Ricardo Viesca Gutierrez, a chef at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, emerged as the winner of the World Vegetarian Championship at the 2024 World Food Championship held in Indianapolis in November 2024.

What is the World Food Championship?

Since its inception in 2012, The World Food Championships (WFC) has been the ultimate global food competition, bringing together top chefs from nearly 40 countries to battle for culinary glory. This multi-day event features fierce competition across twelve categories: Bacon, Barbecue, Burger, Chef, Dessert, Live Fire, Noodle, Rice, Sandwich, Seafood, Soup and Vegetarian.

Up to 20 contestants per category in the opening round have 1.5 hours to create their signature dish. The top seven contestants, determined by judges, advance to the Final Round.

Thousands of teams compete in official qualifiers each year to earn a Golden Ticket and secure their spot in the WFC. 

The winners of each category are invited to the WFC Final Table, where the champions complete a three-step culinary gauntlet for a grand prize of $150,000. Ricardo and his competitors will meet at the Final Table on March 28-30 in Bentonville, Arkansas. 

Preparing for the WFC

After an unsuccessful attempt in the vegetarian category at the 2023 WFC, Ricardo knew he had to bring his best self to the 2024 competition. He asked his girlfriend, Marielle Ramos Hidalgo, to be his sous chef at the tournament. Marielle is also an accomplished chef who works at the Dallas Marriott Downtown as a sous chef. 

The couple put their hearts into preparing for the competition. “Some days we had to test things out, really late at night because we were working all day. We even went to a local artist here in Dallas to get our plates made especially for the competition,” Ricardo fondly recalls.

Ricardo didn’t set out to compete in the vegetarian category — it was simply the last available spot. Rather than seeing this as a limitation, he embraced the challenge, viewing it as an opportunity to push his creativity. Cooking a vegetarian dish meant he needed to focus on balancing and highlighting an array of flavors. 

“For me as a chef, I didn’t look at it in a bad way, but I took it only as a challenge, especially with me working at the Sheraton and making menus for the restaurants and the outlets. We’re the biggest building in Dallas. I have to have vegetarian dishes on the menu.

Ricardo knew he was representing Dallas and wanted to create something that echoed the city’s spirit without catering to typical stereotypes like Tex-Mex and barbecue.

The Winning Dish

Being in the vegetarian category worked in Ricardo’s favor. He knew that to create a standout dish, he had to experiment with flavors, leading him to create the smoky vodka sauce he believed sealed his victory. Ricardo smoked the tomatoes outside because he wasn’t allowed to make a fire inside the competition hall. 

Unsatisfied with the smokiness of the tomatoes, he decided to take it a step further. Ricardo made the bold decision to bring out the entire sauce to be smoked. When he shared this process with the judges, they were both amused and impressed. They could taste the depth of flavor and appreciated his persistence in getting it right. 

Culinary Beginnings

Born in Mexico City, Ricardo’s love for food was shaped by a deep curiosity about what makes a great meal. “For me, it was always about discovering flavors,” he shares. Growing up, Ricardo’s interest in food began when he questioned why the food at restaurants tasted better than home-cooked meals. His uncle was a manager of a renowned restaurant in Mexico City, which exposed him to the world of culinary arts. 

His first brush with cooking came when he worked part-time as a server in high school at a pizzeria in Mexico City owned by an Italian man. To Ricardo, it was the best pizza he had ever had because the flavors were so unique.

“Cooks in Mexico City are old-school tough, and they made sure I understood that if I wanted to eat, I had to make it myself,” says Ricardo. He was taught how to stretch the dough and sauté the sauce. “After working there for a while, I was like, Yeah, I think this is what I want to do, so I started culinary school in Mexico.”

During culinary school, Ricardo had the opportunity to work banquets that served over 300 people, which was a defining moment for him — it was the first time he was able to serve regular customers.

Journey to Europe

Through his culinary school, Ricardo took advantage of a program that allowed him to expand his culinary horizons in Spain. “It was one of the most important experiences in my life,” he shares. “I was leaving Mexico for another country to be on my own and to learn something different.” 

Although the language was the same, there was a major learning curve. Ingredients and instruments had different names, and even the working hours were different. He also worked alongside chefs across Europe. Despite these obstacles, Ricardo genuinely enjoyed learning in a completely new culture. “It was about learning discipline, different flavors, and thinking outside the box.”

Ricardo also had the privilege of working in the world’s gastronomy capital — Paris. Ricardo rose to the occasion, worked as a commis chef, and learned the intricate techniques that make French cuisine special. “It was very challenging and competitive,” he says. “Cooking is such a craft over there.”

Open Palette Restaurant at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel

As the Senior Sous Chef of Open Palette, Ricardo takes his position seriously and strives to create a space where people can enjoy fantastic food. He draws from all the influences he internalized from his travels abroad to create a meaningful dining experience in Dallas. “I’ve always been disappointed when I try something I’ve been excited about, only to find it’s not as good as I expected. That drives me even more to create dishes that truly satisfy.”

Ricardo’s culinary philosophy at the Open Palette is strikingly similar to how he approached the WFC – to represent Dallas’ food scene without focusing too much on how outsiders perceive food in Texas. “I want people to come to the hotel and try something different.”

The winning sauce Ricardo used for his WFC vegetarian dish is found on the menu at Open Palette. “It is a pasta pappardelle with the smoked vodka sauce,” says Ricardo. “And it’s one of the dishes people love eating the most.”

The Dallas Food Scene

Ricardo is passionate about bringing value to Open Palette and the broader Dallas food scene. In describing the future of food in Dallas, Ricardo explains, “It has a lot of potential, and we need to start showing it. We are a good city, and we have good food.”

With the significant population growth and the wealth of attractions coming to the Dallas area such as FIFA World Cup 2026, Ricardo sees this as an opportunity to showcase his talents. “It’s a scene that will continue to develop. I’m proud to work in Dallas and there are big things coming to the city. Hospitality is going to be huge.”

WFC Final Table and Beyond

Outside of WFC, Ricardo still wants to evolve as a chef through travel. Japan, in particular, is on his and Marielle’s bucket list. “Marielle worked with Japanese sushi chefs in California, and she has shown me what they taught her,” says Ricardo. “I want us to experience a visit to Japan together.”

As for the WFC Final Table, Ricardo is confident in his chances with Marielle by his side. The event, where category winners will face a series of challenges for the grand prize, demands a different level of expertise. “This isn’t going to be just about vegetarian cooking,” he explains. “This is going to be about all of our years of experience. It’s a great opportunity that we are very excited about.”

For Ricardo, winning the WFC Final Table would be the culmination of years of dedication and a testament to his ability to excel under pressure. More than just a title, it’s a chance to showcase his skills on a national stage and further establish himself as a force in the culinary world. As he heads to Bentonville for competition, Ricardo’s eyes remain on the grand prize, but more than that, on representing Dallas in the best possible way. 

The WFC Final Table will take place on March 28-30 in Bentonville Arkansas.

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Cover photo courtesy Meredith Mashburn Photography

Sara Aguinaga is a dedicated massage therapist and editorial contributor at Texas Lifestyle Magazine. She loves indulging in spa treatments, exploring diverse cuisines, and traveling. Follow her on Instagram @sweetsaraadventures