Our Story
Renowned pastry chefs and chocolatiers Gonzo Jimenez and David Lewis present their latest endeavor: Miette et Chocolat.
A French patisserie with a modern twist, serving everything from traditional bon bons to unique candy bars.
Chef Gonzo Jimenez was born in Northern Argentina, raised in a Spanish household surrounded by good food and long family meals. At the age of 17, he started working in restaurants and fell in love with the culinary world. He enrolled in pastry and culinary school in Buenos Aires. After completing his studies, he traveled around the country working for 5 star hotels and celebrity chefs.
From 2009 to 2013, Chef Gonzo worked for large hotels in the United States including the St. Julien in Boulder, CO and The Hyatt Corporation in New Orleans and New York. Most notable amongst his various accomplishments throughout this period was the launch of his personal line of chocolates, providing different hotels throughout Manhattan, NY with high end confections.
In 2013, he moved back to South America to work at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Santiago de Chile. Soon after he accepted a highly coveted position with Barry Callebaut as a Corporate Chef for the South American Region and Director of the Chocolate Academy in Chile.
Chef Gonzo has traveled throughout North and South America teaching classes and performing demos. His work and creations have been published in European and North American pastry magazines such as Dulcypas from Barcelona, Dessert Professional and the New York Times.
He is currently the co-owner and chocolatier of Miette et Chocolat, and resides with his wife in Denver.
Chef David Lewis was born and raised in rural Illinois. Growing up with country cooking, he discovered his passion, the love of food. David began cooking in small restaurants and country clubs at the age of 15. That is when he knew he wanted to become a chef.
After high school he moved to the “big” city of Joliet, Ill., where he received his Associates Degree in Culinary Arts from Joliet Junior College. Upon graduating, he began his professional career with Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion in Las Vegas and then moved on to working for hotels including Harrahs. After experiencing sea life with Norwegian Cruise Lines, he realized he enjoyed land life and returned to Las Vegas to work as a pastry chef for Paris, Bally’s, and Planet Hollywood.
Seeking the simple life, he moved to Colorado with his wife and daughter to reside as the Executive Pastry Chef at the Brown Palace Hotel. David left the Brown Palace in pursuit of becoming a co-owner of Miette et Chocolat.
Chef David has competed in the 2010 & 2012 Pastry Chef of the Year Competition in New York and Pastry Live 2012, 2013 and 2014 in Atlanta where he received “Best Artistic Showpiece” in 2012. David was also the recipient of the 2015 American Culinary Foundation Western Region Pastry Chef of the Year competition, 2nd place winner of the 2015 National Pastry Chef of the Year and is the 2016 ACF Colorado Chefs Association President.
