Gregory Gourdet facts for kids

Gregory Jennings Gourdet (born July 25, 1975) is a famous American chef, writer, and restaurant owner. He is known for being a finalist on the TV show Top Chef twice. Gregory Gourdet has won the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award three times. He owns a restaurant called Kann and used to be the main chef at Departure Restaurant and Lounge in Portland, Oregon. His cookbook, Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health, is a national bestseller. He is of Haitian descent.

Early Life and Learning

Gregory Gourdet was born in New York City on July 25, 1975. His parents were immigrants from Haiti. He grew up in Queens, New York. He went to NYU for a year, planning to study medicine. Later, he attended the University of Montana, where he studied wildlife biology. He eventually earned a degree in French.

While at the University of Montana, Gregory found his love for cooking. This led him to enroll in The Culinary Institute of America. After that, he got to work as an intern with the famous chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Jean-Georges became his mentor for almost seven years, teaching him a lot about cooking.

Chef Gregory's Career Journey

After finishing his studies at The Culinary Institute of America in 2000, Gregory Gourdet started working full-time for chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. He improved his cooking skills at three of Vongerichten's restaurants. He worked his way up to become one of the main chefs.

Leading the Kitchen at Departure

In 2010, Gregory Gourdet became the Executive Chef at Departure Restaurant and Lounge in Portland, Oregon. Here, he created modern Asian dishes. He mixed local ingredients from the Pacific Northwest with flavors from Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea. In 2016, he became the Culinary Director when the restaurant opened another location in Denver, Colorado.

Opening Kann Restaurant

Exterior of Kann, 2022

In 2019, Gregory left Departure after 10 years. He wanted to open his own restaurant called Kann. This restaurant focuses on wood-fired cooking. It aims to highlight the food of his Haitian heritage and Caribbean cooking in America. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant's opening was delayed. So, Gregory started a pop-up version of Kann in Portland.

Kann officially opened in Portland in August 2022. It quickly received many awards and honors. Eater, The New York Times, and Robb Report named it a “Best New Restaurant.” Esquire called it the #1 “Best New Restaurant in America.” It was also named Restaurant of the Year by Portland Monthly and The Oregonian. In 2023, Kann won the James Beard Award for “Best New Restaurant.” In 2024, Gregory was honored as “Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific” by the James Beard Foundation. The New York Times included Kann in its “25 Best Restaurants in Portland, OR Right Now” list. La Liste also named it one of the world’s best restaurants for 2025.

Below Kann, there is a cocktail bar called Sousòl. Esquire named Sousòl one of the “Best Bars in America” in 2023. Since 2025, Gregory has been the culinary director for the Printemps department store in New York City. He oversees five different dining places there, from fancy restaurants to casual cafes.

Writing a Cookbook

In 2021, Gregory Gourdet published his first cookbook. It is called Everyone's Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health. This book helps people cook dishes inspired by flavors from around the world. These recipes are free of gluten, dairy, soy, legumes, and grains. J.J. Goode helped him write the book. It was published by Harper Wave Books on May 11, 2021. The book became a national bestseller, making healthy eating easier for many people. On June 11, 2022, Everyone's Table won a James Beard Award for Best Cookbook.

Television Appearances

Gregory Gourdet became well-known on television in 2015. He competed on Bravo's Top Chef Season 12 and finished as the runner-up. He later appeared on TV many times. He competed again on Top Chef: All-Stars L.A. and was a finalist once more.

TV Shows and Guest Roles

Awards and Recognitions

Gregory Gourdet has received many awards for his cooking and work:

• In 2012, Eater Portland named him "Hottest Chef."
• In 2013, the Oregon Department of Agriculture named him "Chef of the Year."
• In 2014, Eater Portland gave him the "Chef of the Year" honor again.
• In 2016, he received the CODA's 2016 Advocacy Award.
• He has been a semifinalist for the James Beard Award three times.
• In 2020, he was nominated as a finalist for the James Beard Award in the "Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific" category.
• In 2022, his book Everyone's Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health won a James Beard Media Award for Best General Cookbook.
• In 2023, his restaurant Kann won the James Beard Award for "Best New Restaurant."
• In 2024, he won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific (which includes Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington).

About Gregory's Life

Gregory Gourdet enjoys long-distance running. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

See also

• List of LGBTQ people from Portland, Oregon