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 Los Angeles’ culinary community.

In 2011, Dakota appeared on Bravo’s “Top Chef Texas,” while that same year she 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 eleven locations across Southern California, including San Diego in February of 2018 and their big surge of openings all around Southern Los Angeles in 2020 and 2021 to make a total of 15 Sweetfins, 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 the June’s Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry in Los Angeles in 2017 and 2018.

After being diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2021, Dakota and her partner Rich decided to move to Santa Fe, New Mexico to be closer to her family. Dakota took on the role as Executive Chef at the famed Coyote Café. Noticing the lack of fresh Seafood restaurants in Santa Fe, Dakota and Rich started up Catch Santa Fe Poke Co in the Summer of 2022. Since then they are the Buttermilk Restaurant Group LLC. They now have The Notorious P.O.K.E (Sawmill Market), Frenchie’s Dips and Tots (Sawmill Market & The Railyard) and Dakota’s Pop Parlor. She is looking to continue to expand their quickly growing Restaurant Group to cities such as Denver, Co. Flagstaff, AZ and Austin, TX.

Dakota is one of three Judges on the new show Morimoto’s Sushi Masters on Roku and is always immersing herself in learning new Japanese flavors and techniques.

Dakota continues to be an advocate and a voice for all Cancer survivors and loves to donate her time and cooking skills to help raise funds and awareness.