Who We Are
David Viana
Executive Chef
David was born and raised in Little Lisboa: Newark, New Jersey’s Portuguese immigrant community. Growing up, he spent afternoons with his grandmother, who introduced him to many of the dishes that grace Lita’s menu today.
He turned his early love of food into a storied career, rising through the ranks at Mesa Grill, Eleven Madison Park, Marea and Villa Joya in Portugal. He joined the team at Heirloom Kitchen in 2016, where he received three-and-a-half stars from The Star-Ledger within weeks. In 2018 he was nominated as Best Chef Mid Atlantic by The James Beard Foundation, shortly before competing on Top Chef’s 16th season.
In addition to leading the culinary helm at Lita, he is the Executive Chef at Heirloom Kitchen and Lita. He also oversees all things culinary at Judy & Harry’s on the Jersey Shore. When he’s not working he is spending time with his son, Cole, teaching him to make feijoada and taking him to Chuck E Cheese.
Neilly Robinson
Managing Director
Neilly is the Managing Director of Lita, La Otra, Heirloom Kitchen, Judy & Harry’s, and soon to be Abramzon & David’s Delicatesse
A self taught entrepreneur, Neilly founded Heirloom Kitchen–the group’s first restaurant–in 2013 with her mom, Judy. Growing up, their family dinner table was always beautiful and bountiful. So, after a decade working in fashion in New York City she decided to return to her Jersey roots, creating a restaurant and cooking school. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Heirloom Kitchen has grown into one of the east coast’s most beloved restaurants, with Chef David Viana leading the kitchen.
In the summer of 2022, on the heels of a wildly successful pop up in Philadelphia, Neilly and David launched Heirloom at The St. Laurent in Asbury Park: an upscale restaurant and bar in a restored historic hotel. Lita is the duo’s third concept.
Neilly supervises everything across Good Trouble Hospitality. She oversees people and culture, marketing and creative, and number crunching, all the while ensuring that no detail gets overlooked.