Nelson has an international relationship with food. Born in New York City and raised in Colombia, South America, Nelson experienced food from his parent’s two different Colombian backgrounds; his father’s coastal roots and his mother’s humble farm roots, where farm to table is but a way of life. On his mother’s family farm he was immersed in growing, raising, and butchering the food that would be served at his family’s dinner table.
A visit to Nelson’s uncle’s restaurant in Florida would launch his inspiration to become a chef himself.
Nelson returned to Colombia and enrolled in Politecnico International School of Culinary Arts in Colombia’s capital, Bogota. After completing culinary school Nelson traveled to Spain and fell in love with the palate and preparation of Spanish cuisine. He returned to the states putting his passion to use and began his culinary career in Greenville in 2010.
Nelson joined the Halls family in 2016 to further pursue his culinary career in one of the best steakhouses in America. After serving as the Executive Sous Chef in Greenville for two years, Nelson moved to Columbia to help with the revitalization of Main Street by opening Halls Chophouse Columbia. As Executive Chef since 2018, Nelson helped raise the bar for Columbia’s fine dining scene. After nearly four years in Columbia, Nelson has made his way back to Halls Greenville, enthusiastic about rejoining the culinary destination that Greenville has become.