Chef Isaac and Chancey Gamboa
“My weaknesses have always been food and men, in that order.” Wise words from Dolly Parton.
I am not a food critic. Although, I do like food. And I do enjoy dining at a great restaurant. Prospect Gourmand in Beverly Hills is that restaurant.
Prospect Gourmand
A restaurant is as good as the sum of all its parts: The Chef, The Hostess, the Server, and last, but not least, the Cuisine.
Wait…there is more. There are the intangible qualities that make you savor every morsel of food, which makes you want to go back every weekend, every month, every year. It is that special restaurant that makes you feel a part of their ‘family.’
Prospect Gourmand, located on Robertson Drive in Beverly Hills is that Restaurant. Chancey and Isaac Gamboa are the owners of Prospect Gourmand, a niche restaurant that prides itself on farm to table food. Gourmand relies on local farmer’s markets for the fresh ingredients that are the foundation of Chef Isaac’s eclectic menu.
Chef Isaac and Chancey are a husband and wife team who have been cultivating their restaurant in Beverly Hills for over seven years, while simultaneously raising their four children. The Chef is a California Boy; Chancey emigrated from Cambodia. The Chef attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts — Las Vegas and trained under a Michelin Star Chef in San Francisco. Chancey’s family owned several donut shops.
Beverly Hills may be a global destination for luxury retail therapy and Hollywood Star Gazing. But, for Chef Isaac and Chancey, Beverly Hills is simply called ‘home’ to their restaurant and family.
COVID
At the beginning of 2020, Prospect Gourmand moved from La Cienega Drive to its current location on Robertson. As we all know, moving a restaurant immediately prior to the start of the pandemic, was not good timing.
The two pandemic lockdowns in Los Angeles, forced many restaurants to permanently close. Like so many other restaurants, Chef Isaac and Chancey experienced profound professional and personal financial hardship. Rather than permanently close their doors, they made the decision to convert their kitchen to a ‘take-out only business’ and prepare meals for the First Responders who worked throughout the Community.
During the early days of the first lockdown, Gourmand created their own version of an outdoor market, and sold fresh produce and other food staples on their storefront sidewalk. In fact, Chef Isaac baked daily bread, which became a coveted market item.
Generosity of Customers and Strangers
The sidewalk market and take-out business allowed Gourmand to literally ‘stay afloat’
Loyal customers of Gourmand reciprocated ‘in-kind’ the appreciation they held for Chef Isaac and Chancey’s self-less efforts. Generous customers purchased restaurant gift cards under the guise ‘they would be used when dining resumed in Los Angeles.’ To this day, many gift cards purchased during the pandemic have yet to be redeemed.
Prospect Gourmand warms the heart and feeds your soul. Oh, and by the way, I love Chef Isaac’s Lobster Tacos!
Cheers to Isaac and Chancey!