Food Network personality Carl Ruiz had a great attitude and an insatiable appetite for delicious
dishes.
Sadly, he passed away in September 2019 at a young age, and his death was mourned by
celebrity chefs and fans all over the world.
Here's everything you need to know about him.
On September 22nd, 2019, Carl Ruiz's restaurant La Cubana made a heartbreaking announcement
on social media.
It read, in part,
"No words can fully express our sadness at the sudden loss of our dear friend and brother...He
was a mighty force of down home Cuban cuisine, and lived life to the fullest, just as he
cooked, with 'dancing always' as the most important ingredient."
La Cubana announced that his legacy will live on through The Carl Ruiz Scholarship Foundation,
created in his honor with the goal of helping out aspiring chefs.
"A biography on the restaurant's website says Ruiz opened restaurants all over the globe
in his twenty-five years in the industry."
Ruiz's died at the young age of 44, and the restaurant and his family didn't immediately
reveal the cause of death.
His friend Matt Farah, the car expert and host of YouTube's The Smoking Tire, remembered
his friend in an Instagram post:
"Every single time we hung out, three things happened: Carl taught me something unbelievably
interesting, Carl introduced me to someone very interesting, and Carl made me laugh my
f---ing face off."
Have you ever wondered what a professional chef might think of your favorite fast-food
restaurants?
Well, wonder no more.
Carl Ruiz hosted a YouTube show where he'd happily tell you.
OMG Carl's Food Show gave viewers exactly what they wanted: a trained chef's take on
places like Applebee's, Cracker Barrel, McDonald's, Subway, and Five Guys.
He was honest, too...and no, he didn't hate any of these places.
He'd tell you to skip Applebee's cheeseburger egg rolls, but definitely go for their artichoke
dip.
He also thought their quesadillas were a win…In fact, he considered them particularly good
for a chain restaurant, and far superior to the ones you'll find at Friendly's or TGIF.
As for Cracker Barrel, he found the decor weird, and claimed things were off to a "rough
start" with his first bite of country ham.
He then goes on to say that at least it's real ham, which he hadn't been expecting for
that price.
He also had some kind words for their orange juice.
Even when he wasn't particularly fond of a dish, he always tried to find something nice
to say.
However, we should point out that he wasn't so thrilled with Subway, and used the word
"spongy" quite a bit when describing the food.
"Gah, the chicken is spongy.
It's hot on the inside, a little cool on the outside."
Of all the Food Network stars, Guy Fieri probably knew Carl Ruiz the best.
Over the years, Ruiz appeared on several of Fieri's shows including Guy's Ranch Kitchen.
"I heard Cuban made food, I'm comin'."
"What is it?
This is it?"
"Cuban, that's one of the best things you've ever made up here."
"Thank you."
After the news of his death was announced, Fieri took to Twitter to say about his pal:
"I'm heartbroken that my friend chef Carl Ruiz is gone.
I have no words to describe what a great friend he was to me and my family.
His ability to make me laugh and smile under any circumstances was only outshined by his
talent as a chef.
Over the years, I've met a lot of great people but a friend like Carl is one in a hundred
million.
Carl 'The Cuban' Ruiz will forever live on in my heart and in those of all who loved
him."
In December 2018, Carl Ruiz sparked a minor social media scandal.
As NJ.com reports, he rankled quite a few people by taking to Twitter and claiming that
the best Cuban sandwich in America wasn't made by someplace in, say, Miami or Tampa.
Instead, you'd find this delicious sandwich at a modest restaurant called La Pola in West
New York.
His tweet read:
"I have eaten Cuban Sandwiches all over the country for 40 years.
I present to you the best Cuban sandwich in the United States.
This hand carved beauty is beyond reproach.
Unless you’ve tried it please be quiet.
Thanks...La Pola.
NJ."
You better believe the media leapt at the chance to tell this important story:
"Oh Tampa, those is fightin' words."
Mino Rico is the man who makes these delicious sandwiches behind the counter…and he first
opened La Pola in 1978.
Needless to say, plenty of folks challenged Ruiz's claim…and even the city of Tampa's
official Twitter account declared,
"Nope.
The best Cuban Sandwiches all reside in #Tampa"
Meanwhile, the website Creative Loafing noted that
"Miami even tried to get in on the convo, but, well, it's Miami."
A lot of people weren't swayed by Ruiz's insistence that La Pola made the perfect Cuban sandwich,
but he stuck to his guns.
Nevertheless, he made a point to also champion Tampa and St. Petersburg's sandwiches too,
tweeting:
"[You both] absolutely have some of the best.
No question.
And perfect bread.
I've had yours.
Come up and try this one."
Carl Ruiz really knew his stuff when it came to Cuban cuisine.
After growing up surrounded by this kind of food, he went on to have a long and storied
career cooking it for others, beginning with his time at the Latin and Peruvian restaurant
Sabor Peru and a stint at Cuban Pete's, both of which are located in New Jersey.
Then, there was Son Cubano, a New York City restaurant Ruiz opened and styled after the
sort of supper club you might find in Havana.
There, he brought traditional dishes and drinks to a classy city location.
According to Diced, he was forced to close that restaurant when a rent increase made
the business unsustainable…and he opened La Cubana 15 years after Son Cubano closed.
At La Cubana, he decided to really focus on what set his restaurants apart from the competition:
It was all about sticking to the basics.
As he told Diced,
"Basics like proper stock and soup making are very important.
It wasn’t the most exciting while we were doing it at culinary school, but it’s the
solid, basic technique I've used the most.
It’s priceless."
"I wanted to approach it the way the French approach a bistro, right?
Keep the classics.
