Gregory Gourdet Explained

Gregory Gourdet
Birth Date: 1975-7-25
Birth Place:New York City
Education:NYU
University of Montana
Culinary Institute of America
Occupation:Chef
Awards:James Beard Award

Gregory Gourdet (born 25 July 1975) is an American chef, writer, restaurateur, and former finalist on the twelfth and seventeenth seasons of Bravo's American reality television series, Top Chef.[1] He is of Haitian descent. He is the owner of the restaurant Kann and the former executive chef and culinary director of Departure at The Nines in Portland, Oregon.[2] His book, Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health, is a national bestseller.

Early life and education

Gourdet was born on 25 July 1975, in New York City to Haitian immigrant parents.[3] [4] He was raised in Queens, and graduated high school from St. Andrew's (Delaware). He attended NYU for one year, where he studied pre-med. He then attended University of Montana (UM), where he studied wildlife biology before graduating with a degree in French.

During his time at UM, Gourdet discovered his passion for cooking, and went on to enroll in The Culinary Institute of America.[5] From there, he earned an internship with chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and was mentored by him for almost seven years.[6]

Career

After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America in 2000, Gourdet went to work full-time for chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, honing his craft at three of Vongerichten's restaurants before climbing the ranks to become one of his chefs de cuisine.

In 2010, Gourdet took the helm as Executive Chef of Departure Restaurant and Lounge in Portland, Oregon, where he created modern Asian cuisine by combining local ingredients of the Pacific Northwest with flavors and traditions of Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea.[7] In 2016, he was promoted to Culinary Director when the brand expanded to Denver, Colorado.

In 2019, Gourdet ended his 10-year tenure with Departure to focus on opening his own restaurant, Kann, a wood-fired concept that strives to bring the cuisine of his Haitian heritage and the Caribbean diaspora to the American spotlight. In 2020, after COVID-19 pushed back plans to open the restaurant, Gourdet launched a Portland Kann pop-up in Portland.[8] Kann opened in Portland in August 2022. The cocktail bar Sousòl operates below Kann.

Book

In 2021, Gourdet published his first cookbook, Everyone's Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health,[9] a guide to cooking globally inspired dishes free of gluten, dairy, soy, legumes, and grains.[10] The book was written with J.J. Goode and published by Harper Wave Books on May 11, 2021.[11] The book is a national bestseller aiming to make healthy eating accessible. On June 11, 2022, Everyone's Table won the James Beard Award for Best Cookbook.[12]

Television appearances

Gourdet first achieved television fame in 2015 when he competed on Bravo's Top Chef Season 12 and finished runner-up. He went on to make numerous other TV appearances, including competing once more on Top Chef: All-Stars L.A., and finishing again as a finalist.[13]

Filmography

Television
YearTitleRole
2011Extreme ChefContestant
2014Into the UnderbellySelf
2014Cutthroat KitchenContestant
2015Top Chef (Season 12)Contestant
2015Self
2016PortlandiaGregory Gourdet
2018Iron Chef ShowdownChallenger
2020Top Chef (Season 17)Contestant
2020Race in America: A Movement Not A Moment (TV Special)Self
2020DotGay Presents: The Library (TV Miniseries Documentary)Self
2020TodaySelf
2021Top Chef (Season 18)Guest Judge
2021Top Chef AmateursGuest Judge
2021Top Chef Family StyleGuest Judge
2022Challenger

Awards

Gourdet was named "Hottest Chef 2012" from Eater Portland.

Gourdet was named "Chef of the Year" in 2013 by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. In 2014, he was given the same honor by Eater Portland.[14]

In 2016, Gourdet was awarded the CODA's 2016 Advocacy Award.[15]

He is a three-time James Beard Award semifinalist, and, in 2020, received his first nomination as a finalist for the award in the category Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific.

In 2022, Gourdet's book Everyone's Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health won a James Beard Media Award for Best General Cookbook.[16]

In 2023, his restaurant Kann was awarded James Beard "Best New Restaurant".[17] [18] [19] He won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington) in 2024.[20]

Personal life

Gourdet is an avid long-distance runner. He is openly gay and lives in Portland.[21]

