisine and, eventually, he and his wife approached me about being his personal chef. I took the challenge!”

Cooking for an athlete is clearly not the same as cooking for a crowded restaurant as the desires are drastically different. Whereas a restaurant dish is all about creating a pleasing flavor profile and a pretty plate, cooking for an athlete requires Darwin to laser focus on a much different end game: What would improve Machado’s performance and keep him healthy during long games, grueling workouts, and endless training—all the while still creating a pleasing flavor profile and a pretty plate?

“I had to find out the answers,” Darwin says. “What foods will elevate an athlete’s performance? Why does drinking beet juice help his body function? What does an athlete need more than what he wants?”

Researching nutrition helped outline what dishes he could and should create. But, given his passionate Peruvian roots, Darwin wasn’t willing to sacrifice an ounce of the lively Latin flavor he’s famous for and what drew Machado to him in the first place.

“I’m from a little village in the jungle,” he explains. “I looked to my family recipes for a lot of inspiration as farm-to-table is a way of life there, not a trend. Our whole diet was based on vegetables and superfoods.” Thus, he now looks to the pre-Incan diet and ingredients from the Amazon to create bold dishes with a lot of health benefits.

So what does this mean for Sarasota and how will it translate to diners’ dinner plates?

“We’ll be updating the menu next season to reflect the influences of what I’ve learned,” says Darwin. “You’ll see more plant-based options and Amazonian ingredients that the mainstream hasn’t seen yet. Stay tuned.”

“Anything else you want readers to know?” I ask. I am expecting him to, perhaps, tell me about a healthful dessert he’ll add to the menu. But no, what he adds is so much sweeter than that.

“Yes,” he says. “I want them to know I credit much of what I have learned to my predecessors. We are a product of those who taught us, who gave us an opportunity. Phil Mancini and Carla Griffin gave me my first chances and inspired me and now I stand on the shoulders of countless local restaurant owners and chefs who came before me and paved the way.”

> Darwin Evolutionary Cuisine: 4141 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, 941-260-5964; chefdarwin.com