Draft:Mike Lata

Mike Lata is an American chef known for his restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina.

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION: Mike Lata was born and raised in Western Massachusetts. He briefly attended Northeastern University before deciding to start a career as a chef.

RESTAURANTS: Lata arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1998 after cooking in Boston, New Orleans, Martha’sVineyard, Atlanta, and France. Starting in Boston, Lata worked in several restaurants before heading to Martha's Vineyard and working at the Black Dog Tavern. He later went on to work in New Orleans for the Brennan Family and following, moved to Atlanta to work at the Ciboulette Restaurant founded by chef Jean Banchet and his protegé Tom Coohill.

A few months after his arrival in 1994, Lata became the chef de cuisine at the Ciboulette Restaurant, and held the position until late 1997 before moving to Charleston. While at the Ciboulette Restaurant, Lata launched a campaign to incorporate mostly local products into his cooking and became a spokesperson for the Georgia Organic Growers Association.

Lata opened FIG, an elevated take on Southern classics with seasonal ingredients served in an upscale bistro setting, in 2003 with partner Adam Nemirow. In December 2012, Lata and Nemirow opened The Ordinary, a classic oyster bar and seafood hall in Charleston’s Upper King district.

TELEVISION: Lata has competed on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America and was featured on The Best Thing I Ever Ate Food Network show. He was also profiled on Dateline’s Platelist.

AWARDS: Lata was nominated in 2007 and 2008 for the James Beard Foundation Award, Best Chef: Southeast,[12] and won the award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2009. He was also a semifinalist for Outstanding Chef in 2017 and 2018.

FIG won the James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Wine Program in 2018 and was nominated for Outstanding Restaurant in 2019 and 2020.

The Ordinary was a James Beard Foundation finalist for Best New Restaurant in 2013. Bon Appétit named it in the top 50 best restaurants of the year.

PERSONAL LIFE: Mike Lata married wife Jenni Ridall in 2019. The couple met in February 2015 and reside in James Island, South Carolina.