Martin Stayer

The Climb

Technique and repetition are the first constants in Martin Stayer’s record. Western Culinary Institute gave him the base language of the trade, and that foundation carried into line work at Aries, where the work of a cook is built one task, one repetition, one service at a time. At Moto in Chicago, the same discipline met another kitchen, another pace, and another set of demands, extending the range without changing the basic requirement: move cleanly, execute precisely, stay available to the room. Service broadened that range in Houston. Behind the bar at Coltivare in Houston, Martin Stayer worked in a position that demands timing, reading, and direct contact with guests in real time. That role added a different angle on hospitality, one shaped by cadence and responsiveness rather than purely by station work. When he moved into the chef role at Nobie’s in Houston, the progression held together as a practical build: cook, bartender, chef. Each step added another working layer to how he understood a restaurant from the inside.

Today

The present role is best understood through the sequence that led to it. Western Culinary Institute, Aries, Moto in Chicago, and Coltivare in Houston each gave Martin Stayer a different part of the restaurant to learn from, and those parts now sit together in the way he operates as a chef. That mix gives the job its texture. A cook’s foundation shows up in precision and muscle memory. A bartender’s work leaves an imprint in pacing, hospitality, and the read of a room. In a kitchen, those skills do not cancel each other out; they add up. Martin Stayer’s path reflects that accumulation, with each role contributing a usable piece of professional range.

Signature

Lamb Terrine is Martin's signature dish. The choice points to construction as a discipline: layered, composed work that relies on control in assembly and clarity in finish. It is a dish that carries weight through structure rather than noise.

In Their Words “Hi, I'm Martin Stayer. I'm going to be the Executive Chef at The Toasted Coconut.”

Recognition

Martin's honors include StarChefs Houston Rising Stars Award, Restaurateur. The recognition tracks with a career built by moving through distinct parts of the trade and absorbing what each one demands. It reads as acknowledgment of sustained professional progression, one role added to the next.