Nick Pimentel

He started in graphic design, and that training shows up in the way the restaurant is put together: balance, composition, and attention to detail carry over cleanly into hospitality. In Nick Pimentel’s work, the throughline is structure. Ideas are layered with the same care as flavor, and the dining room reads as something built and edited, not simply opened. Fermentation is what gives the dinner menu its shape. For Nick Pimentel, it is not a side note or a garnish of technique; it acts as a framework for depth, tension, and complexity. That kind of menu asks for patience and precision, and the result is food that feels composed, with each element doing a clear job. Paisley Fig, where Nick Pimentel was co-owner in 2015, marked an early point in that progression. It was a formative exercise in hospitality and ownership, and the year serves as a clear marker of momentum in his work. By 2019, kimchi toast with labneh and XO sauce had become the dish most closely tied to Nick Pimentel’s name. Described that year as the restaurant’s signature dish, it points to a style that balances brightness, richness, and savory weight. It is a compact plate, but the combination has enough definition to stand as a marker of intent.