Michael Mina
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| Born | 1969 Cairo, Egypt |
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| Cooking style | Seafood, Mediterranean |
| Education | The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York |
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| Official website | |
| http://www.michaelmina.net | |
Michael Mina (born 1969 in Cairo, Egypt) is an award-winning American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author. He is the executive chef at his two namesake restaurants in San Francisco and Las Vegas, Nevada, and partners with Andre Agassi in Mina Group, a restaurant management company that owns 16 restaurants in the United States and Mexico. He authored his first cookbook in 2006 and has made numerous television appearances. Mina has one Michelin star at each of his namesake restaurants in Las Vegas, Nevada and San Francisco.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Egyptian-born Michael Mina was raised in Ellensburg, Washington. He started working in a French kitchen in his hometown when he was 16. After high school, Mina attended the University of Washington and worked in the restaurant at the Space Needle, where he received his first exposure to working in a busy restaurant. He left after one year to attend Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.[1]
[edit] Culinary development
After working in Los Angeles at the Bel Air Hotel with Executive Chef George Morrone, Mina followed Morrone to San Francisco to help create Aqua. Following Morrone's departure from Aqua, Mina became executive chef and received numerous awards and accolades.
[edit] As restaurateur
In 2002, Mina partnered with Andre Agassi to open concept restaurants, such as Nobhill and Seablue in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In October 2006, Mina's San Francisco restaurant, Michael Mina, was awarded two Michelin stars, one of only four restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area to be a two star recipient. In October 2011, it was awarded Esquire Magazine's Restaurant of the Year.
For the 2010 San Francisco Bay Area Michelin Guide, Mina's San Francisco restaurant, Michael Mina, was demoted to one Michelin star, then it was excluded altogether from the starred list in 2011. For 2012, it returned to the starred list with one Michelin star.
[edit] Books
In November 2006, Michael Mina released his first cookbook, Michael Mina: The Cookbook. The book presents a number of recipes with his "Trio concept" as well as his "classic" dishes.[2]
[edit] Restaurants
- Michael Mina. San Francisco
- Michael Mina. Bellagio. Las Vegas, Nevada
- Nobhill. Las Vegas, Nevada
- Seablue. Las Vegas, Nevada
- Arcadia. San Jose, California
- Stonehill Tavern. Monarch Beach, California
- Seablue Borgata. Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Stripsteak. Las Vegas, Nevada
- Bourbon Steak. Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club, Aventura, Florida
- Bourbon Steak. MGM Grand Detroit. Detroit, Michigan
- Saltwater. MGM Grand Detroit. [Detroit, Michigan]
- Bourbon Steak The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. [Scottsdale, Arizona]
- Nemi. [Mexico City]
- XIV. Los Angeles [CLOSED]
- Clock Bar. [San Francisco]
- Bourbon Steak, in the Four Seasons Hotel Washington DC
- Rn. 74. [San Francisco]
- Rn. 74. [Seattle]
- American Fish (City Center, Las Vegas, Nevada)
- Wit & Wisdom - a modern American tavern in the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, Maryland
[edit] Awards
- Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, Michael Mina by Andre Gayot guide (16/20)
- Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. 2009, 2008, 2007, 2004, Michael Mina Bellagio by Andre Gayot guide (17/20)
- Bon Appétit's Chef of the Year for Michael Mina Bellagio, 2005
- San Francisco Magazine's Chef of the Year, 2005
- Restaurateur of the Year, 2005
- James Beard Foundation Best Chef, 2002
- Rising Star Chef of the Year, 1997
- Esquire Magazine's Restaurant of the Year 2011 - Michael Mina San Francisco
[edit] Television appearances
- Introduced by Hell's Kitchen show host Gordon Ramsay as a master chef,[3] appeared in episode 208 as a food competition judge. Later, in episode 809, Chef Ramsay and the challenge winners visited his XIV restaurant, but Mina did not appear.
[edit] References
- ^ Droze, Stasia (1997). "Michael Mina of Aqua, San Francisco". Interview. http://www.StarChefs.com. http://www.starchefs.com/MMina/html/interview.shtml. Retrieved 24 October 2008.
- ^ Levin, Rachel (24 August 2007). "Michael Mina:The Cookbook". Recipe Review. The Food Paper. http://www.thefoodpaper.com/cookbooks/michael_mina.html. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
- ^ Description of master chef, from American Culinary Federation
