Nathan Lewis-Copeland

Growing up in a self-made farming family in Clovis, Nathan gained firsthand knowledge of how hard it was to get quality produce from field to chef or grocery store. He respected how much labor, time and money it took to tend to peaches for eleven months, harvest for a month and then start the process over again year after year. Nathan recently moved back to Clovis to express his passion for local and sustainable foods. The Central Valley provides produce for the world. Nathan wants to cook “California Cuisine” that emphasizes the local, sustainable foods that are grown here. He is excited about working with these foods and developing his “local” menu. The beginning of Nathan’s career started at John’s Bear Club in Reedley, The Elbow room, Max’s and Upstairs Downtown. He worked his way from dishwasher to line cook and then moved to San Francisco for his culinary degree. After graduating, he moved to Washington D.C. where he primarily cooked steak and seafood while continuing to develop his passion for their “local” cuisine. When asked about his years in D.C. Nathan says that is when he received the technical training he needed to excel in his profession while working alongside many prominent chefs. He developed many of his own dishes that became menu items and helped open a new restaurant including the kitchen layout, menu development and was Chef de cuisine when it opened. He also gained further knowledge about the art and science of gourmet dishes while serving others. He was raised to serve others and to him a good meal is something done out of and with love. Without that intent, food is just nourishment and does not feed the body and soul.