In Chef Niel's childhood home, Creole-inspired cooking was an everyday event. The flavors, smells and laid-back attitude of his native New Orleans infused his tastes and ambitions. His passion for cooking led him to top-ranked culinary school Johnson & Wales and then to Chattanooga, where he cooked in the kitchens of Southside Grill and St. John's Restaurant before becoming head chef at Bellagio. In 2005, Chef Niel founded his own restaurant, Easy Seafood Bistro & Bar. Easy Seafood's menu is inspired by fresh products ordered and delivered daily from Chattanooga area farms and seafood distributors along the Gulf Coast. Chef Niel transforms each day's orders, creating flavors that live up to the quality of the raw ingredients and that awaken the tastebuds of diners. A full bar serves signature Margaritas and Mojitos, house-infused vodkas and ice cold beers that complement the dishes. A waitstaff known for service and an atmosphere that is fun, friendly and vivacious fill up a space that was originally the world's first Coca-Cola bottling plant. "When that big dining room fills up with the sound of two hundred people eating and drinking to their heart's content, it's electric," says Chef Neil. "Chattanooga is a city ripe with culinary desire, and there is nothing greater than bringing happy people together to eat to their hearts' content." Chef Niel lives with his wife Amanda, who is the restaurant's business manager, in North Chattanooga.