Celebrity chef Carl Ruiz, frequent Food Network guest and the owner of La Cubana restaurant, has died, the restaurant said Sunday. He was 44.
“No words can fully express our sadness at the sudden loss of our dear friend and brother,” the Meatpacking District restaurant said in an Instagram post announcing Ruiz’s passing. “Beyond his immense culinary talent, Carl’s larger-than-life personality never failed to entertain, enlighten, and uplift every person he encountered along his #Ruizing adventures.”
The cause of death was not disclosed and it was unclear when he died, though TMZ reported that Ruiz died Saturday night of a suspected heart attack, according to a friend.
“He was a mighty force of down home Cuban cuisine, and lived life to the fullest, just as he cooked — with ‘dancing always’ as the most important ingredient,” the La Cubana post said.
Fellow chef Guy Fieri said he was “heartbroken” at the news.
“I have no words to describe what a great friend he was to me and my family,” Fieri said on Instagram. “His ability to make me laugh and smile under any circumstances was only outshined by his talent as a chef. Over the years, I’ve met a lot of great people but a friend like Carl is one in a hundred million.”
The restaurant said it would establish the Carl Ruiz Scholarship Foundation for “aspiring chefs.”
