Steve Gonzalez Chef

Steve Gonzalez has made it his mission to bring South America’s dynamic food culture to downtown Toronto. A former fan favorite on Top Chef Canada, the Colombian-Canadian has worked in restaurants for nearly three decades. He honed his craft around the city’s most acclaimed restaurants, such as mentor Chris McDonald’s Avalon, and Claudio Aprile’s philosophical Senses, Colborne Lane, and Origin.

Cementing his reputation as one of Toronto’s foremost chefs, Gonzalez opened his first project, Valdez, in 2013, offering a taste of Colombian street food and one of the city’s best block parties. His newest concept, colossal Baro, debuted in December 2016. Baro is an ambitious four-story complex in the King West neighborhood of Toronto and includes formal dining, cocktail lounge Pablo’s Snack House, and events space The Loft. There, Gonzalez fills his menus with thoughtful reimaginings of Latin American classics.

You can Catch him at Baro Toronto.