Nikki King

Chef Nikki King's love of food grew from her humble beginnings in rural Virginia where at a young age she was fascinated by her father's annual vegetable garden. Now as Executive Chef at Pure Food and Wine in NYC – perhaps the most innovative vegetarian food restaurant in the world – it's clear those summer days watching the plants grow influenced her more than she could have imagined.

In 2005, Nikki moved to New York City and chose to study at The Natural Gourmet Institute – one of the few culinary schools committed to health supportive cooking. After graduating, she took a junior position at Pure Food and Wine and very quickly worked her way up to Executive Chef. In five years she has grown the restaurant to new levels of creativity, innovation, and style. In addition, Nikki's relentless work ethic, management skills, and business sensibilities have led to year over year records in revenue.

Chef Nikki's culinary vision is simple: in the right hands, healthy foods can taste better and make you feel sexier than their unhealthy counterparts. King is an expert in all things raw, vegan, and vegetarian and has made a career out of converting even the most stubborn of guests to her restaurant – including her meat-and-potatoes-eating father. Bill Clinton, Katie Holmes and Giselle Bundchen are just a few of health-conscious celebrities who adore her creations and have become fans of Nikki's work.