Chef Nathan Heese: The Food He Serves & The Lasting Impression He Leaves
By Summer Krafft
Nathan Heese, a 31, is a chef and menu designer for Lo-Fi Laboratories’ bar bites and special events. He, is up for Fav Chef of 2025 in Taste of Home Magazine, which could win him and the business $25,000 to invest in their growth. Already a favorite to many locals–he won the community over in his time at Concetta, leading up to its closing–he has a strong following, but I’m here to tell you why it’s worth it to take a moment to vote.
Heese possesses much humility and gratitude for the opportunities he’s been awarded, as well as the ongoing outpouring of support the community has shown him. When I ask about his background as a chef, he responds, “I think to the public I may be a chef, but I feel like there is a lot more work I can do to be able to fill those shoes and consider myself a chef. But I went to Columbia Junior College after high school. I took three years of culinary classes before deciding that I knew enough to be comfortable entering the workforce, and I would learn and grow more as I made money. I have been working in various kitchens since.”
He’s well known as ‘Concetta’s Last Chef.’ I remember my last meal at the beloved tapas-style restaurant that was downtown on J Street, that I didn’t know Heese was cooking at the time, but sings in my memory with every note, but especially the braised beef over whipped potatoes and the marsala prunes for dessert, not to mention the legendary duck confit, which he sometimes cooked alongside owner Paul Tremaine. I am nothing if not a foodie, and rarely have meals remained so vibrant in my sensory memory for so long. Concetta was known to do that, but Nathan coming in so young and doing it as flawlessly was a feat worth noticing–and people did.
Perhaps most notably, Lauren Jameison of Lo-Fi offered Heese not only a job but the opportunity to have creative control over the menu and run his own kitchen. “I jumped at the opportunity,” said Heese. He has now created their well-known Bar Bites offering, as well as periodic special events such as the upcoming Spring Dinner, which will focus on seasonal produce and pairings.
“It is largely a collaborative effort between Shawna Love, who is the bar manager, and me. We just sit down together and think of a theme for an event we would like to do, and then pick and choose flavor profiles and dishes based on what we think would be fun and interesting. Then, in the following days, we refine the menu and develop pairings for it.” These are exclusive, privately ticketed events.
Of his bar bites, he says, “When I’m thinking about menu items, I think about what I would like to eat first….I have always loved food, whether it is eating or cooking. I started paying attention when I was around eleven or twelve years old, just by watching my mom cook, because I liked the food she made. Shortly after that, I started watching the Food Channel and became interested in turning raw ingredients into full-fledged dishes. Food has always been meaningful to me. It isn’t just a means to keep yourself alive, but a way to unite people. My family has always done a good job of ensuring we gather around the table to share a meal, converse, and spend time together.”
On the weekly menu, you can find offerings like spicy shrimp deviled eggs, braised beef bao tacos–with the option of tofu, instead–teriyaki beef meatballs, which Heese grinds the meat for himself, five spice chicken wings, and homemade potato chips.
Eating a Lo-Fi is a social experience. Rather than traditional tables, there is the bar, and there are swanky green booths to lounge in. I noticed a meme-style sign on the table asking “Are you hungry?” with a photo of Sam the Onion Man from the Film Holes saying “I can fix that,” as he does in the film, followed by instructions on how to order from Chef Nathan, who you can often catch standing just outside the kitchen door overlooking the crowd, or weaving through to get to the bar or a customer to greet them.
Photographer Tye King recently took some shots of Heese in the kitchen. When I asked about photos for this article, Nathan mentioned that the three of us went to high school together. Nathan is quick to crack, “Three Downey Ducks walk into a bar….” And I think, yes, perhaps part of what makes Nathan stand out is the charm, the sincerity, and the effort to give everyone a moment when they walk in. When he says thank you, it strikes me that he really, truly means it.
So, at the very least, go down to Lo-Fi for a drink and a bite, but if you think a local business deserves a shot at winning and expanding, voting only takes a moment! Think of the legend of Concetta, think of Lo-Fi ,think of the love of a chef standing on and watching the joy of their work, and go visit Lo-Fi and tell him once you’ve voted.
