MARCOS ASCENCIO

Taquería Chingón / Mariscos San Pedro

Marcos Ascencio grew up in Chicago, and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School. After high school he attended both UIC and the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. His varied culinary career began at NoMi with Chef Sandro Gamba where over his eight years. Marcos worked every station and department, eventually rising to Chef de Cuisine of the Park Hyatt under Christophe David. After NoMi, Ascencio joined the Chicago Public Schools a culinary instructor at Benito Juarez Community Academy in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. While there, he mentored the next generation of cooks and chefs and helped several students obtain full-ride scholarships to culinary schools.  

Ascencio returned to cooking in the kitchen of Guildhall, in Glencoe, where he built a team to deliver consistent, delicious food to the neighborhood. In 2016, he left Guildhall, to join Bar Lupo. Marcos was the driving force behind Bar Lupo’s punk rock Italian fare, a free-ranging mix of classic regional Italian and Taylor Street red sauce cuisines. In 2018, following the closure of Bar Lupo, Ascencio began as Executive Chef of the Ivy Room at Tree Studios, a Lettuce Entertain You establishment known for its full service event space set and historic courtyard.  

He and Oliver Poilevey have partnered in a new venture, Taqueria Chingón, after sharing many experiences with pop-ups and backyard bbqs. Located in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood, Taqueria Chingón is a Mexico City street style taqueria focused on one of Mexico City’s favorite street foods: the Al Pastor. They've developed a menu with classics that stay true to their origins, and some tacos that create a new tradition.