Maria Meza
Chef Maria Meza was Born in Oaxaca and raised in Puebla, Mexico. In the summer of 1992 along with her family she migrated to Providence, RI. After working for more than a decade in the jewelry industry she opened “El Rancho Grande”, her first restaurant on May 5th of 2007. With no industry experience or no classic culinary training she opened a small 40-seater that served a very traditional menu including her signature dish “Mole Poblano”. Her authentic and traditional flavors quickly made Chef Maria a household name in the area.
In 2019, she opened DOLORES, a more progressive proposition of Mexican distillates and a kitchen based in Nixtamal and the flavors of the family’s native Mixteca region of Puebla and Oaxaca. In the spring of 2024 she was a James Beard Finalist for Best Chef New England.
Related Event
Join us for an unforgettable Jacques Pépin Foundation benefit dinner at Oberlin, where we invite chefs of Rhode Island to come together for an evening of culinary brilliance. Each course will be crafted by a different local chef, each with their own unique take on what it means to cook in Rhode Island. It’s not just a meal—it’s a celebration of creativity, community, and the power of food to change lives.