By Diana Vallette
At just 27 years old, Maria Garcia has already carved out an impressive path in the culinary world. She’s the executive sous chef at Horseshoe Casino’s Gordon Ramsay Steak, a role she moved into after leaving her home state of Kansas for the very first time. What started as a leap of faith turned into a fresh start — one she never expected to love this much.
Garcia grew up in Topeka, Kans., as one of 14 children. She has eight brothers and five sisters. In her family, cooking was a daily production.
“I started baking when I was a kid,” she says. “I loved making cheesecake. Any flavor you can think of, I can make it.”
Food shows were always on the TV, and her mom cooked and baked constantly. “I grew up in a small town where there was nothing to do, so we cooked,” Garcia says. “My mom literally cooked and baked all day, every day.”
Her first professional kitchen job was at White Linen in downtown Topeka, a fine dining restaurant known for its monthly changing menu. She started there as a dishwasher but had worked her way up to sous chef by the time she left nearly four years later. The experience taught her how to think creatively, execute sauces and soups with precision, and adapt quickly to a menu that was always evolving.
While attending a small culinary tech school, Garcia balanced multiple jobs, often working in two kitchens at a time. “I always had a prep job, and then worked at White Linen in the evenings,” she says. That work ethic carried her into her next opportunity: Gordon Ramsay Steak in Kansas City. “I got a lot of practice there and had the chance to see how an entire restaurant operates, from beginning to end.”
When her former boss was tapped to help open Gordon Ramsay Steak in Lake Charles, he offered Garcia a sous chef position. At first, she hesitated. “I was like, ‘I don’t even know where Lake Charles is. Why would I move?’”
But after visiting, she was convinced. She spent her first six months living in the casino hotel, adjusting to life outside Kansas for the first time. “It was an opportunity for a fresh start, and I ended up just loving Lake Charles,” she says.
Garcia was promoted to executive sous chef last year. Today, she leads a collaborative kitchen where teamwork is everything. She describes executive chef Larry Mannheimer as “super chill, super calm and very intelligent,” and credits him with fostering a culture that values respect and creativity.
Mannheimer is executive chef over the entire property but spends much of his time with Garcia at Gordon Ramsay. The team includes a prep crew in the mornings, six line cooks, two garde-mangers, and three pastry chefs. “This is my first kitchen that feels like mine,” Garcia says. “I try to take the best parts of every kitchen I’ve worked in and bring them here. I want my team to feel heard, respected and part of something.”
One thing she loves about her role at Gordon Ramsay Steak is the creative freedom. Fridays during Lent, Garcia offers special seafood features, and her pastry team is constantly innovating with seasonal desserts.
“People in the south really care about flavor. Food here has seasoning,” Garcia says. “There’s always an off-menu dessert, something creative. For September, for example, they made a caramel apple cheesecake. Last year, they created a key lime cheesecake that was so popular we added it to the permanent menu.”
That key lime cheesecake — a no-bake dish featuring lime curd, lemon curd, a graham cracker streusel, tropical sorbet and microgreens — is a showstopper. “I love seeing people’s reactions when it comes to the table. I’ve heard so many times that it’s too pretty to eat. I’m really proud of my pastry team. I brag on them all the time.”
Other house favorites include a crab cake made with Louisiana blue crab served with scallop, panko crust, brown butter hollandaise and shaved asparagus-carrot slaw. The restaurant’s iconic beef Wellington is a six-ounce filet wrapped in mushroom duxelles, prosciutto and a delicate pastry. Garcia is looking forward to launching pasta features soon.
She usually arrives at the restaurant at 11 am to check orders, inventory,and prep progress. By mid-afternoon, the rest of the team filters in. “Right before service at 4:30 pm, I go through the line and taste every sauce and check every cut, and then we have pre-shift. We talk about what we need to work on, what’s going well, any special tables and new features.” Dinner service runs until 10 pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and until 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
On her days off, Garcia plays volleyball, catches up on errands, and admits she often just rests.
Garcia was a recipient of the Caesars Founders Award, which highlights exemplary employees within the company. She traveled to Las Vegas for the ceremony and brought her mom as her plus one. While there, she had lunch at Hell’s Kitchen and got to meet Gordon Ramsay. “He was super fun and cracking jokes with my mom. She’s a big fan of his.”
Ramsay had originally planned to attend the Horseshoe location’s opening, but his child’s birth kept him away.
Garcia’s enjoyed living in Louisiana. “Everyone wants to make me their gumbo,” she says. She especially loved Mardi Gras and quickly became a fan of Market Basket’s king cake. One cultural difference took a little adjusting: “Everyone here speaks in metaphors, so that took some getting used to,” she says.
Despite the long hours and demanding pace, Garcia thrives on the energy of the kitchen. She’s passionate about plating food beautifully — whether it’s gumbo styled as fine dining edible art or a perfectly executed risotto. “Risotto has to be just right,” she says. “I make my guy on that station taste every single one. It has to be perfect.”
Her vision for Gordon Ramsay Steak in Lake Charles is simple: elevate the food and embrace the warmth of Southern hospitality. “Eating at this restaurant is special,” Garcia says. “We’re going to make it special for you.”
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