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Michael Mina

James Beard Award-Winning Chef and Restaurateur

James Beard Award-Winning Chef and Restaurateur

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San Francisco, CA, USA
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Michael Mina Biography

Named Bon Appetit Chef of the Year 2005, San Francisco Magazine Chef of the Year 2005, as well as Restaurateur of the Year 2005 by the International Food and Beverage Forum, acclaimed chef Michael Mina continues to dazzle the culinary world with bold dining concepts throughout the country.  Not only has he contributed to San Francisco’s reputation as a world-class epicurean destination, Mina has also been an integral part of the making of the now-esteemed Las Vegas dining scene.

“I have been very fortunate to earn a living through my true passion,” says Mina. “Over a decade in the kitchen has taught me so much about myself, my style and how to share this excitement with my guests.  Each new project shows me that there is absolutely nothing I would rather do.”

The opening of his eponymous restaurant, MICHAEL MINA, in July 2004, marked the newest phase and ultimate expression in the career of the James Beard Award-winning chef.  The restaurant is located in the legendary Westin St. Francis on Union Square in San Francisco, the city where Mina first established his culinary reputation 12 years ago.

Born in Cairo, Egypt and raised in Ellensburg, Washington, Mina has had a love affair with the kitchen, creating memorable dining experiences for guests from a very early age.  Mina’s epicurean journey began in 1987 at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.  During those 18 months of formal schooling, he spent his weekends sharpening his natural talents with hands-on experience in Charlie Palmer’s kitchen at Aureole in New York City. 

Despite a demanding schedule, being in the kitchen simply remains a labor of love for the celebrated chef.  “I started in the kitchen when I was very young,” explains Mina, “and I am still as intrigued with the process as I was when I was a 15-year-old Garde Manger in a small French restaurant in my hometown.”

At the start of his career, Mina was presented with an opportunity of a lifetime with then Executive Chef of the Bel Air Hotel in Los Angeles, George Morrone.  The two were asked to develop a concept and create a menu for an upscale seafood restaurant in San Francisco – the city Mina had dreamed of calling home one day.

Welcomed to San Francisco by a major earthquake on his second day in the city, the unfazed Mina went to work, under the direction of George Morrone, and dedicated himself to creating a complete dining experience – training the entire kitchen staff personally and refining the menu as the chef de cuisine. Aqua opened to rave reviews and national acclaim in 1991.  Mina served as Aqua’s executive chef from 1993 to 2002, where he was awarded Rising Star Chef of the Year in 1997 and Best California Chef in 2002 by the James Beard Foundation.

At 37, Mina is an accomplished chef who has been involved in numerous creative enterprises.  He conceptualized, built and opened CHARLES NOB HILL in San Francisco, earning it three-and-a-half stars, the three-star Pisces in Burlingame, and AQUA BELLAGIO in Las Vegas (now MICHAEL MINA Bellagio), a Mobile four-star winner.  In 2001, Mina opened NOBHILL at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and AQUA at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa in Dana Point, CA. 

In 2002, Mina’s culinary and business vision led to the founding of his own company, Mina Group, with partner Andre Agassi.  Under the auspices of Mina Group, he has opened two concept restaurants: ARCADIA in San Jose, and SEABLUE at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.   He remains Managing Chef of MICHAEL MINA Bellagio and NOBHILL at MGM Grand, both in Las Vegas, and plans are underway for a new restaurant to open at the St. Regis Monarch Beach in February 2006, as well as a seafood restaurant at the Borgata in Atlantic City in 2006.

Mina has been featured in such national media as Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Gourmet, Food Arts, Cigar Aficionado, Newsweek, TIME, Robb Report, Travel & Leisure, Wine Spectator, as well as the Food Network's "After Midnight," Fine Living Network’s “Opening Soon,” Pat O’Brien’s “The Insider” and Fox's syndicated "Good Day Live."  He has been a featured guest chef at the James Beard House numerous times, cooked for First Lady Laura Bush, and has been a guest speaker at C.I.A. in Hyde Park and at other culinary institutes in California.

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FAQs on booking Michael Mina

  • How do I book Michael Mina to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Michael Mina for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Michael Mina, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Michael Mina or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Michael Mina

    Speaking fees for Michael Mina, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Michael Mina are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Michael Mina, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Michael Mina speak about?

    Michael Mina is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Celebrity Chefs, Food, Lifestyle, Virtual Speakers.
  • Where does Michael Mina travel from?

    Michael Mina generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Michael Mina’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Michael Mina for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Michael Mina for your next private or corporate function.
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    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Michael Mina or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Michael Mina is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Michael Mina for your event is available upon request. Michael Mina generally travels from San Francisco, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Antoni Porowski, Michelle Bernstein, Carla Hall, Art Smith and Duff Goldman. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Michael Mina for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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