At latitude 44 degrees north, the map lines up neatly between Bend, Oregon, and the rugged coast of Galicia in northwest Spain — a parallel that’s not lost on chef Hector Sanchez, the culinary director for SixTop Restaurant Group. Born where the Atlantic wind meets green hills and salt air, Sanchez grew up surrounded by family, food, and a deep respect for what’s pulled from the land and sea. Now, halfway across the world but at the same latitude, he sees a kinship between his homeland and Central Oregon: both places rich with character, seasonal ingredients, and a culture of craft.

As culinary director, Sanchez oversees the kitchens at Bos Taurus, Hablo Tacos, and Miyagi Ramen, three of Bend’s most talked-about dining destinations. But it’s at Bos Taurus, the group’s fine-dining steakhouse downtown, where his global perspective meets meticulous local sourcing. The result is a menu where prime beef and bold flavor coexist with quiet nods to his Spanish roots and a philosophy that honors humble beginnings as much as culinary innovation.

We sat down with Chef Hector Sanchez to talk about food, family, and the winding road that brought him from the coast of Spain to the heart of Oregon’s high desert.

What role did food play in your family when you were growing up?
My house was always full of cooking. My grandmother worked in a big marine family house; they owned fishing ships all over the world. She was the one who handled all the cooking when the ships came in and the mariners returned home. Every summer, my brothers and I were pickling and fermenting right alongside her.

My father was a hunter and a chef in his own way. He cooked wild game with his hunting group out in the bush. He was very picky about ingredients, always selective, always intentional. So, I grew up surrounded by people who respected food, who saw it as something you take care of.

Did you always want to cook, or did that come later?
This is a funny story. I actually wanted to go into medicine. I wanted to be a doctor. I studied, took the exams, and passed, but I didn’t have the money to go straight to college. So, I decided to work that summer to save up. My brother was opening a fine dining restaurant in Spain and offered me a job there. By the end of the summer, I canceled everything. I said, I want to do this. My father thought I was crazy. He said, “You passed the exams; you have everything ready.” But I told him, “No, I want to cook.”

From there, I started moving around Spain, then Mallorca, where I learned to speak English just by talking with tourists. After that, I worked in the U.K., Germany and the Netherlands. I spent six years in Africa, and through friends, I connected with a restaurant in New York. That’s how I started the process of immigrating and bringing my family over. I ended up spending five years cooking in New York City.

What did your grandmother think of you cooking in New York City?
[laughs] When I told my grandma I was in New York making lentils, which were the poorest food we could make back home, she’d say, “Why are you cooking lentils there?” To her, that was home food. Simple food. But that’s something I learned not to be shy about. I’m no longer afraid to use lentils or other humble ingredients. Early in my career, I wanted to cook all the fancy, fine-dining dishes, and I loved that world. But now, I find myself coming back to the basics.

There’s something beautiful about taking a simple dish, like collard greens, and giving it a new life. At Bos Taurus, we twist it a bit with bacon jam, toasted corn nuts, and pork belly. I don’t want to change the dish; I just want to elevate it — keep the authenticity but use new techniques to make the flavors sing. It’s about taking traditional food and transforming it with care and knowledge.

What drew you to Bend and eventually to SixTop Restaurant Group?
My wife and I had friends in Bend, and she had visited a few times before. When we were first coming to the U.S., I had a list of cities I wanted to see — San Francisco, New York, all the big names — but we came to Bend first. We ended up staying the entire month. That’s when I knew this was the place. The landscape, the people, the food scene. It just felt right. I decided then that Bend was where I wanted to live and raise my children.

When I joined SixTop, I started as sous chef at Bos Taurus less than two years ago. The growth since then has been incredible. It’s a group that believes in collaboration and creativity, and that makes all the difference.

Bos Taurus is known for its meticulous approach to steak. How does the seasonal menu evolve around that focus?
The menu at Bos Taurus is small by design, but there’s a lot of thought behind every dish. We work months in advance, the team and I brainstorm together, putting ideas on the table and then refining them again and again. Even if I create a dish, another couple dozen people might taste it. Everyone gives feedback — try this, change that, what if we add this element from the coast or the valley? It’s a true collaboration.

We look closely at what’s available seasonally, from Bend and Central Oregon to the Willamette Valley and the Oregon Coast. We build around that. When the final menu comes together, it reflects all that collective effort, a balance between precision and creativity.

Do you ever regret choosing the culinary world over medicine?
Not for a second. This is what I want. Life is short, and I feel lucky to do what I love. I was at the restaurant at nine this morning and will probably be there all day, but it doesn’t feel like work. For those of us who cook, we get instant appreciation — we see people enjoy what we make. I’m very grateful for that.

Hector Sanchez has traveled thousands of miles and cooked on three continents, but what anchors him is a sense of care for ingredients, for craft, and for the people gathered around the table. In Bend, he’s found not just a latitude that mirrors his homeland, but a community that shares his belief in good food made with patience and heart.