Celebrity Chef Robyn Almodovar Brings Her Story to Miami With New Restaurant Against All Odds
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
For Celebrity Chef Robyn Almodovar, the name of her first fully self-owned restaurant says everything about the journey that brought her here.
Against All Odds (Aao), set to open later this year in Miami’s Buena Vista neighborhood, is the first concept that is entirely her own after years spent building a career in top kitchens across South Florida’s restaurant scene and showcasing her culinary skills on national television. The name reflects finding a way forward even when the path is uncertain, a philosophy Almodovar has followed throughout her life.
The Staten Island native, who comes from a Puerto Rican and Italian background, has been cooking since childhood. At 15, her first job included working at a neighborhood bakery, an experience sparking what would eventually become a decades-long culinary career. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu, she moved to South Florida and steadily built her reputation in the restaurant industry through executive chef roles and independent ventures.
Many South Florida locals first came to know Almodovar through Palate Party, the female-owned gourmet food truck she launched in 2011. The concept became known for combining food with entertainment and was later named Best Food Truck in Miami in 2013.
At the same time, Almodovar was becoming a familiar face on national television.
Over the years, she competed on “Hell's Kitchen,” where she appeared in both Season 10 and the All-Stars season, before later winning “Chopped” and “Cutthroat Kitchen.” Most recently, she returned to Food Network as a contestant on “24 in 24: Last Chef Standing,” which premiered April 26. Hosted by Michael Symon and Esther Choi, the series places 24 chefs through 24 consecutive hours of cooking challenges that test speed, endurance and adaptability under pressure.
That next chapter is Against All Odds (Aao), a love letter to the community opening this fall, created alongside longtime friend and business partner Austin Gaines. Almodovar designed the space with locals in mind, a place where neighbors become regulars and regulars are family. The menu draws from every chapter of her life, including her signature Beef Wellington, a nod to her two seasons on “Hell's Kitchen,” alongside creative bar snacks and a late-night menu for the industry.
After years spent building concepts for other brands and appearing on some of television’s biggest culinary competition shows, Against All Odds marks the first time Almodovar is fully steering her own story. Aao proves that betting on yourself—against all odds—can still pay off.