Ivan Gonzalez
Ivan began his extensive career in 2013 at Fox & Obel, a prestigious Chicago grocery store.
Ivan started as an expediter in the bistro and cafeteria, and the owners of Fox and Obel quickly took notice of his potential, positioned him to the line, and he ultimately became kitchen manager. This granted him the opportunity to work alongside some of Chicago’s top talents. This job helped Ivan procure knowledge in food handling and crafting creative dishes using various techniques. Most importantly this experience further cemented Ivan’s love for food and creating dishes that tells a story.
One of the many techniques Ivan learned was smoking and curing meats, a topic in which he is extremely passionate about! After his time at Fox & Obel, Ivan went on to work at two bars, Fat Cat and Silver Cloud. Within a short period, Ivan was running both locations as kitchen manager.
Chef Ivan has an extensive background partaking in key roles at Yolk, Kanela Breakfast Club, Berger Station along several other locations.
Fast forward to today, at 30, Ivan is the Executive Chef at Uncle Buds, a casual bar & grill in the heart of Oak Lawn . Ivan started just months before the COVID-19 pandemic, a time that not only changed the world, but completely altered the restaurant industry. Ivan took those changes garnering a new outlook and drive in the kitchen. Ivan and the Uncle Bud’s team, had to learn and adapt to these new challenges to be successful in the ever-changing structures of the restaurant world.
Now Ivan is embarking on a new journey right where it all started, in the great city of Chicago. As a rising star in the food capital of America, he’s bringing elevated dishes to South Loop at Reserv.
Ivan expresses himself through the dishes he creates by always adding a piece of his heritage and upbringings. For Ivan, cooking is an art and he expresses himself to the world by showing the drive and love that he has for every dish he creates. His passion for food and drive to paint a story with his food is what makes him a truly talented chef!
