Jeff Harris

Four-time James Beard-nominated Chef Jeffrey Harris has called Cincinnati home since 2005, when the New Orleans native relocated to the Queen City following Hurricane Katrina. After working his way through some of Cincinnati’s top restaurants, Chef Jeff launched his first concept, Jimmie Lou’s, in 2021 as an ode to his beloved grandmother. In 2022, he opened Nolia Kitchen in Over-the-Rhine, bringing an inventive and deeply personal approach to Southern cuisine that quickly earned local and national recognition.

As his profile has grown, Chef Jeff has used his platform to invest back into the city and hospitality community that embraced him. Beyond the kitchen, he is an entrepreneur, mentor, connector, and community builder committed to creating opportunities for culinary professionals and strengthening Cincinnati’s food ecosystem. In 2024, he founded Chef & Coffee, a gathering designed to bring chefs and chef-adjacent professionals together to connect, collaborate, and support one another.