A native Brooklyn, New Yorker, Executive Chef Andre Nieves spent part of his childhood in Puerto Rico. It is there, in his grandmother’s kitchen where he cultivated his elation and passion for cooking. His skills and acumen developed organically during his tenure at Morimoto NYC, leaving the esteemed restaurant as Executive Sous Chef, having started as a Prep Cook in 2012. For his success at Morimoto NYC, the former Executive Sous Chef credits mentors Ariki Omae, Robby Cook, Matt Hudak, along with his biggest influence Eric Battes for his development as a cook. Heeding the advice of his mentors, Andre left the Morimoto NYC Organization and joined the prestigious team at Del Posto.

His love developed and cultivated at Del Posto learning from prestigious chefs such as Mark Ladner and Melissa Rodriguez. Reflecting on his tenure at Del Posto, Andre Nieves has said, working at Del Posto was the equivalent to getting a bachelor’s degree in Italian cuisine. In comparison, the chef has been quoted as saying Morimoto NYC made him a good, but it was Del Posto where he developed into a chef. After 2 years of service at Del Posto, Chef Andre returned to familiar New York City in 2017, joining the Morimoto NYC restaurant again, but this time as a Sous Chef, quickly becoming the Executive Sous Chef.

All was not lost in his departure from Del Posto, as while there he met an everlasting love in that of his now wife – a Houston native. In August 2018, with a daughter and a second daughter on the way, the Nieves family moved to the Heights area of Houston, Texas. And in October of that same year, Chef Andre joined the Atlas Restaurant Group, taking the reins as Executive chef of Loch Bar Houston.