Nathan Anda

Nathan began working for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group in 2004, serving as Executive Chef of Tallula in Arlington, where he gained critical notices from USA Today and The Washington Post for his charcuterie, and especially his housemade bacons. In 2008, Anda founded Red Apron Butchery, a creative collaboration with NRG and a handful of dedicated regional farmers to serve as a locally sourced whole animal butcher and small-batch producer of handcrafted charcuterie and fine provisions. Red Apron currently operates three stores in DC & Virginia.

Erik Bruner-Yang

An agent of alternatives, Erik Bruner-Yang creates space. Through his Washington, D.C.-based concept development company, Foreign National, he offers an alternative: food and space as commons. There exists a constant dialogue of community, culture and progress. Bruner-Yang’s restaurants are instinctual; contemporary yet habitual. His restaurants have received numerous accolades, from Bon Appetit  magazine’s 50 Best New Restaurants 2018; to Thrillist’s Best New Restaurants 2018 and RAMMY’s Best New Restaurant 2019 for Spoken English. Born in Taiwan and raised in the States, Bruner-Yang has been credited for introducing D.C. to ramen in 2011 with Toki Underground.

Tony Chittum 

After many years working his way up through kitchens, including Elite Cafe in San Francisco, Tony moved to DC to work at newly opened Equinox restaurant under the tutelage of Todd Gray. After serving as executive chef of Notti Bianchi for two years, Chittum joined NRG, where under his guidance, Vermilion restaurant in Old Town Alexandria received numerous accolades including a three-star review from The Washington Post. Chittum has continued his work with NRG, opening the beautiful, award-wining Iron Gate in 2014.

Allie Cheppa

Allie Cheppa leads the charge at Buzz Bakeshop, a beloved neighborhood bakery where she and her team offer a myriad of sweets, pastries, cakes and so much more. Allie first joined Neighborhood Restaurant Group as Pastry Sous Chef at Buzz Bakeshop in spring 2018, and was promoted to Executive Pastry Chef just months later. Before that, she spent three years at RareSweets Bake Shop, and boasts over 10 years of experience working in local bakeries across DC and Virginia. Allie’s work has been featured in Washingtonian, The Washington Post and Northern Virginia Magazine.

Derek Colglazier

At Evening Star Cafe, Chef Derek Colglaizer draws on his southern roots to create simple, nostalgic cuisine with unexpected flavors using local producers and The Star's own rooftop garden. Colglaizer got his start in country club kitchens in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic before being tapped by Neighborhood Restaurant Group to join the team at Hazel as sous chef. When the pandemic temporarily closed the Shaw restaurant, Colglazier explored his love of coffee as a barista at Cameo, NRG's coffee shop located in The Roost food hall. 

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Jon Lavelle 

Jon Lavelle joined Neighborhood Restaurant Group in April 2021, and has spent the past several months developing and honing the menus for Birch & Barley / ChurchKey in preparation for the Logan Circle craft beer mecca reopening later this year. Most recently, Lavelle was Chef de Cuisine at Fruition and Executive Chef at The Way Back, both located in Denver, CO. Before that, he spent seven years working his way from line cook to chef de cuisine at Maialino. As Lavelle prepares for the reopening of Birch & Barley / ChurchKey, he also lends hand with other NRG projects, including The Roost and Caruso's Grocery.

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Tim Ma

Tim Ma risked it all more than a decade ago by leaving behind a successful career in engineering to follow his dream of opening a restaurant. Following a move to New York City, where Tim completed his training at The French Culinary Institute (now the International Culinary Center) and an externship at a two Michelin-starred restaurant, he had a brief stint in St. Thomas before settling back in Northern Virginia to open his first restaurant with his wife Joey. Multiple well-regarded restaurants later, Tim is the executive chef at Lucky Danger. Committed to reducing food waste, Ma is an ambassador of Zero Waste Kitchen, a sustainability initiative by the culinary software company BlueCart

Cable Smith

At age 26, Cable left his engineering job to attend culinary school in Austin, Texas. After culinary school, he packed up to travel and learn from some of the country's best chefs including Richard Blais (Juniper & Ivy), Ryan Smith & Hugh Acheson (Empire State South, Staplehouse), and Ned Elliot (Foreign & Domestic). Since moving to Washington D.C. in 2016, Cable is the Executive Chef of the Michelin Bib Gourmand winning restaurant, The Royal as well as the Executive Chef / Partner of Lulu’s Winegarden.

Inti Villalobos-Coady

Chef Inti Villalobos-Coady joined Neighborhood Restaurant Group as the Executive Chef of its Old Town stalwart Vermilion in early 2020. A New England native, Inti cooked in several Massachusetts restaurants before attending the Culinary Institute of America.  Prior to joining Vermilion, Inti was Sous Chef at Brabo for five years, and before that, he spent time in the kitchens at Poste and 2941.  

Rahul Vinod

Rahul Vinod is the co-founder of Washington, D.C.’s growing fine fast-casual Indian restaurant, RASA. Rahul left behind his career in investment banking in NYC to team up with lifelong friend and business partner Sahil Rahman to bring their childhood dream to life. The restaurant offers a menu of set and build-your-own bowls inspired by Rahman's and Vinod's Indian backgrounds integrating flavors from Kerala and Northern India. RASA opened in December 2017, receiving high praise in the form of two-and-a-half stars from The Washington Post. They recently debuted their second DC location in the Mt. Vernon Triangle neighborhood. The two are also 2018 Eater Young Guns winners.