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Rodney Narvaez, Chef de Cuisine
While most seven-year-olds were mastering bicycle rides, Chef Rodney Narvaez was mastering flavor profiles. With professional parents of Venezuelan heritage—an economist and a banker—working the kind of hours that built careers but emptied kitchens, young Rodney found himself with both opportunity and appetite. His older siblings treated meals as mere fuel, but Rodney saw each dish as an experiment. His parents knew they had discovered something special when they found him crafting arepas filled with his own flavorful tuna salad creations, turning simple cooking into his own form of artistic expression—all before he could properly reach the stovetop.
Narvaez initially pursued a degree at the International School of Business in Miami, but his passion for food preparation kept drawing him back to the kitchen. He embraced the American tradition of working his way up, starting under Chef Patrick's mentorship at a Miami Beach steakhouse, progressing through line cook to sous chef positions.
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His career evolved through Washington, D.C.'s Founding Farmers, executive chef roles at hotels in DC and Alexandria, Virginia, and most recently working with renowned Chef Kwame Onwuachi at DOJON. Narvaez was searching for a place where he could showcase his versatility across all culinary disciplines— all under the umbrella of different cultures—and found his culinary home as Chef De Cuisine at Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen.
When he's not in the kitchen, Narvaez enjoys spending his time-off with his wife and his dog.
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Katie Beans, Bar Manager
A Northern Virginia native with a scientific mind, Katie was drawn to VCU to study forensic chemistry—fascinated by the precision, methodology, and problem-solving that goes into analyzing evidence and uncovering truth through science. But life had other plans when she discovered her passion for hospitality while bartending her way through college. Turns out, her analytical approach to chemistry was the perfect foundation for crafting cocktails; she simply traded test tubes for jiggers and now spends her time perfecting liquid formulations in a rocks glass. What started as a side gig evolved into managing nightclubs and venues, giving her a deep understanding of what makes a bar tick.
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After returning to NOVA, Katie honed her craft at Wildfire before joining the team at Founding Farmers as a bartender and supervisor. Now, as Bar Manager at Neutral Ground Bar and Kitchen, she brings years of expertise and genuine enthusiasm to creating memorable moments for guests, treating the bar as her laboratory for mixing the perfect drink.
When she's not crafting cocktails, you'll find Katie baking up something delicious, hunting for treasures at vintage markets, or rolling dice with her D&D group. She enjoys spending time with her beloved cat, Boo. Katie's blend of technical precision, creative spirit, and love for community makes her the perfect person to keep the bar running smoothly and the drinks flowing.