The Long Beach food scene mourns the loss of one of its finest after it was announced that Chef Arthur Gonzalez, owner of Panxa Cocina in Belmont Heights, died yesterday after suffering a heart attack at his home in Castle Rock, Colorado.
The heart attack occurred on Saturday, May 7, according to a source close to the incident. He underwent two surgeries—one to insert a stint into his right ventricle and another to insert a heart pump on his left side. He was under a medically-induced coma while on a ventilator before dying.
To make this a bit personal, Chef Art was a dear friend of mine—and his story is one that I have had both the pleasure and honor to tell. But before I can tell that story, I need time to process his untimely death.
I do this for two reasons: He deserves an ode that is much more than just announcing his death. And secondly, this marks the second time I have had to write about a friend suffering a heart attack while working the line; Chef Janice Dig Cabaysa died last year in the same fashion at the age of 39.
Note: This article was updated to include more information about Arthur’s care between his heart attack and time of death. It also previously stated that the heart attack occurred at his Castle Rock restaurant, Tribe; this error has been corrected.
