About The Gourmet Gals

Nancy’s love of great food and festivity originates in South Florida where she was surrounded by Italian and Caribbean cuisine, diverse culture and coastal lifestyle. Later her travels abroad led her to exotic corners of the earth where her passion for food and her skill to design it evolved even further. Ethnic cuisine with a love of the home-style defines her approach, but it really doesn’t even come close to describing Nancy’s brilliant, off–the-cuff creativity in the kitchen that is indicative of her collective experience.

She moved to the Northern Rockies in the 80s where she was introduced to an entirely different dynamic where wild fowl, game meats and of course trout reign. She embraced the indigenous seasonal ingredients and blended it with her expansive food knowledge to create a cuisine all her own that is evident today.

Her professional background not only includes working extensively in the many facets of hospitality and food service industry, but within the real estate sector as well where she wore many hats and most certainly utilized her cooking. Nancy has shared her passion for food over the years with her various clientele, family and friends and now brings it to all of Big Sky and those who journey through.

Often heard in her café: “I love to make people happy through my food.”

Michelle began her culinary career in Indiana by watching her mom in the kitchen using measuring cups and spoons and asking a whole lot of questions. When her mom had had enough, she wandered over the neighbors down the road who were organic farmers and excellent cooks where she asked even more questions. Fast forward to her 20s after receiving her undergrad degrees in Botany and English Literature and working in many restaurants, she headed off to Le Cordon Bleu in the northwest to officially mark the beginning of becoming a chef.

From there she acquired a job in the wine industry steering her to travel abroad for many years where she also used her exceptional culinary skills to find positions in a variety of locations and settings including private homes, yachts, cruise ships and numerous ethnic restaurants. Having worked at intimate resorts in remote areas of Australia as well as with executive chefs in major corporations in the United States, Michelle prefers quiet, natural surroundings where people can exhale and enjoy themselves. She landed in Montana in late 2003 “just for the winter”. She now calls it home.

Today she embraces colorful, healthy food with an affinity for home-style fusion elements.  She has been with the Gourmet Gals since 2009.

Kacey, the newest addition to the Gourmet Gals, and could'nt be more happy to call Big Sky home. Kacey was raised in a military family giving her an early glimpse at diversity in food. Her earlier years brought her from Cape Cod, MA to Corpus Christi, TX and finally to Spokane, WA. When she was 19 she decided to move to Portland, Ore to attend culinary school. She spent her apprenticeship on Mount Rainer with northwest cuisine expert Chef Patrick Norris. This was her first experience with living remotely and how important it is to utilize the land around you and what is has to offer. After graduating, she let the wanderlust gene take over. She traveled down to Phoenix, AZ adding a southwest flare to the delicious Mexican cuisines she had been brought up with in Texas. Her hard work led her up to Alaska where she found her love of mountains once again and the freshest seafood! Also, while in Alaska reuniting with her mentor Chef P.  furthering her education in northwest cuisine and applying her knowledge to make her dishes highlight the fresh salmon and halibut they were given in the most respectable way.

In 2015, after eight years of traveling around and a lot of hard work, she took a break to ski in Big Sky. Much like the rest of the town she came for the skiing and never left. After traveling her entire life she finally found a place she didnt want to leave. " I now get the pleasure to cook side by side with two amazing chefs (Nancy and Michelle), I never stop learning or laughing with these gals. I without a doubt love what I do and am so excited for the adventure of cooking for Big Sky."