Nicole Brisson is a woman of firsts.
She’s the youngest woman to become a chef at a reputable Las Vegas restaurant on the Strip. She became the first female executive chef of an Eataly in the U.S., when she opened the company’s first Las Vegas location. And, she’s the first chef appointed to the board of directors of the Southern Nevada Health District.
When she isn’t busy shattering glass ceilings in the male-dominated culinary industry, Brisson is being honored with the Award of Excellence at UNLVino, cooking at the James Beard House with other Las Vegas chefs and taking home the “New Restaurant of the Year” honor at the Nevada Restaurant Association’s 37th annual Culinary Excellence Awards. She has also competed on reality TV shows, including Chopped, Late Night Chef Fight and Beat Bobby Flay. Brisson also recently became a semifinalist for the 2020 James Beard Best Chef: Southwest award
Each of these experiences has led the chef where she is today, at the helm of Locale Italian Kitchen, her own restaurant located in Mountain’s Edge that she opened with partner Andy Hooper. It’s a path she started on at an early age. “My mom grew up working in my grandfather’s restaurant in Saratoga, New York,” Brisson said. “We had 14 acres of gardens growing up, and she made all our meals from scratch. Culinary arts just seemed like a natural path to me at a very young age.”
Brisson has a deep involvement in the community, too. “Coming from a small town, you naturally want to be involved in the community. I have had many mentors in my career, so mentorship is very important to me,” said Brisson, who has spent years speaking to and mentoring UNLV hospitality industry students. She believes in teaching and empowering the younger generation.