Current Residency: Portland, OR
Occupation: Director of Culinary Operations, Departure Restaurant
 
The runner-up on Top Chef Season 12 in Boston, Chef Gregory Gourdet serves as Director of Culinary Operations at Departure Restaurant, overseeing food programming, menus and events. A three-time James Beard Award semifinalist and native New Yorker from Queens, he honed his culinary skills within celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant dynasty before moving to Portland in 2008. In the spring of 2010, he took the reins at Departure as Executive Chef, quickly gaining praise for his innovative dishes that combine local ingredients of the Pacific Northwest with meaningful preparations. He made his mark curating local products with the bold flavors and traditions of Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea to create modern Asian fare. Throughout his 10-year tenure at Departure, Gregory has played an integral role in Portland’s culinary boom via awards, TV appearances and trips where he’s cooked the bounty of Oregon for diners all over the world. In 2019, he announced he will be opening his own restaurant which will tap into flavors from around the world, with a strong focus on his Haitian heritage. A dedicated trail runner, yoga devotee, and fitness lover, Gregory brings his health-mindedness to the table. His first cookbook, Everyone’s Table: Global Recipes for Modern Health is slated to come out in spring 2021.