Ana Aguilar is the founder and pastry chef of Tantísimo, a Mexicana-owned bakery and kitchen in Nashville, Tennessee, known for reimagining traditional Mexican pastries and street snacks through a farm-to-table approach.

Aguilar began her culinary journey as a teenager, teaching herself to bake cakes in her church’s kitchen in Southern California. Surrounded by Mexican food and family traditions from an early age, she developed a deep appreciation for the flavors and dishes that reminded her of home.

During the pandemic, Aguilar rediscovered her passion for the kitchen through childhood favorites like pan dulce and cherished family recipes, including enchiladas and birria. She began serving pastries for Nashville favorites El León Dorado and Maíz de la Vida under the name Tantito Pastelito. As her cooking expanded beyond pastry, so did her vision, eventually becoming Tantísimo.

Inspired by the food she grew up with, the chefs who have shaped her culinary world, and the best ingredients available locally, Aguilar has grown Tantísimo from a small pop-up into a farm-to-table Latin American restaurant. Her approach honors traditional flavors while giving familiar ingredients and dishes new life through thoughtful sourcing, creativity, and seasonality.

Today, Aguilar continues to explore and innovate in both the kitchen and bar alongside her partner, Chef Josh Cook. When she’s not at the restaurant, she enjoys spending time outdoors with loved ones, screen acting, and the thrill of a new adventure.