Ever since he was a child growing up in Puerto Rico Jose Ramírez-Ruiz wanted to become a chef.

“I come from a family of really good cooks,” his grandmother and mother among them, Ramírez-Ruiz said.

He watch them cook, he helped and because of lots of cooking with vegetables, “I learned the value of produce.”

Ramírez-Ruiz has nailed his childhood dream.

After a storied career so far, including owning the former Semilla in New York City, he has been named executive chef at Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, Conn.

Still appreciative of the fresh vegetables he saw served as a child, Ramírez-Ruiz is known to specialize in “vegetable forward” cooking, meaning there is an emphasis on vegetables in his cuisine.

He said that doesn’t mean vegetarian — he is said to have a gift for meat and fish as well. It simply means an emphasis on vegetables.

“I enjoy cooking them more than anything else,” he said. The key, he said, is to source really fresh products at local farms.

Working with farmers and building a team with staff are among his favorite parts of the job, said Ramírez-Ruiz, who is a culinary school graduate.

Mayflower Inn & Spa, which bills itself as an “elegant country retreat,” wrote in a statement gushing over their new executive chef: “With an illustrious career spanning the culinary world, Chef Jose brings his unparalleled expertise and innovative vision to the Mayflower Inn & Spa, promising an extraordinary epicurean experience that marries five-star, community-focused dining with creativity and seasonality.”

Whether it’s in a Victorian inn or a train car, CT’s Kent Collection is a luxury stay

The statement goes on to say that Ramírez-Ruiz “earned his stripes from multiple Michelin-starred restaurants.” Details on those establishments were not available.

Ramírez-Ruiz oversees eateries at the inn, including The Garden Room and The Tap Room, serving more casual, lighter fare.

Breaking away from the inn’s traditional tasting menu format, the chef has “unveiled an a la carte menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a chef-curated dining experience in The Garden Room,” according to the inn.

His dishes include: Three cheese gnudi with summer vegetables from Waldingfield Farm, chicken mousseline with new potatoes, celery, and raisin, squash blossoms stuffed with shrimp and clotted cream. It also includes crab crusted fluke with parsley juice, and grilled romaine with chicken vinaigrette and cauliflower puree.

In The Tap room, fresh menus for light fare and dinner include: trout in a blanket with honey mustard sauce, sweet corn soup with crab meat, bacon and scallions. The Tap Room also offers a cheeseburger made from ground chuck and short rib, branzino (fish considered a delicacy) with grilled lemon.

The online reviews for the restaurants are favorable, noticeably since Ramírez-Ruiz took over in April as executive chef.

One guest wrote of The Garden Room: “We love everything about this restaurant, the food is outstanding as well as all the staff who go out of their way to create a very personal special experience!!!!”

Another wrote of their experience: “This meal exceeded even my wildest expectations. Top 10 meals I’ve ever had and we’ve travelled a ton and dine regularly in NYC…Chef Jose is a magician and our waitress Kathleen was wonderful… I’m recommending this place to everyone.”

Another guest wrote: “The cheese plate and mushroom dish were one of the most memorable dishes I’ve had all year.”

Another wrote simply: “Spring Chowder was sublime.”

As for The Tap Room, one guest recently wrote: “Outstanding service, incredible food, and comfortable setting.”

Another wrote: “A gem of a place…the food was amazing!”