A recipe has no soul. You as a cook must bring soul to a recipe.
– Thomas Keller
My name is Nicholas Olivas and I am the Chef/Owner of GONZO. I was born and raised in San Gabriel Valley, California. In 2005 I attended culinary school and landed my first job cooking. Since then I have moved from the West Coast to the East and have been fortunate enough to work at amazing places such as Fifth Floor, Corton, Torrisi, and Pineapple and Pearls, all Michelin star restaurants. For the last 15 years, I have been cooking with some amazing chefs and ingredients that anyone would be proud of. I committed my life to a craft that I found was not only extremely challenging but incredibly rewarding. Cooking is something that you can study for your whole life and still learn something new daily. This is the reason why I chose and continue to love my profession.
When the covid pandemic started, restaurants got their fair share of problems. People were laid off, restaurants closed and whatever food was still available was take-out. For me, I considered it a responsibility as well as an opportunity to venture out on my own. Understanding the hard times we all had to endure, I knew that opening a business during this time would be risky. In doing so, I would be able to create a place where covid is taken into consideration and wouldn’t affect the quality of food.
I named the Pop-up GONZO because I wanted to do something in memory of my brother that passed away last year. My brother loved Hunter S. Thompson and when researching that idea, the word GONZO appeared. GONZO is a style of journalism that is written without claims of objectivity, often including the reporter as part of the story using the first-person narrative. So, I decided to take that idea and make GONZO. Hoping to cook food that I find delicious and cooking it using the knowledge I’ve acquired over the years. Though the menu is small, I pride myself on making sure that every step taken is held up to the standards in which I have been taught all these years. Having respect for yourself as well as the food is crucial. Putting care and heart in the food is what I would like the guests to take away after eating at GONZO.
Let us create an unforgettable meal for you.
Our expert caterers will create any dining experience.
Enjoy our fantastic cuisine at unexpected places, for a limited time.
Bring the restaurant experience to you. Whether you’re interested in having a fun dinner party, birthday dinner, or bachelorette party, GONZO can help. We will help to create a memorable, restaurant-quality dinner all in the comfort of your own home. The best part is the menu can be completely customized. We will provide the food, china, linens and cooking equipment or can use yours too. Just know you’ll be in for a spectacular dinner.
Whether you’re celebrating a wedding, bridal shower, graduation, or baby shower, let GONZO cater your big event. Work with us to customize your menu to make sure your event goes off without a hitch!
We love hosting pop-ups! View our past menu below when we popped up at Astoria. Follow us at @gonzoeats to see where we will be popping up next!
fried corn tortillas, salsa roja (ADD GUACAMOLE! +$6.00)
grilled nopales, onions and fried cheese
slow cooked pork, onions, cilantro
hard shell taco, braised beef, shredded lettuce, cheese and guacamole
hard shell taco filled with potato and roasted green chili. topped with lettuce, guacamole and shredded cheese
battered shrimp, cabbage, gonzo sauce, pico de gallo
grilled chicken with coriander oil, onions and cilantro
pork broth with hominy, ancho chili and pork butt – served with cabbage and corn tortilla
2 tostadas, beans, guacamole, lettuce, cotija cheese, fried jalapeños, salsa verde
crispy fried eggs, avocado, lettuce and cheese on a house made crispy jalapeño roll (ADD CHORIZO OR CHICKEN! +$4.00)
tres leches cake with whipped cream and burnt cinnamon
pineapple, tequila, lime and salt
passion fruit pisco, serrano and cucumber
grenadine, tequila, lime and angostura bitter
tomato juice, spices, splash of mezcal, tecate
NICHOLAS OLIVAS, CHEF/OWNER
Nothing means more to me than being able to make someone’s day better after eating my food, and I hope you’ll be willing to come by and say hello!