Simple's Expert Culinary Advisors
Meet the Team
Nyesha Arrington
Chef Nyesha J. Arrington has been in love with the kitchen since cooking alongside her Grandmother at a young age. By integrating flavors and techniques from around the world, Arrington is able to create a global style that is both personal and unparalleled and has worked with the legendary French chef Joel Robuchon and Melisse. The late Jonathan Gold placing both of her California restaurants in the “Best 101 of Los Angeles”.
Gary FX LaMorte
Honest Hospitality Founder Gary FX LaMorte has over 25 years intensive industry experience working for America’s highest acclaimed Chefs & Restaurateurs. From the Michelin starred kitchens of Thomas Keller & Andre Rochat to Vice President of the highly acclaimed Michael Mina restaurant group, Gary has opened over 30 new restaurants and launched technology-integrations systems at the cutting edge of the culinary industry. At Honest Hospitality, Our goal is to offer strategic and targeted support tailored to your exact needs. We achieve this through systematic evaluation and implementation of standard operating procedures. Together we will prioritize the needs of your operation and develop a roadmap to maximize your financial and cultural performance.
Michael Mina
With accolades including James Beard Foundation “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage” inductee, Bon Appétit Chef of the Year and the International Food and Beverage Forum’s Restaurateur of the Year, award-winning chef and restaurateur Michael Mina continues to dazzle the culinary world with bold dining concepts featuring over 45 operations across the United States and Dubai.
Daniel Patterson
Is a chef, restaurateur and food writer, and a leading name in California cuisine. He is known as chef proprietor of two Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurant Coi, and for his articles in The New York Times Magazine, Food & Wine Magazine, and San Francisco Magazine. He has won several awards for his cooking, including Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chef and The San Francisco Chronicle’s Rising Star Chef, both in 1997, followed by San Francisco Magazine’s Chef of the Year in 2007. In the 2020 Michelin Guide, Coi’s tasting menu is praised for its ‘clear originality’ that ‘elevates even the most basic of ingredients and allows them to shine.’
David Skinner
Chef Owner - eculent - Kemah, TX
David Skinner is the owner and executive chef of eculent – an avant garde dining concept in Kemah, Texas. The unique restaurant is known for breaking the barriers between food and art while also doing incredible work in food science and sustainability. His 24-seater restaurant has a 3-year waiting list. He is also the proprietor of Meticulous Distillery and Clear Creek Winery, as well as being the inventor of the world-record breaking culinary event Around The World in 10,000 Bites at which 43 Chefs fro 10 countries fed a 101-course meal to 100 diners in the Houston Natural History Museum’s Dinosaur Hall. He is also the co-founder of GourmetNFT.com - a digital download recipe platform which allows Chefs to publlsh their recipes as fractional cookbooks - one at a time.
Adam Sobel
Chef Owner, Cal Mare & Adam’s Nana Lu — Partner Mina Group Adam Sobel is the chef and partner of Cal Mare with locations in both Los Angeles, CA and Springfield, MA. Cal Mare is Sobel’s flagship and passion project, supported by partner Michael Mina and the MINA Group, of which he has been a part of for over 6 years. His first job out of school was opening Bradley Ogden, then moving on to become Chef de Cuisine at Guy Savoy. In 2011, Sobel moved to Washington, DC to serve as Executive Chef at Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak. His innovative style landed the modern American steakhouse a three-star review in The Washington Post and consecutive high rankings in Washingtonian magazine’s annual ‘100 Best Restaurants’ issue.
