In 1996, Mendes was recruited by Bouley to become the executive chef of Le Zoo. In 1998, he began working under chef Sandro Gamba at Lespinasse in Washington, D.C. where he learned how to create the restaurant's "French luxe cuisine".[2]
In 2016, he was featured on the "Our Portuguese Table" hosted by Angela Simões and Maria Lawton.[3]