WHY WE LOVE NYESHA

NYESHA ARRINGTON

Nyesha Arrington is on a never-ending quest for that perfect bite, one that hugs the soul and stays with you long after it leaves the plate. This journey has taken her from her classic French training at the Art Institute of California in Los Angeles, to the iconic restaurants of Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas, to the sets of Top Chef, Knife Fight and Iron Chef America. She’s been a driving force in the LA dining scene since opening Leona in 2015, earning her Eater LA’s Chef of the Year and praise from the late, great Jonathan Gold. Since leaving Leona in 2017, she’s been a restaurant consultant for model Tyra Banks and run a pop-up in Hong Kong. Her next project will take her to New York to film a TV pilot with Eater.

Creativity has always been at the core of what Nyesha does. She is addicted to the process of watching something evolve from start to finish. Growing up in a multicultural musical family, she painted, sculpted and photographed the world around her. But from a young age, food has been her ultimate art form.