My Top 5: The Original Ninfa’s Uptown Chef Patti Delgado

This summer, our seasonal My Top 5 series highlights Houston’s local makers, creatives, and tastemakers, and we ask them to share their own very favorite things to do in Houston during their time, when they’re not hard at work.

This week, we’re quite excited to serve up the favorites of Houston‘s accomplished Chef Patti Delgado, executive chef at The Original Ninfa’s on Post Oak in Uptown, who dishes on how she and her family spend their free time in the HTX.

My Top 5 Things to Do in Houston

by Chef Patti Delgado

Shopping – I love shopping with my daughters—we have 4. So, taking them shopping is an adventure all on its own! One of our favorite shopping centers is LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch in Katy. We are able to visit our favorite stores and have lunch. We’re also big fans of farmers markets! We love East End Farmers Market, from local artists showcasing their work to the amazing farmers showcasing splendid fruits and vegetables, to great music—it is wonderful to enrich our daughters’ minds and creativity through our own city.

A Day at the Zoo – The Houston Zoo has been a staple in our family for fun, easy, and educational enjoyment. The Houston Zoo has educational activities that keep us wanting to return and learn more even about animals and their habitats.  

Brunch at CasaEma – Brunch is a must when I have friends who are in hospitality visiting from out of town. One of our first stops is CasaEma HTX on North Main in the Greater Heights. Ema has an amazing menu including pan dulce, savory dishes, and a masterfully curated beverage menu. It’s perfect for catching up with an old friend over amazing food and the perfect cup of cafecito

Walks in Nature – I love going for walks with my husband Esteban and our pups! Time slows down just enough for us to be able to reconnect and take a deep breath from what can be, at times, busy lives. Taking walks in our neighborhood is always relaxing and it gives us time to catch up and appreciate nature. We also love to take walks in Memorial Park and in Eleanor Tinsley Park, which has a special place in our hearts, because we took our wedding photos there. 

Rooting for League One Volleyball (LOVB) – I was super excited about taking our daughters to their first volleyball game to see our professional home team, LOVB Houston, play. We are super fans of Jordan Thompson (#23) and big fans of women in sports. We had the lovely opportunity to meet Jordan at Ninfa’s and she is such a great athlete and role model! 

About Chef Patti Delgado

Bringing her own breadth of experience, Chef Patti Delgado learned the art of cooking as an expression of family love from her grandmother. Her family recognized her talent and encouraged her to attend culinary school. After graduating from Houston’s Culinary Institute Lenotre in 2009, Delgado worked in the kitchen at Benjy’s. During that time she was also part Chef Ronnie Killen’s brigade for both of his trips to cook at the James Beard House in 2011 and 2012. Delgado then joined Chef Mark Holley at Holley’s Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar where she spent four years, eventually ascending to sous chef and second-in-command. In 2017, she spent two months working alongside Chef Omar Pereney for President Bush Sr. and First Lady Barbara Bush. Delgado later accepted the Executive Chef position at Vibrant, described as a concept in where she was challenged with creating an entire menu serving high frequency foods for nourishing the body using only ingredients completely free from gluten, dairy, refined sugars, peanuts, soy, GMO’s and gum. She accomplished this challenge with outstanding results, leading Vibrant to a successful launch and building an enthusiastic following for herself before joining The Original Ninfa’s team as executive chef at The Original Ninfa’s in Uptown.

Photos courtesy of The Original Ninfa’s

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