Elyse Hysell

Chef & Level 1 Sommelier

It all begins with an idea. The Gold Pan didn’t start as a business venture, it started with a passion for food and creativity. Since I was a child, I’ve enjoyed creating my own recipes and watching my parents cook in the kitchen. I’ve always felt that knowing how to feed yourself and having a few basic recipes in your back pocket was a vital skill. As I came into my adulthood this skill began to develop further. I realized that cooking never felt like a chore for me, it felt like therapy. I love improvising in the kitchen and going off instinct. It’s how I’ve come up with some of my best recipes. Once I had a solid base of knowledge to make most simple to advanced weeknight recipes, I decided I wanted to push myself further, to see where my ambition could take me. When my husband and I bought a home and I had a real kitchen for the first time where I could fully dive into my passion, I set out on a personal journey to try making the toughest dishes in the world, at home. Since then, I’ve been able to tackle several from the list, including chocolate souffle, which has become one of my favorite recipes to make. An interest about what I was doing began to grow amongst my community with many asking if they could try the dishes I was making and thus, The Gold Pan was born.

After founding The Gold Pan, I decided to attend culinary school to turn my passion into a career. I obtained my diploma in Culinary Arts and Operations from Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. During my studies, I was the head baker and manager of a bakery in Lake Tahoe, CA during the day while developing menus and running dinner service for The Gold Pan in the evening. Upon graduation, I was able to land a job at 3 Michelin Star restaurant, Alinea, in Chicago, IL, further expanding my love and passion for creativity and fine dining.

Experiences at The Gold Pan are small and intimate, with only six-twelve seats per dinner service, allowing guests to expand their community, as often times, no one knows who will be at the table.

As I continue to grow in my culinary journey, I hope to feed and inspire my community while further developing my skills and taking my menus to the next level. I hope to see you at the table!