Mystical Origins
Executive Chef & Operating Partner
Chef Patrick Davis was born and raised in Fairhope, AL. He graduated from Bayside Academy in 2007, then got an undergraduate degree in Restaurant Management and Culinary at the University of West Florida. He moved home to Fairhope in 2025 to marry his wife, Ashley. He has a stepdaughter, Addison (13). Patrick and JJ have been friends since the 6th grade.
Patrick has worked in professional hospitality since 2010. He's been with Mafia's Ristorante (Opelika), Standard Deluxe (Waverly), Vintage 2298 under Chef Randall Baldwin (Auburn), Cigar Bar (Auburn), Springhouse (Lake Martin), Hype Grill (Auburn), and The Sound Kitchen (Auburn). He is also the Chef-Owner of Home Eats Catering in Auburn and the Porch Smoke Snack Co. in Baldwin County.
Patrick was raised by a family of chefs. He and his grandfather would catch speckled trout in Mobile Bay, clean it on the Fairhope Pier, and then cook it for breakfast with grits. He'll never forget his great-grandmother from New Orleans teaching him to make Red Beans & Rice when she was well into her 90's. He grew up collaborating in the kitchen with his mother, Sharon, and went on to do catering jobs with his brother, Chef Harrison Davis.
Patrick has been trained in European cooking techniques with inspiration from the flavor profiles of South America, the Carribean, and East Asian cuisine. He got to meet and cook with Chef Donald Link. He learned several Creole and Asian Fusion secrets from Ed Stacey of Rougaroux and HotBox in Birmingham. He learned to work a BBQ pit with Rob McDaniel of the Standard Deluxe.
Check out Chef Patrick's frequent live cooking segments on Fox 10 WALA's "Studio Ten" on Tuesdays at 9am.
Director of Marketing/Sales/Communications & Operating Partner
Nikki Moorer was born in Mobile and raised in Daphne, Alabama. She graduated from Bayside Academy in 2012, got her undergraduate degree in Communications & Marketing from the University of Pennsylvania, and received her MBA from Emory University's Goizueta Business School in 2022. Her brother, Rico, was the Best Man in Mariah & JJ's wedding and is the godfather of their oldest son.
She directly managed advertising campaigns for Darden Restaurants, ESPN, and Coca-Cola. At Coca-Cola, she was assigned to the flagship label and worked with the Kardashians as the leader of the Coca-Cola Christmas campaign.
Nikki manages our marketing, sales, and communications remotely from Atlanta, where she is launching her own Protein Gummy company, Protein Hax. She travels to Daphne frequently to visit her parents and capture content for our social media.
Chief Designer & Operating Partner
Mariah Nelson was born in New Jersey and raised in Sanibel, FL. Her father and stepmother owned a restaurant called The Pecking Order on Sanibel. She received an undergraduate degree in Hospitality Management from Auburn University. She moved to Daphne in 2017 with her husband, JJ. They have 2 sons, Wilder (9) and James (4).
Mariah has worked in professional foodservice management since 2012 with Starfish Grille (Sanibel), The Depot (Auburn), Triple Creek Ranch (Montana) and Nelson's Buffet (Saraland).
Mariah does our Graphic Design and assists with Social Media and developing business relationships. She is also the Chief Designer of our Grazing Tables.
Operations Director & Managing Partner
Chef JJ Nelson was born in Mobile and raised in Daphne. He graduated from Bayside Academy in 2007, spent a couple of years at the Naval Academy, then got his undergraduate degree in Creative Writing at Auburn University. He moved home to Daphne in 2017 with his wife, Mariah, to take over his family business. They have 2 sons, Wilder (9) and James (4).
JJ has been working in professional hospitality since 2010 with Baumhower's (Daphne & Auburn), The Hound (Auburn), Moe's Original BBQ (Auburn), and Nelson's Buffet (Saraland). He is now the owner of Nelson's Buffet in Saraland, AL. He's done private catering for Coach Pat Dye, Coach Bruce Pearl, The Archbishop of Mobile, and several Mardi Gras organizations.
JJ was raised by a family of chefs and restauranteurs. His parents (Nancy & Skipper Nelson) and maternal grandparents (Joe & Kitty White) founded and operated Sweet Pepper's Italian in Perdido Key, FL. Nancy later purchased the Barnhill's Buffet chain, which she consolidated and renamed Barnyard Buffet. JJ's father was the family chef growing up, and his extravagant holiday meals are some of JJ's favorite memories. His Grandma Kitty (now 101) was also a chef, and her recipes are some of JJ's most prized possessions.
JJ was trained in a cajun/creole kitchen before spending nearly a decade as a BBQ pitmaster. His journey continued with a masterclass in soul food from Chef Eugene Sampson, using techniques passed down by the legendary Charlie Barnhill. Global influences include his family's Italian recipes (which his mother brought down from Chicago), as well as trips to Western Europe, North Africa, Polynesia, the Caribbean, and South America.
Check out Chef JJ's live cooking segments on Fox 10 WALA's "Studio Ten" on Tuesdays at 9am.
