Aaron Flores, Executive Chef

         Chef Aaron Flores began his cooking career back when he was just 16 years old as a young boy washing dishes for the Brinker International restaurant group. It's here where he found himself completely intrigued with culinary skills and couldn't learn enough. All of his interest and learning paid off. As his career progressed, Chef Flores spent twelve years with The Walt Disney Company in hotels such as the Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Pacific Hotel and finally as Opening Sous Chef for the Five Diamond Disney Grand Californian Hotel.
    In 2004 it was off to Chicago, Illinois where Chef Flores was Executive Chef of Marshall Field’s Flagship Store at State Street. Home of the iconic world renowned Walnut Room. Chef continued his presence in Chicago at The Doubletree Chicago hotel, Oak Brook where he began his focus on gluten free dining and truly turned the markets interpretation of this specific type of cuisine around. 
    Chef Flores is considered a pioneer in the Gluten Free World. He has served as National Executive Chef of the Celiac Sprue Association for a number of years working to create awareness of celiac disease and the need for a gluten free lifestyle. Writing a monthly column, contributing to numerous gluten free cookbooks and planning national conferences around the country Chef Flores has truly brought the awareness of gluten free cuisine to the industry. He now continues his gluten free work with The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America and looks forward to taking his gluten free knowledge around the globe.
     In late 2008 Chef Flores took the reigns of Finn & Porter at The Embassy Suites DC Convention Center, just in time for a historic presidential inauguration. At Finn & Porter, Chef Flores has re-created the menu to focus exclusively on fish (Finn) and steaks (porter.) A native Californian Chef Flores believes food should be a simple but memorable experience. “As I have traveled across the country I haven’t met anyone who does not have memories attached to food; whether its great wine in Napa Valley, a great steak out of Chicago or Soft Shell Crab in Maryland we all associate food as a representation of our local slice of Americana. This is what I bring to Finn & Porter DC, a passion for memorable food prepared simply.”