CODY ENGLANDER
Staff Writer
In an interview with “Food GPS,” chef Nyesha Arrington discussed the first food she remembered cooking.
“… I suppose, with help, it was kimchi with my grandmother. I used to help her make kimchi. I think the first dish I ever cooked on my own was an apple pie, randomly. It was horrible, but it looked easy on TV.”
As she grew up, Arrington didn’t just become a chef watching television, but a chef on television.
At 10:45 a.m. today in the Amphitheater, chef and co-star on “Next Level Chef” Arrington will bring her cooking skills to the stage as a part of the 2026 Chautauqua Food Festival. Arrington first gained fame on the show “Top Chef,” and has since appeared on “MasterChef,” “Tournament of Champions,” “Guy’s Grocery Games,” “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and “Next Level Chef UK.”
Outside of the kitchen, Arrington has a love of functional fitness and community building through intention and storytelling. Her passions will fuel her residency during Chautauqua’s Week Eight programming, “The Future of Food: Climate, Technology and the Next Agricultural Revolution.”
Away from the stage, Arrington will bring her experience to other parts of the 2026 Food Festival.
She started in the culinary industry by working in Michelin-starred kitchens, including Mélisse in Santa Monica, California, and L’Atelier and The Mansion in Las Vegas. She landed a spot on Zagat’s 30 Under 30 list and was named Eater’s LA Chef of the Year in 2015.
In an interview with Modern Adventure, Arrington shared insight into how she connects to food outside the borders of the U.S.
“A lot of times in America, we have these concepts of ‘bigger better’ and ‘faster faster.’ We don’t connect as much at the dinner table, we don’t celebrate the artisans and farmers,” she said. “When I lived in the Virgin Islands, I was coming out of fine dining and Michelin kitchens. It was my first experience with learning how to live. I was immersed in this island culture of celebrating life and not stressing. I had to learn how to adapt, how to truly live that island life. When I came back to the U.S., it created a robust conversation about being able to manage people. Because everybody is conditioned differently. Being able to manage those teams, and adapt the island lifestyle of a young American girl always on the go in these fine-dining restaurants, I had to learn a new set of skills and awareness. And I’ve always valued that.”
In the Modern Adventure interview, she recalled one of her favorite international dining memories.
“Israel,” Arrington said. “The food was epic. I’m usually on a plant-based diet, but when I was in Israel, I ate everything. It was soul-enriching. I loved meeting the chefs and hearing their stories. I remember eating falafel on the streets of Tel Aviv, graffiti everywhere, my hands covered in tahini sauce… I love those kinds of food memories, those special little moments in time.”
Although Arrington said she initially felt less certain about appearing on television, she said in an interview with “Food GPS” that it was ultimately a transformative experience.
“I’m totally happy I did it. It changed my perspective on a lot of things, people, life, the way other people view me. I’m glad,” Arrington said. “At the beginning, I wasn’t so excited, but it’s good.”
