Nelson German

Executive Chef/Owner

Bravo TV’s Top Chef Nelson German (Season 18) opens his latest restaurant alaMar Dominican Kitchen to represent his Dominican Republic lineage by offering an authentic regional food menu paying tribute to his roots. A NYC-style Dominican restaurant now open in Uptown Oakland, alaMar Dominican Kitchen spotlights German’s upbringing in Washington Heights, Manhattan and the foods he ate with his family at home and the local street fare in the neighborhood. German brings a unique take to family recipes with his contemporary NYC twist on traditional dishes. 

Born and bred in Manhattan’s Washington Heights, German began his career in New York City at the popular seafood destination Joseph’s Citarella and the Gramercy Park Hotel with Chef Yugi Wakiya, from whom he learned refined approaches to Asian flavors. Six years after graduating from culinary school, German became Executive Chef at Absinthe Wine Bar (NYC) and Jerry’s Cafe (NYC). In 2010, German and his wife moved to Northern California and he continued to immerse himself in studying the art of Mediterranean cuisine while cooking through his European travels.

Featured in publications such as Food & Wine, Real Simple, Ebony, Glamour, and Washington Post, German was named one of Plate magazine's “2020 Chefs to Watch” and is an advocate for national youth initiatives including No Kid Hungry and high standards of sustainability practices in the kitchen.