Gourdet used to battle with cocaine and alcohol, and has been sober since 2007.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Q&A with a Colorado Star Chef: Gregory Gourdet . December 2, 2019 . Colorado Tourism Office . December 2, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191202233731/https://www.colorado.com/qa-colorado-star-chef-gregory-gourdet . live .
  2. Web site: Chef Gregory Gourdet Knows Adversity And He Knows How To Move Forward . Treon . Rebecca . July 2, 2020 . Huffpost . June 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200702203515/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gregory-gourdet-voices-in-food_l_5ef4f01bc5b6c62af95972f6 . July 2, 2020.
  3. Web site: Borden . Maggie . Why This Chef Now Has Haiti on the Menu . . December 2, 2019 . July 11, 2018 . December 2, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191202233724/https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/why-this-chef-now-has-haiti-on-the-menu . live .
  4. Web site: Under Fire, a Portland Chef Tries to Build a Fairer Workplace . Anderson . Brett . February 23, 2021 . The New York Times . June 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210223182326/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/23/dining/gregory-gourdet-portland-restaurant-kann.html . February 23, 2021.
  5. Hayes . Elizabeth . Portland 'Top Chef' Gregory Gourdet's tough journey to addiction recovery . Portland Business Journal . April 13, 2016 . December 2, 2019 . . September 20, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200920013716/https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/health-care-inc/2016/04/portland-top-chef-gregory-gourdets-tough-journey.html . live .
  6. Web site: 'Top Chef' Alum Gregory Gourdet to Release New Cookbook. 2021-05-12. EDGE Media Network. en-us. 2022-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20220820172436/https://www.edgemedianetwork.com/story.php?304535. live.
  7. Web site: The Voracious Appetites of Chef Gregory Gourdet . Clarke . Kelly . March 22, 2013 . Portland Monthly . June 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200923065702/https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2013/03/the-voracious-appetites-of-chef-gregory-gourdet-march-2013 . September 23, 2020.
  8. Web site: Introducing: The Yurt Villages, a One-of-a-Kind Outdoor Dining Experience. 2020-11-20. Resy. 16 November 2020. en-us. 2022-08-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20220820172423/https://blog.resy.com/2020/11/yurt-villages/. live.
  9. Book: Gourdet. Gregory. Everyone's Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health. Goode. J. J. Goode. Harper Wave. 2021. 978-0062984517. New York.
  10. Web site: Top Chef's Gregory Gourdet on Sourcing, Sobriety, and Equity . Wallace . Hannah . September 15, 2022 . Civil Eats . June 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220915084125/https://civileats.com/2022/09/15/top-chefs-gregory-gourdet-on-sourcing-sobriety-and-equity/ . September 15, 2022.
  11. Web site: April 15, 2021. Everyone's Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health. 2021-05-03. Publishers Weekly.
  12. Web site: Food News: Gregory Gourdet's Cookbook, Everyone's Table, Wins a James Beard Award . 2022-07-29 . Portland Monthly . en-US.
  13. Web site: Who is Gregory Gourdet from Netflix's Iron Chef? Restaurateur was the runner-up on Top Chef Season 12 . Singh . Parul . June 13, 2022 . SK Pop . June 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220720141850/https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/who-gregory-gourdet-netflix-s-iron-chef-restaurateur-runner-up-top-chef-season-12 . July 20, 2022.
  14. Web site: Announcing the 2014 Eater Award Winners for Portland . Centoni . Danielle . November 17, 2014 . Eater . June 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141119164500/https://pdx.eater.com/2014/11/17/7189995/Portland-Eater-awards-2014-winners . November 19, 2014.
  15. Web site: Gregory Gourdet receives CODA's 2016 Advocacy Award . CODA . 14 April 2016 . June 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201101001442/https://codainc.org/gregory-gourdet-receives-codas-2016-advocacy-award/ . November 1, 2020.
  16. Web site: The 2022 James Beard Media Award Winners . June 11, 2022 . James Beard Foundation . June 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220612024322/https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2022-james-beard-media-award-winners . June 12, 2022.
  17. Web site: Portland Wins Big at the 2023 James Beard Foundation Awards . Wong . Janey . June 6, 2023 . Eater . June 14, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230606171522/https://pdx.eater.com/2023/6/6/23750612/2023-james-beard-winners-portland . June 6, 2023.
  18. Web site: These are the winners of this year's James Beards Awards, the biggest night in food . Archie . Ayana . June 6, 2023 . NPR . en . June 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230606092152/https://www.npr.org/2023/06/06/1180343773/james-beard-awards-winners-2023 . June 6, 2023.
  19. Web site: Portland's James Beard Award winners share their last meals . Harris . Emily . Eng . Monica . Kaufmann . Justin . June 7, 2023 . Axios Portland . June 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230614003012/https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2023/06/07/portland-james-beard-winners-gregory-gourdet-kann-vince-nguyen-berlu . June 14, 2023.
  20. News: The Full List of the 2024 James Beard Chef and Restaurant Award Winners. https://web.archive.org/web/20240612005440/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/10/dining/james-beard-award-winners.html. June 12, 2024. Kim. Severson. June 12, 2024. The New York Times. 11 June 2024 . live.
  21. Web site: 2020-09-30. Openly Gay 'Top Chef' Alum Gregory Gourdet To Judge On New Season. live. 2021-05-10. Instinct Magazine. en-US. 2021-07-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20210728144722/https://instinctmagazine.com/openly-gay-top-chef-alum-gregory-gourdet-to-judge-on-new-season/.

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