DJ Flores
Nivel Hospitality Group | Las Vegas, NV
April 2026
Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, DJ Flores was thrown into the restaurant industry at a young age. After a stint at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, Flores took his burgeoning passion to Border Grill and then Dos Caminos at The Venetian before landing at Chef José Andrés' Jaleo in 2010. He then shifted his focus from Latin- and Spanish-inspired cuisine to French, joining the team at Joël Robuchon. In 2013, he pivoted again, landing a job in the pastry and bakery department at Caesars Palace.
Curious about the culinary community south of the border and eager to connect with his own roots, Flores moved to Mexico City, Mexico, in 2015 to stage at Quintonil, where he was inspired by the thoughtful, almost ubiquitous use of masa. When he returned to Las Vegas, Flores launched a masa company of his own. He purchased a molino and started selling his product to local restaurants, but eventually had to wind down operations due to permitting issues and costs. Flores returned to the kitchen and spent time at The Bazaar before joining the team at Chef Lorena Garica's Chica, where he rose to executive sous chef.
When the pandemic hit, Flores saw an opportunity to revive his masa business and decided to strike out on his own once more. He opened Milpa in Spring Valley in 2021 with a focus on in-house nixtamalization. Over time, the restaurant garnered national recognition and evolved into an all-day, Mexican-inspired café, where Flores offers breakfast, pastries, bowls, tacos, and dishes like his butternut squash tetelas with fried eggs, mushrooms, cauliflower, and salsa macha. In 2025, he opened Nocturno, a sleek, minimalist bar in the Arts District featuring cocktails from Bartender Luis "Lu" Lopez. With another concept—Beautiful Stranger, a full service restaurant and bistro—on the way, Flores is steadily growing his impact throughout the city, creating distinct, independent spaces for the community to enjoy that also provide opportunities for local chefs, bartenders, and servers to develop their craft.
