For Chef Marino Roman, cooking began as an escape — a way to find peace when everything else felt out of control. What started in a small New York kitchen became a lifelong passion that carried him across kitchens, cities, and cultures.

A 31-year-old Puerto Rican chef raised in New York, Marino trained in Japanese cuisine, drawn to its discipline and respect for simplicity. But his heart has always belonged to Southern food — flavors he grew up with, rich, honest, and full of history. Over the years, he’s worked to master that craft while keeping his roots close.

Today, as Executive Chef of Crafted + Carried, as well as a personal and tour chef, Marino brings that same sense of balance and purpose to every meal. A father of two and engaged to his fiancée of eleven years, he believes food should tell a story — a reminder of where we come from, and how far we’ve come. To him, it’s simple: sometimes the fire that once burned you becomes the one that builds you.