About Us

Meet Chef Rene Gonzalez

Rene's love for cooking started in his youth. He grew up in the kitchen, engulfed by the strong aromas of his grandmother's cooking. Much of his childhood was spent helping his grandmother prepare food for their small family-run business in Mexico. Little did he know this was just the start of his culinary journey.

After moving to the United States, Rene worked in various kitchens of cafes and restaurants within Santa Barbara, California. He worked every back-of-house position, slowly climbing the ranks of the kitchen hierarchy before meeting his mentor (who would later help him in his culinary pursuit of becoming a head chef).

Fast forward to now, Rene has accumulated over two decades of culinary experience working as a head chef for many fine-dining establishments in the Santa Barbara/Montecito area. He has worked as Head Chef of Lucky's Steakhouse Montecito for well over a decade and was instrumental in the launch of other restaurant ventures in SB County.

At this stage in his career, Rene is focused on bringing his innovative and unique style of cooking to the masses. He started Gourmet Food Kitchen & Catering with the sole purpose of bringing the fine-dining experience to your own table.

For Rene, cooking is not a job. It's a lifelong passion.

Our Mission

At Gourmet Food Kitchen & Catering, our mission is to provide our customers with innovative and healthy dishes that are different from any of the other meal prep services and catering companies out there.

We are committed to using only the freshest and highest quality ingredients, and we take pride in our ability to create unique, chef-crafted dishes from locally-sourced produce.

We are firm believers in elevating the food experience, and we work hard to ensure that every meal we serve meets this standard. Whether you're looking for a quick and healthy lunch or a gourmet dinner for a special occasion, we've got you covered.