Name: Jorge Gomez Aguilar
Facebook: Jorge Gomez https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=559042384
Instagram: @chefgomezaz
Website: https://www.humblepieusa.com/
Age: 39
Title: Chef and Owner of Humble Pie
Married/Single: Married
Kids: 2 boys, Izel Gomez 11 and Matias Gomez 8
City you live in: Phoenix, AZ
A typical day in my life includes…
When I work: French Press, Shower, kisses and Hugs from wife and kids (always coffee first, good coffee) head to work, emails, research and development, work in the kitchen and converse with the guests.
When I don’t work, mostly…French Press, Shower, Kisses, and Hugs from wife and kids, breakfast (scrambled eggs with chorizo, black beans, quesadillas, queso fresco, salsa Sonora, best breakfast for the kids) help Matias with Spanish on school days (home school). Think about what I’m going to cook later in the day… most of the time I go above and beyond since my kids love big family dinners.
Although we’re only a family of 4 people, we cook as if we are 10. I love to cook all day, research and development while I’m at home, watch a movie or play sports, put the kids to bed. On my days off I’m on house and kid duty to help give my wife a break and some quiet time. At night I like to sip on some tequila, make a fire in the backyard and relax. If it’s a Saturday day off, in the morning the kids have soccer games and basketball games and then we come back home and I start cooking some more…shocking, right?! HA!
I was born… Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
My favorite thing about Arizona… The outdoors for sure, I love Flagstaff and camping. Also, the amount of Mexican food in the valley and the state of Arizona, sometimes it makes me feel like I am back home and its comforting.
I’m listening to… right now I’m listening to classic rock (grateful dead, AC/DC, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, but always on my Spanish playlist, Mana, Molotov, Zoe, Bad Bunny, Ozuna,etc.)
My family…is my all ❤
My wife, Maeghan Moran (Irish Swedish red head, cliché you say I don’t think so). I have two sons, Izel and Matias Gomez. My dad is a doctor and my mom is a Nutritionist. I have two sisters, Mariana who is a Lawyer and Alejandra who’s in Pre Med.
I was also very close to my grandparents. They both taught me how to cook at a very young age. I was always helping my abuelito in the kitchen, learning his secrets and tricks, and how to cook traditional Mexican cuisine. Tamales, salsas, antojitos, tortillas and chocolates made from scratch are some of my favorites.
If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be… Rick Bayless, executive chef and owner from renowned Mexican restaurants in Chicago, Frontera and Topolobampo. He inspired me not to just create food, but to really dive into the history and culture of ingredients and the traditions of Mexican food. And all cuisines in general.
One thing I cannot live without… Pizza, tacos, salsa, chocolate and my wife.
When I was younger, I wanted to be… a doctor. My whole life I knew I was supposed to be a doctor. I even got a full scholarship for med school, however in senior year of high school I decided to go to Culinary School instead.
I’m inspired by… Love of food, love of the ingredients. Instant gratification when someone eats but, more than anything, I’m inspired by food all together because you can be yourself, you can create and reinvent anything you want and really express who you are through the food. You are giving a glimpse of your heart and your mind to the people who eat your cooking and execute your recipes. It is so personal, and I’m inspired to teach the love for food and how to cook with your emotions and heart.
The one person who motivates me is… My wife she keeps me going and challenges me to be better. Also, my grandfather that he died 3 years ago, he is the reason why I became a chef, he taught me the love for food from a really young age, 7 or 8 years old. I remember we would go to the market, get all fresh and local ingredients and cook for the family.
If I could change anything in the world, it would be… having good, healthy and fresh ingredients accessible to everyone. Nutrition is essential, we are what we eat. I wish nutritious ingredients were readily accessible so there would be so much sickness and disease in the world.
The perfect day would be… cooking on the beach with my family. I’d set up a little canopy with a small grill, go fishing, swim in the ocean, and have a bon fire. That’s a perfect day to me.
My first job was… when I was 16, I was working on summer break for my uncles company loading and unloading shampoo trucks for a really small amount of money. Haha!
My favorite escape… for sure the beach, San Carlos in the Sea of Cortez – warm water, hot days, a lot of laughs and dancing, amazing food and better company. I love the ocean, it gives me energy.
My life… Is full of love, food, amazing family, tough moments, a lot of tears and failures, but I’ve never surrendered. I keep going because we only have one life so I want to make it count and make an impact on everything I do.
I’m currently working on… Creating a new menu for the newest location called Humble Bistro. It’s European influence but always have some Latin and American flavors. I like to call it New American Cuisine. This is how we eat now, so many cultures and flavors, so we want to highlight them in our menu.
Always… be honest with yourself, commit 100% to what you do and love who you are. You are unique and there is no one else like you.
Never… Burn bridges, you never know when you will need help
Favorite Quote… “Cook your last dish as it was your first” that’s commitment from the beginning to the end.
Biggest Dream… Being able to retire and live in a house on the Beach with a big kitchen and grill, and enough time to spend with my wife.
My Pet Peeve(s)…Bland Food, lying and a well done Filet or Rib eye.
More About Chef Jorge Gomez Aguilar
Chef and owner of Humble Pie. Over two decades of international and local experience. Classically French trained from The Culinary Institute of Mexico. Competed in Food Network show, Guys Grocery Games and Summer Cook Off.
