Spotlight | Gourmet Diva

Welcome to Broadway Stages’ Spotlight, where we feature local shops, restaurants, organizations, individuals, and venues. We encourage our readers to join us in supporting these establishments and advancing local economic growth. In celebration of Black History Month, we are shining the spotlight on a few of the Black-owned businesses in the neighborhoods where we work. This week, we are featuring the Bronx-based Chef and entrepreneur Keesha O’Galdez and her business, Gourmet Diva.

Keesha O’Galdez owns Gourmet Diva Inc., a Bronx-based business that seeks to build a cultured community through Culinary Edutainment (education + entertainment). After completing her MBA at Simmons, O’Galdez worked full-time at Bank of America until she was laid off in 2009. “I was 29 years old, and that layoff lit a fire in me,” she says. “I could have gone back to a job that offered stability, perks, and a regular salary, but here was this blank slate to play with.” “I wanted to create a community brought together through the love of food, culture, and fun,” said Chef Keesha.

She completed the Chef’s training program at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Culinary Arts in New York City in 2010, focusing on organic, vegetarian, vegan, and other health-supportive diets. Since then, she worked as a personal chef and caterer for an elite clientele and has been featured on Food Network, in Mashed, Epicurious, New York Magazine, and Black Enterprise. Gourmet Diva offers cooking classes, virtual events, and personal Chef services.

Based on the idea of Culinary Edutainment (Education + Entertainment), Gourmet Diva hosts cooking classes to empower working professionals by gaining culinary confidence, learning ways to eat healthier, and becoming part of a community built around great food. She said, “I want to change the image of cooking, making it something that people enjoy doing, experiencing, and connecting with others.” If you take part in a cooking class, a chef will join you and your friends in your home kitchen in a private, one-to-one or group cooking class via Zoom. The chefs who will guide you have been featured on the Food Network and the news and have worked in top-notch restaurants.

Virtual events are a new venture since the pandemic struck. These experiences are hands-on activities and icebreakers for colleagues or clients who don’t share a common workspace. These opportunities allow the remote group to bond while learning new culinary skills. Best of all, you enjoy a delicious gourmet meal at the end.

For either a party or a multi-day event, Chef Keesha will create a menu to impress and nourish your guests. Chef Keesha thrives on choosing foods to complement the emotions and activities of your event. Each menu is custom-created for your unique experience. To request any of these services, click here.

Gourmet Diva also hosts the Vibrant Cooking Community. Membership gets you access to cooking classes with Keesha and other master chefs, along with perks and discounts and a virtual community of like-minded foodies.

Broadway Stages does not make food, but we feel a kinship with those who do. As Michelin-starred chef Anne-Sophie Pic said, “Cooking is a bit like cinema. It’s the emotion that counts.” Chef Keesha has established a thriving business that brings the world joy, health, and community. Best of all, it is done by empowering the consumer with growth, knowledge, and a full belly! Check out Gourmet Diva and see for yourself. And when you do, tell them Broadway Stages sent you!

You can follow Gourmet Diva on Facebook and Instagram to stay current with their events, discounts, and news.