Chef Luis Bruno hails from Bronx, NY and as a boy, left home at age 13 to work in his brother’s pizzeria in upstate New York.  In 1993, he moved to Florida to earn a degree in culinary arts, where he met his wife, Kathleen.  Three years later, the couple relocated to Kathleen’s hometown of Jackson, MS, where Luis was appointed Executive Chef at the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion during the Kirk Fordice Administration.  There, he prepared fabulous fare for governors, kings, foreign dignitaries and celebrities.

Luis left the Governor’s Mansion in 2001 to open his restaurant, Bruno’s Eclectic Cuisine with the motto, “A Passion for Food and Fun” and known for its colorful, diverse menu of Spanish and Caribbean-inspired cuisine.  Bruno’s was recommended in The New York Times Travel section, made an official “Food Find” by Southern Living magazine, granted 3½ out of 4 stars by The Birmingham News, and named “Best Chef” by the Jackson Free Press. Unfortunately, Bruno’s closed in 2003; health priorities made this difficult, emotional decision a must.  Six shots a day of insulin couldn't stop Luis’ advancing liver disease, sleep apnea and diabetes, which was blurring his vision and causing his right foot to go numb.  The doctors gave him five years to live if he did not change his lifestyle.  So Luis started an 800-calorie-per-day, medically-supervised liquid diet, and in 5½ months, he had lost 160 pounds.

Just one year later and half his size, Luis had turned his life around and his weight-loss efforts melded perfectly with incumbent Governor Haley Barbour’s dedication to the health of Mississippi’s citizens.  Barbour asked a healthy, slim Bruno to return as Executive Chef at the Governor’s Mansion, where he remained until his appointment in 2009 as Director of Culinary Development for the Hilton Jackson Hotel. 

Today, what Luis enjoys most is spending time with Kathleen and their daughter, Emma.  He also races in 5-Ks, 10-Ks, sprint triathlons and half-marathons, and all his health issues have been completely reversed.