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, which features 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. In the fall of 2023, Che Fico Parco Menlo opened at Springline in Menlo Park with Che Fico Pizzeria following in October 2024 at Thrive City, the community gathering space surrounding Chase Center. In the summer of 2025, Bubbelah, a fast-casual restaurant celebrating the rich and diverse flavors of the Jewish diaspora, opened in Menlo Park.  Nayfeld's newest project, Via Aurelia,is located in Visa's new building developed by Mission Rock Partners, a collaboration between the San Francisco Giants, Tishman Speyer and the Port of San Francisco.  The restaurant marks his return to fine dining, exploring modern Tuscan cuisine

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 for creating "Family Meal," a program that provided meals to those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. 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.