Executive Chef Consultant brings over 15 years of culinary experience to Flavor Fusion Fest.
She was born in Dominican Republic and quickly developed a passion for the art of culinary.
While growing up, Chef Gonell was exposed to different food cultures by participating at traditional festivals, learning about seasonings and flavors as well as watching her grandmother prepare delicious recipes.
She studied to become a Medical Doctor in the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo but her career path changed after a road accident paralyzed her leg and was forced to leave school. In 2010 she embarks on a new course towards Italy that would lead her to the world of gastronomy. She settled in the city of Perugia. She landed her first job as a dish washer at a local Trattoria in Perugia. She acquired valuable culinary and cultural essence with the help of Chef and owner Cuoco Giovanni Proietti who later became her mentor. In 2014 she moved to the United States looking to reunite with her family and to further pursuit her culinary dream while assisting Executive Chef Todd Mitgang of the 5 star Crave & Fish Bar Restaurant in New York City.
She quickly climbed through the ranks and became Chef Tournant, where she learned about sustainable food and social responsibility. These topics greatly influenced her career and in 2016 she accepted an offer in Massachusetts as Sous Chef with Executive Chef and Consultant Amilkar Gonell.
In 2017, Chef Gonell co-founded Gonell Enterprise, a successful catering and consultancy firm that specializes in the fusion of Latin cuisine in the Merrimack, MA area. Within the first year of operations, Gonell Enterprise secured several high-profile contracts with well-established companies including New Balance, Charm Sciences, Table Talk Pies, Josephs Bakery as well as local government agencies, non-profit organizations and multiple real estate developers and brokers.
In May of 2020, Chef Pamela Gonell reached one of her biggest achievements by graduating with a Hospitality Management Culinary Arts Degree from Middlesex Community College in Lowell, MA. She has continued to develop her culinary skills by taking personalized courses on Japanese cuisine with Corporate Chef David Nuñez and her new mentor; Chef Maria Marte, one of the most awarded chefs and the only female chef from Dominican Republic with two Michelin stars.
Since then, she has participated and led several important projects including ‘The Sushi Tour’ of the Mama Sushi NYC restaurant, Dominicanisimo’s Awards for local celebrities/personalities and the ‘Gastro Experience’ a six-course tasting based on a signature cuisine. Chef Gonell identifies with the phrase “the kitchen is in your hands, regardless of the experience or your origins, the taste will always come from your heart, move on.”
