How Keith Corbin and Alta Adams are Cooking up California Soul—and Paying It Forward

Keith Corbin’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and a deep commitment to giving back. Today, he’s the acclaimed executive chef and owner of Alta Adams in Los Angeles, a restaurant that has become a cultural hub, drawing the likes of Jay-Z and Lena Waithe. But Keith’s journey to this moment was anything but straightforward.

Growing up in Watts under his grandmother’s care, Corbin faced an environment where gang culture and the drug trade were woven into the fabric of daily life. “The drug game and the gang culture were just a part of my life, my family,” he shares. “There was no other network to plug into.” This path eventually led him to prison—three times—where he served a total of 10 years. But even behind bars, something unexpected happened: Keith discovered his passion for cooking. Through the limited resources in prison, he began experimenting with food, a skill that would one day help him reimagine his life.

When he was released, finding a job was far from easy. Stigmatized by his record, he took a $13-an-hour position at a local restaurant, a job he didn’t value at first. “I tried to quit several times,” he admits, but his team—and a key friend and mentor, Daniel Patterson—saw his potential and wouldn’t let him go. Over time, he began to thrive, rising through the ranks and eventually seizing the chance to open a place of his own.

Alta Adams was born in 2018, featuring what Keith calls California Soul Food—a cuisine rooted in his childhood and inspired by his grandmother’s cooking, elevated with a farm-to-table approach. Here, Keith brings the food he grew up with to the same platform as other celebrated cuisines, honoring his heritage while building a new legacy. And as his restaurant’s popularity has grown, so has his mission: to offer others the second chance he once needed.

Keith now pays it forward by hiring formerly incarcerated individuals, inviting them into an environment that recognizes their potential, just as he was once seen. Alta Adams isn’t just a place for incredible food—it’s a space where lives are transformed, and where resilience and soul take center stage.

So next time you’re in LA, head to Alta Adams. It’s more than a meal; it’s an experience that celebrates soul, resilience, and the power of reinvention.