Hailing from the Midwest, Diego Burgos joined the Cornerstone Restaurant Group with more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry. He is currently the Culinary Director of three Mohegan Sun restaurants: the breezy Mexican cantina, SolToro, modern steak house, Michael Jordan’s Steak House and elevated sports bar and grill, MJ23 Sports Bar & Grill. His unique background, adaptability and mastery of the kitchen have greatly contributed to his success in his role, serving a diverse clientele at one of the top-grossing entertainment venues in the world.
Prior to joining Cornerstone Restaurant Group, Diego has worked in numerous establishments around the country, each with its own unique culture and culinary atmosphere. He began his career at a family-owned restaurant in Indiana, which then led him to pursue his passion for beef anchoring him to cities including Chicago, Omaha, Council Bluffs, Iowa, and eventually to New Orleans. Most recently, he served as the Executive Chef at Harrah’s in New Orleans, overseeing eight diverse food outlets with over $25 million in annual revenue.
In his current role, he loves being part of a company that shares his Midwestern roots all while continuing to grow Cornerstone’s East Coast presence. Diego’s culinary style is very steakhouse driven, using top-quality meats, fresh seafood and local vegetables. Growing up in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, there are lots of these influences on the menus at all three concepts — the Cochinita Pibil Tacos are on the menu at SolToro, which is a traditional dish in Mexican cuisine. Diego duplicates the traditional method of roasting the succulent pig in a pit in the ground and wrapping the meat in large banana leaves and then slow-cooking it in spices and natural jus. He brings his influence to Michael Jordan’s Steak House, with Filet Mignon Fajitas, which include sizzling, fork-tender meat that melts in your mouth. At MJ23 Sports Bar & Grill, Diego has created an elevated spin on traditional comfort food, and one of his personal favorite dishes includes Nueseke’s Bacon Pops. Being from the Chicago area, Nueseke’s Bacon is near and dear to his heart, so it was natural to have a dish on the menu that used the bacon. Diego sears the meat and tops it with a maple syrup glaze and serves them lollipop style with a horseradish dipping sauce.
