Colleagues of chef Zoe Van Gundy of San Luis Obispo are excited to witness her rising star on the Central Coast culinary scene.
“Her cuisine [is] always high quality and elegantly presented,” said Charlie Puffer, owner of Puffers of Pismo and Van Gundy’s former employer.
In the past, Puffer hired Van Gundy for catering gigs at his Pismo Beach wine bar and live music venue as well as for off-site events. He also recommends her catering services to his customers and receives stellar feedback.
“I would work with her again at any opportunity and will continue to recommend her,” he said.
Van Gundy has also impressed Tabitha Stewart, general manager of SLO Ranch Market, where Gundy currently serves as assistant manager of the deli.
All of her food is delicious, Stewart said, but her “pies are the star of our dessert case.”
“Her key lime pie is a stunner and a customer favorite,” she added. “I encourage anyone in the market for a pie to treat themselves to one of Zoe’s. They are homemade with love and baked to perfection.”
Van Gundy, armed with a degree from Boulder, Colorado-based Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts and nearly two decades of hospitality experience at local establishments, including Woodstock’s Pizza and Black Sheep Bar & Grill, launched her catering firm Zoe’s Table in 2020 and has steadily grown her client base.
With three daughters ages 12 to 15, juggling mom and breadwinner roles has been challenging, but Van Gundy is a self-described “overachiever,” and food is her lifelong passion.
“I was born and raised in Davis, California, number six of nine children,” she said. “I learned early to cook dinner for a large number of people, and we ate dinner together as a family every single night of my entire childhood.”
Van Gundy attended college at CSU Long Beach and studied voice, her secondary forte. The classically trained soprano and guitarist performs locally, including at Avila Lighthouse Suites and SLO Ranch Farms & Marketplace.
She also studied music in Florence, Italy, one of Europe’s culinary epicenters, which reignited her love of food and cooking.
She moved to San Luis Obispo in 2006 and fully immersed herself in the food and beverage scene, leading kitchen and bar programs, teaching cooking classes, and ultimately founding Zoe’s Table.
Her business offers in-home and small-venue catering services for up to 20 guests, as well as charcuterie grazing tables for larger crowds.
Her side pie venture kicked off after joining SLO Ranch Market in late 2024. Pies are available whole or by the slice and vary seasonally, with chocolate cream, banana cream, and key lime being her most popular flavors. Fresh strawberry, however, just hit the lineup and could possibly overtake the trio.
Market customers can purchase the pies on-site or order ahead, while catering clients are also welcome to cap off their functions with her trademark desserts.
Eventually, Van Gundy sees Zoe’s Table evolving or expanding into a “supper and sleep.”
“It’s a term I coined a couple of years ago that fits what I’d like to do much better than a bed and breakfast,” she said.
Her dream scenario is a quaint inn, with perhaps five to 10 rooms, “where we offer farm-to-table dinners as part of your stay.”
“[I] would love to have animals, like chickens for eggs, goats and cows for milk and cheese, and a small garden for hyper-local produce,” she said. “It would be perfect for group getaways, small business conferences, bridal parties, bachelor and bachelorette events, etc. We could do all meals or just a few so they can go out and enjoy the many amazing restaurants we have here on the Central Coast.
“I’d love to be able to open something like that or at least close to it within the next five years.”
In the meantime, Van Gundy is content to create one-of-a-kind, intimate dining experiences for clients throughout SLO and Northern Santa Barbara counties.
“I love feeding people, and creating art with my hands is incredibly fulfilling,” she said. “But the biggest thing I’ve really learned over the years is that hospitality as a whole is my vocation. … I love to take care of people and be part of the events I cook for.
“It’s why I keep my events on the smaller side, and part of the charm of hiring me is that I am involved with the clients and their guests during the event, always keeping the energy high and bubbly and fun.”
Zoe’s Perfect Pie Crust
Yields 1 pie crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons cold butter
- 3 tablespoons ice water
- Up to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (depending on the pie, sometimes a sweet crust is preferred)
- Pinch of kosher salt
Cut the butter into half-inch cubes. Add all the dry ingredients to a food processor and pulse once or twice. Add butter, mixing until the flour becomes a cornmeal consistency. Move the flour/butter mixture to a mixing bowl. Add ice water slowly and incorporate with your hands until a pliable dough is created. Too much water will cause it to be sticky. Just add a little flour to your hands if that’s the case. Roll into a compact ball and chill for two hours in the fridge.
For baking, roll out the pie dough on a lightly floured surface. Form into a pie pan. There are a lot of different crimping methods that can make a beautiful crust. Once you have the edges you like, chill the crust before baking or it will lose its shape—about 15 minutes in the freezer or two hours in the fridge will do the trick. Enjoy with your favorite pie filling, such as banana cream pie. Δ
Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte can’t wait to book Zoe’s future “supper and sleep.” In the meantime, she’ll be devouring her key lime pie at cwhyte@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in May 15-25, 2025.