About us

Meet Chef

Maria Iglesias

Chef María Iglesias was born and raised in the beautiful city of Puebla, Mexico. She has more than twenty (20) years of experience in the hospitality industry and truly specializes in Mexican culinary arts. In 1985, she arrived to New York, the land of opportunity, and worked hard to achieve her dream.

In 2000, she successfully opened her first Mexican restaurant, La Hacienda, and in 2012 launched La Adelita Restaurant Bakery located in Woodside, Queens. After the building was demolished, Ms. Iglesias decided to explore new possibilities and in 2016 opened a new restaurant in Long Island City, Corazon de Mexico.

With the intention of providing a more personalized experience for food lovers, Ms. Iglesias offers her services as a personal chef for private events. She is committed to creating a unique experience, maintaining the culture and tradition of Mexican cuisine.

Every dish is authentically made. The secret sauce is a legacy her grandmother passed on to her mother and that she will pass on to her daughter as well.

For these recipes, Chef Maria specializes in using natural ingredients and spices such as oregano, epazote, avocado leaf and bay, directly imported from Mexico. These ingredients, along with rock salt, are used to create special sauces such as tequila sauce, orange sauce and chipotle that adds a special taste to the meal.

Chef Maria thinks of herself as a fighter. She is a creative, optimistic and hardworking individual who is committed to achieving her goals to succeed in her business.

Maria bonita

The song that Agustín Lara composed for María Félix.

María Félix and Agustín Lara were married from 1945 to 1948, and it is known that their relationship was very passionate, and the great love between the musician and the actress was the inspiration for Lara to create one of the most famous romantic melodies in Mexico, ” Maria Bonita “.

The romance between Agustín Lara and María Félix was very controversial due to the age difference, since Lara was 17 years older than Félix, however, according to the testimony of the writer Guadalupe Loaeza, it was the actress who, at the age of 20 and then listening to the voice of the musician on the radio, he assured that he would marry “with that man.

However, it was not until 1943, while working on the filming of the film La China Poblana, that María Félix asked Tito Novaro, with whom she shared the scene in the film, to introduce her to the composer; and it was after her first meeting that she “set out to conquer him,” says Loaeza based on letters and testimonies.

So it was that, towards the end of 1945, El Flaco de Oro and La Doña got married in a house in Polanco, and then went off to celebrate their honeymoon in Acapulco, where the song was written.

“Remember Acapulco, that night, beautiful María, María del alma; remember that on the beach, with your little hands, the stars were rinsed.

“According to the testimony of Carlos Monsiváis, the song was inspired by a fight between the couple, and seeking to reconcile, it was written by Lara.

“I told you many words, those beautiful ones with which hearts are lulled, asking you to love me, to make my illusions come true.”

The verses and harmonies of the romantic song, which had been created as a waltz, were later accompanied by an orchestra, thus being recorded in the memory of Mexicans as the song that El Flaco de Oro wrote and gave as a wedding gift to the “Most beautiful woman in Mexico”.

Maria Bonita Catering

We are a team with many years of experience designing customized menus and providing catering for special events.

Maria Bonita’s cooking style is a form of expression inspired by the Mexican origin of Chef Maria Iglesias, evoking flavors in an international gastronomic fusion.

Our premier catering service includes a variety of international menus for different types of events, depending on your catering needs. We provide catering for a wide range of events, from meetings to formal corporate dinners and galas.