Meet Chef Tony: The Craft and Care Behind Every Meal
Chef Tony Gomez’s passion for food took root at home when he was a young boy watching and helping his mother cook. She gave him his first lessons in the kitchen, along with a lasting appreciation for family and gathering around the table with people you love.
“My fondest memory cooking with my mother was helping with Thanksgiving dinner,” he said. “We prepped the day before and got up early to prepare the meal for our family.”
The Lubbock native learned early how food could make people feel cared for. It’s a lesson that’s guided every dish he’s created over his 18 years as Carillon Senior Living’s Executive Chef.
Finding Love in the Kitchen
Throughout his 35-year career working in professional kitchens and country clubs, Chef Tony built his skills in culinary operations, leadership and service. He’s brought that same instinct into his own family and loves passing down what his mother taught him.
“I enjoy teaching my sons, daughters, and grandchildren the recipes and cooking traditions that inspired me, keeping those family recipes and memories alive for the next generation,” he said.
That same devotion to family found Chef Tony a partner right here at Carillon. He met Mari when she was the community’s house dietary manager. Now married for 13 years, the two share a back-and-front-of-house history that helps keep our community’s kitchens and dining venues running.
As Carillon’s dining manager, Mari is one of Chef Tony’s biggest sources of inspiration on Carillon’s ever-changing menus. “Her ideas and encouragement motivate me to experiment, and bring new flavors and ideas,” he said.
Kitchens Built on Care and Craft
Chef Tony and his culinary team create every recipe and menu from scratch. His style blends Southwest flair with classic American dishes as well as Italian and Cajun cuisine.
Building his team is something he takes just as seriously as building a menu. “I take pride in creating a positive team environment, maintaining high standards, and helping employees grow and succeed,” he said.
Among his biggest challenges is developing dishes that meet residents’ specific dietary needs. He approaches it less as a limitation and more as an act of care for the people he cooks for every day. For National Nutrition Month, he shared a nutritious and delicious way to prepare salmon.
The Classroom Is the Kitchen
After nearly two decades at Carillon, Tony still describes himself as a chef in progress. Much of that growth comes from the people he feeds. “Over the years, I’ve learned a great deal from the residents by listening to their likes, dislikes, traditions and preferences,” he said. “Working here in West Texas has helped me better understand the local tastes and what residents enjoy most.”
That mindset mirrors what’s happening across Carillon, where residents pursue new skills and interests through lifelong learning opportunities Chef Tony treats his craft the same way, always growing, so his food keeps evolving too. Conversations with a resident about a favorite family recipe become new material for his menus. Every dietary need he works around becomes a new technique in his culinary tool kit.
Smoking the Competition
That same drive follows Chef Tony outside Carillon’s kitchen too. Together with Karl Langford, Carillon’s director of dining services, he helped start the EZ Livin’ BBQ Team. The duo made an immediate mark, winning the ribeye competition in their first year.
The following year, they brought home honors in the brisket category at the Raider Red Meats BBQ & Ribeye Championship. Residents haven’t stopped talking about the pecan-smoked ribs and blueberry bourbon bread pudding from that win.
A Taste for Every Mood and Moment
Chef Tony’s food comes to life across Carillon’s distinct culinary venues offered through our flexible dining program. Residents have the freedom to choose where and how they want to enjoy Tony’s award-winning cooking, any day of the week.
Within Pointe Plaza, Boren Bistro greets residents with the smell of freshly baked cookies and warm cinnamon rolls. Residents stop by for a specialty coffee, cocktail or light meal. Skylight Dining Room is where Chef Tony’s menus shine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, crafted around fresh ingredients and seasonal variety. The Sunday brunch has become one of our most popular traditions. Starlight Restaurant, located in the Windsong residences, is also a resident favorite.
Cooking With Heart, One Dish at a Time
Looking back, Chef Tony returns to the same idea that got him started in his childhood kitchen. “From the lessons I learned from my mother to the recipes I now teach my children, I believe food is about more than just a meal,” he said. “It’s about family, memories, tradition and bringing people together.”
That belief has guided Chef Tony’s years at Carillon, shaped the culinary team members he’s mentored, and inspired the thousands of meals he’s cooked for residents. For him, the learning never stops, and his story with Carillon keeps unfolding, one recipe, one resident and one plate at a time.
Featured Image: Jeff Schultes / Shutterstock