David Nayfeld, Chef
Bay Area native David Nayfeld is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Back Home Hospitality in San Francisco. His impressive culinary background includes working alongside some of the most esteemed names in the industry, with positions at Aqua, Joël Robuchon at The Mansion, Cru, and Eleven Madison Park. In 2018, Nayfeld opened his first restaurant, Che Fico, featuring Italian cuisine through the lens of California. Che Fico was named one of Bon Appetit's Top 10 Best New Restaurants in America and one of Esquire magazine's Best New Restaurants. He then went on to open Che Fico Parco Menlo in Menlo Park, Che Fico Pizzeria at Thrive City, Bubbelah in Menlo Park and Via Aurelia exploring Tuscan cuisine at Mission Rock. Nayfeld was named a 2019 Rising Star Chef by Star Chefs, and in 2020 he received CBS San Francisco's Jefferson Award for Public Service. His advocacy work earned him a peer-elected position on the Board of Directors for the Independent Restaurant Coalition, founded in 2020 to protect independent restaurants and bars from the devastating impacts of the pandemic. In 2023, Nayfeld was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef. In May 2025, Nayfeld published his first cookbook with author Joshua David Stein, Dad, What's for Dinner?, inspired by his culinary adventures with his daughter, Helena.
