“MasterChef” judge brings culinary tour to Atlanta

ATLANTA - You already know that chef Aarón Sánchez knows his way around a kitchen. But now, the restaurateur and popular judge on "MasterChef" and "MasterChef Junior" is making his way across the country, visiting major cities as part of a delicious road trip.

"We’re basically highlighting chefs and proprietors of these really beautiful Latino outlets," says Sánchez of the tour, for which he’s partnered with motor oil brand Quaker State. "And the idea is that we want to highlight them and their story and their food, and how their journey has taken them to where they are."

The tour brought Sánchez to Atlanta on Monday, July 11, during which he stopped by El Super Pan at Ponce City Market.

"I’ve known Chef Hector [Santiago] for many, many years," says the chef. "He does Caribbean-Latin cuisine – he’s from Puerto Rico – so his food is very different from the run-of-the-mill. So, when it came time to choose who’s going to represent this culinary journey for Quaker State, I said, ‘He’s the man.’"

Of course, Aarón Sánchez is also spending his summer on television, judging on the 12th season of the FOX hit "MasterChef" (which airs Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m.). Asked about the phenomenal success of the series, Sánchez says the "secret sauce" is the show’s emphasis on mentoring.

"We start with 25 contestants. Regardless if you win, lose, or draw — or get kicked off 8th of 9th — you walk away with valuable lessons in the culinary world. And that is the difference in confidence that you need to start embarking on your own business. So, that’s what gives me a lot of joy. The mentoring part of what we do on ‘MasterChef’ is top-notch, like no other."