OUR CHEFS

Executive Chef Charlotte has been a Chef both full and part-time since graduating from Baltimore International Culinary College (BICC) in 1997.  She is currently the Executive Chef for the 14 West Hamilton Street Club [a small private club] in Mt. Vernon.  Also, the Executive Chef for Culinary Craft Workshop, hiring & overseeing Chef Instructors, and creating curriculum.

A part-time Chef Instructor for over 11 years, at the opening of this recreational cooking school, it is her goal to make healthy, delicious, home-cooked meals more accessible, and less intimidating.  Making the kitchen a safe and approachable place.  Giving people the basic skills and knowledge to approach shopping for food, and preparing it, with knowledge, confidence, and joy.​

Her zest for food and balance is evident in both her cooking and lifestyle.  She is a mother, chef, teacher, bicyclist, journalist, and a volunteer in her community.

Chef Nate, food professional and coolest nerd you'll ever know. He was born and raised in Baltimore County. Not too long after high school he made the decision to move out west, Nate attended culinary school in San Francisco, California. Following his completion of school, he stayed in the Bay Area. Falling in love with butchery, He worked as a butcher for several years. Wanted to round out his culinary adventures, he worked as a bartender, fried chicken chef and caterer to name a few. Later in his culinary journey He began working for Seaglass Management at the Exploratorium museum. Working his way up to one of the head chefs. Besides serving the museum restaurant they did everything from catering large parties to small sitdown dinners.  After 14 years on the west coast he decided to return home to Baltimore. He has a deep love of animals, not just to eat, he has two pet pot-bellied pigs.  Shortly after returning to Maryland, Chef Nate began teaching recreational cooking to eager students. First at a tiny cooking school in Baltimore City, then moving on to teach classes at the Culinary Craft Workshop. Chef Nate is a highly versatile chef! He loves Asian cuisine, grilling and BBQ, in addition to being an expert on butchering and knives. As such he teaches the BBQ Workshop, the Knife Skills class, and many of the Asian-centric classes, along with a variety of other workshops at CCW. Come and join Nate for a great time learning to cook! 

A native of Puerto Rico, Chef Zoé is classically trained in Caribbean cooking by her grandmother. Her culinary interests began from a young age as she enjoyed entertaining and cooking family meals in the true Puerto Rican style with her grandma. Zoe’s decision to pursue a longtime passion for cooking led to attending pastry workshops for all her high school years and then the culinary school of Ana G Mendez in Carolina, Puerto Rico for her college years where she earned a degree in international cuisine. She has worked in the food and beverage industry for the past 15 years and has honed her skills at many fine dining establishments during that time from Madrid, Spain to US and of course Puerto Rico. Also, having the privilege to work as the executive chef for the Arecibo Observatory before moving to NY where she started her Personal Chef business in 2014. In addition for the past 3 years, Zoe has worked as a bilingual culinary instructor and as a ServSafe instructor in Maryland, Washington and Virginia. She had developed a passion for teaching while back in college and in her classes, she hopes to pass along techniques, knowledge and insights that the home cook can use to create incredible dishes. Most recently, Zoé has shared her talents with Diamondback Brewing Co. as their chef and dough maker. Zoe is also a wife and the mother of two kids. That makes meal prepping one of her strong skills in the kitchen, one that she had the opportunity to share with Gundalow Gourmet. Zoe loves using the kitchen and cooking as a vehicle for connecting and building great relationships. She believes that the best thing about the kitchen is the ease with which connections and strong bonds are created and around the table. That is exactly what she delivers in her small private dinner party events full of bold flavors and her vibrant chef's table. The appreciation for caribbean culture Chef Zoe has is seen in the ingredients chosen for cooking and her refreshing hosting style, in addition, to her philosophy for seasonal eating showcased on her menus.