Since being named “Best New Chef” by Angeleno magazine in 2006 as the Executive Chef at Jer-ne at the Ritz-Carlton Marina Del Rey, Dakota Weiss has become tour-de-force in the Los Angeles’ culinary community.

In 2011, Dakota appeared on Bravo’s “Top Chef Texas,” and in the same year joined the W Los Angeles as Executive Chef. In 2013, she opened Dakota’s POP Parlor, her own brand of innovative gourmet popcorn—recognized by Food Network as one of the “Top 30 Popcorns to Try in America” and CBS Los Angeles as “Best Popcorn in LA.”

Weiss became the consulting chef and part owner of Choice’s Sweetfin Poke, a fast-casual concept serving California-inspired Hawaiian soul food that opened in April of 2015 in Santa Monica. Sweetfin has since has gained both local and national recognition with their continuous efforts to elevate their product . Their rapid expansion of ten locations across Southern California, including San Diego in February of 2018 and their most recent Del Mar location which opened in July, makes Dakota one of the most commercially successful women-owned restaurateurs in Southern California.

Also very involved in charitable organizations, including No Kid Hungry which works to end childhood hunger in America, Dakota served as Chef Co-Chair at Los Angeles’ Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry in 2017 and 2018.