Friends, family and foodies are mourning the sudden death of a highly respected and well-known chef and restaurateur in Southwest Florida.
Mariano Luis Maldonado, 55, of Fort Myers, died last week in what his wife describes as a “tragic accident.”
In 2011, he and his wife, Rocio Navarrete, launched El Gaucho Inca Restaurant in Fort Myers.
They expanded their enterprise from there, opening other restaurants, including a location under the same name in Estero, across from the Coconut Point mall, serving the same authentic Argentinian and Peruvian dishes that celebrated the couple’s union and combined heritages.
The Estero location included a separate deli and cafe.
The couple opened an El Guacho Inca in Naples in 2016 but closed it in 2018 after Maldonado had a heart attack.
Tragedy struck on a dangerous road
Multiple TV stations and other media outlets reported that Maldonado died on May 19, after a crash on a dangerous stretch of roadway in Tennessee, known as “The Tail of the Dragon,” while riding on a Harley-Davidson Trike southbound on Highway 129.
According to media reports, the crash also claimed the life of the motorcycle’s driver, Eduardo Falcone, 59, of Fort Myers, a local Realtor.
The Blount County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee reported 19 motorcycle fatalities on the road since 2021.
On Facebook (Meta), Navarrete didn’t go into the details about the crash. She wrote: “My heart is shattered. My beloved husband left this world in a tragic accident.”
She continued: “My love … he was not just my husband, he was my best friend, my protector, my confidant, my life partner … he was my everything.”
Remembered as a “special light”
In her social media post, Navarrete said she knew that anyone who had met her late husband would feel the same “immense sadness” over his death that she did because he had a “special light.”
“He always made you laugh, chuckle, and made you feel loved,” she said.
The couple was married for 24 years.
In addition to his wife, Maldonado’s survivors include his three children, Julieta, Matias and Mariana, and his two stepdaughters, Bonie and Michelle.
His stepdaughter Michelle Montalvo said his trip to Tennessee was supposed to be for “an adventure,” with a “close friend.”
“It was a scenic view that a lot of cyclists go to,” she said.
The Tail of the Dragon, an 11-mile stretch of mountain road on the Tennessee-North Carolina border with 318 curves, is a magnet for motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts alike.
“On his way” to retirement
In recent years, Montalvo said her stepfather and her mother had sold off their shared interests in all of their local restaurants, while he continued to serve as a consultant to them, and they continued to use his recipes.
“He was still very much involved,” she said, but “on his way” toward retirement.
She described her stepfather as a very talented chef, with an ability to create fusion food by blending diverse ingredients and techniques to make his own creations, with a strong background in not only Peruvian and Argentinian cuisine, but in Italian cuisine.
According to his bio, Maldonado had been involved in the culinary arts since he was “just a bambino,” growing up in his parents’ house in Argentina, where “his part-Italian father and mother, aunts, and grandmothers would cook for their large weekly family gatherings.” From them, he learned the “secrets and passion of great homemade food.”
He moved to Southwest Florida in 1996.
Following his “life calling”
Before meeting his wife, Maldonado worked at an upscale restaurant in the Naples area. Together, they went on to open a string of local restaurants, including Tacos y Ceviche and El Gaucho Trattoria.
“That was his life calling,” Montalvo said.
According to his obituary, food and family weren’t his only loves. He loved playing and watching soccer, traveling the world and gardening.
Asked to describe their father for the obituary, his children had this to say about him:
It was standing-room only at a memorial service held on Sunday, May 24. The crowd included former employees and customers, along with family and friends.
“He was good to his family, his friends and even to strangers,” Montalvo said. “He always made sure that he showed his friendship and love through the food that he made.”
Laura Layden is a senior business and government reporter. Reach her by email at laura.layden@naplesnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Beloved SWFL chef dies in ‘tragic accident’ on motorcycle
Reporting by Laura Layden, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