Do it right."
Following Carl Ruiz's untimely death, several celebrities paid tribute to their friend.
Chef and TV personality Alex Guarnaschelli tweeted:
"This man was somehow fatherly, comforting, wise, reckless, brilliant, wickedly funny
& unique all in 1.
My life will be lonelier without him.
Love you Carl.
I'll make sure no one puts pineapple on pizza best I can without you here."
Chef, author, and TV personality Amanda Frietag posted a tribute to Instagram, writing,
"There is a hole in the culinary world and in our hearts."
Meanwhile, chef Jet Tila remember Ruiz on Twitter:
"You taught us how to enjoy every moment to the fullest and not live wondering what if!
You are gone way too soon...You will be remembered by us all!"
Unfortunately, some of the comments weren't quite so touching.
As USA Today reports, Paula Deen was asked if she knew Ruiz during an appearance on the
radio program The Big J Show.
She said she didn't know him, but was sorry to hear about his passing.
Then she added, with a laugh,
"You know, they say the restaurant business will kill ya."
So much for tact.
As you may know, Carl Ruiz had a penchant for dissing vegetarians and vegans.
For example, several photos of the late chef feature him wearing a black T-shirt with the
logo: "0% Vegetarian."
He regularly tweeted about the subject, offering up thoughts like,
"The fact the...fake meat movement is a multi million dollar industry proves the fact that
vegans are not satisfied with just eating vegetables."
Not three weeks before his death, he posted a link to a CNN study that claimed vegetarians
and vegans had a 20 percent higher chance of having a stroke when compared to omnivores,
along with the commentary,
"I'm gonna eat cheeseburgers at their funerals."
You'd think a chef of Carl Ruiz's stature would guard his recipes closely, if not obsessively.
"Bacon…because…There's no breakfast without bacon."
"No."
After all, his recipes were his bread and butter, no pun intended, and he put a lot
of work into perfecting every dish.
But as it turns out, Ruiz didn't believe in keeping his cooking techniques a secret.
In fact, he once tweeted,
"I'll give anybody my recipes.
The difference between me and them is that I can make new ones."
Ruiz wasn't just saying that, either.
He also took to Twitter to give out the recipe for his burger sauce, much to the delight
of fans.
It's a super-simple recipe that you can make at home right now…and the ingredients are
probably sitting in your kitchen as we speak.
As Ruiz tweeted:
"[Here's] my Burger Sauce Recipe.
4oz.
Ketchup.
3oz.
[Peter Luger Steak Sauce].
2.5oz Horseradish.
3oz. Mayo.
1.5oz of Cherry Pepper [vinegar...].
To Taste: Tabasco.
Salt.
Pepper.
Red pepper flakes.
Onion powder.
Garlic powder.
A dash of accent."
He goes on to mention that,
"[It tastes just ] like Burger King zesty sauce...but better."
And there you have it: The perfect burger sauce…
As The New York Times reports, Carl Ruiz credited his mother and grandmother for his love of
food and cooking.
His brother George told the newspaper:
“My mom and my grandmother are culinary artists in their own way, even if they don’t
have a degree.
They had a real amazing talent.”
When Ruiz first opened La Cubana, he talked to Diced, the magazine of the Institute of
Culinary Education, revealing that:
“The menu’s a mixture of my favorites growing up that my mom and grandmother would
make and stuff that I picked up in Miami and Orlando, some old-school dishes that were
disappearing.
The traditional stuff is really satisfying to make."
In 2014, The New York Times ran a largely favorable review of Marie's Italian Specialties,
a deli-style restaurant that Carl Ruiz opened with his then-wife Marie in Chatham, New Jersey.
The plan was to keep hours that are generally associated with that kind of restaurant, closing
precisely at 6 p.m.
But his plan reportedly went right out the window on the very first day, when a customer
walked in at 6 p.m. on the dot to place his order.
Ruiz said:
"[The food is] lay-down-on-your-couch-for-three-hours-afterward Italian."
Reviewers agreed, saying it was pretty much the place to go for heavy, hearty, and perfectly
prepared Italian food.
To this day, the homemade mozzarella, generous portions, and free mini-cannolis make for
an exceptional dining experience, one that perfectly demonstrates the love and care Ruiz
baked into his dishes.
A month after Carl Ruiz's untimely passing, an official cause of death was released.
According to Today, it was determined to be atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition often develops slowly, and can result in anything
from aneurysms to sudden death.
Symptoms depend on how advanced the disease is, but they can include chest pain and a
feeling of pressure around the heart.
Leg pain and numbness are also early signs.
The condition is preventable and treatable, which it's why it's important to go to a medical
professional if you exhibit any of these symptoms.
As for its causes, Mayo Clinic reports that an unhealthy diet, obesity, diabetes, high
cholesterol, high blood pressure, and a family history of the disease may all increase risk.
You wouldn't expect a professional chef to be eager to go to a fast food joint on the
regular…or even grabbing the occasional meal on the run.
Well, that certainly wasn't the case with Carl Ruiz.
Following Ruiz's death, Matt Farah told one of his favorite stories about Ruiz to The
New York Times, revealing that, at his wedding,
"[Ruiz was] dancing with everybody, 20 people, none of whom really knew him."
And when it came time for the after-party, Ruiz decided he was going to feed everyone,
with pizza from Domino's.
Domino's might seem like an odd choice for a celebrity chef, but Ruiz spent $300 to feed
everyone that particular meal, saying that
"[Domino’s Pizza is] just as important for our culture [as gourmet pizza].”
From the finest Cuban dishes to the trashiest fast-food pizza, Ruiz clearly loved it all.
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