International Smoke – MGM Grand - Las Vegas

About Our Chefs: Michael Mina & Ayesha Curry

Born in Cairo, Egypt, and raised in Ellensburg, Washington, Chef Michael Mina has enjoyed a love affair with the kitchen, creating memorable dining experiences for guests from a very early age.

Chef 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 the upscale Aureole in New York City.

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

Welcomed to San Francisco by a major earthquake his second day in the city, he was unfazed and went to work immediately under Chef George’s direction. Chef Mina dedicated himself to creating a complete dining experience – training the entire kitchen staff personally and refining the menu as chef de cuisine. AQUA opened to rave reviews and national acclaim in 1991. Chef 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.

Chef Mina’s culinary and business vision led to the founding of his company, MINA Group, with partner Andre Agassi in 2002. Under the auspices of MINA Group, he has opened over 45 operations around the world, including the Michelin-starred MICHAEL MINA, Chef Mina’s flagship restaurant in the heart of San Francisco, which represents the culmination of his core culinary philosophies, Middle Eastern heritage, lauded chronicles as a chef and restaurateur, and personal character.

Honored with numerous accolades, including a Michelin star at MICHAEL MINA from 2012 to 2018, James Beard Foundation “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage” inductee in 2013, Gayot Restaurateur of the Year 2011, Bon Appétit Chef of the Year 2005, and many more, Chef Mina continues to dazzle the culinary world with bold dining concepts.

Chef Mina has been featured in such national media as Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Newsweek, TIME, Robb Report, Travel + Leisure, Wine Spectator, in addition to the Food Network, the CBS Early Show, the NBC Today Show and Fox’s syndicated “Good Day Live.” He has been a featured guest chef at the James Beard House numerous times and cooked for three U.S. presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

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Ayesha Curry is a New York Times best-selling cookbook author, television host and producer. Featured on the prestigious 30 Under 30 List by Forbes Magazine and one of the faces of Covergirl cosmetics, her accessible approach to cooking and passion for creating easy-to-use products has made her one of the most sought after experts in food and lifestyle. She recently teamed up with the Ellen Degeneres Network to create Fempire, a series that helps young female entrepreneurs grow their businesses. In 2019, Ayesha and her husband launched Eat.Learn.Play., with a mission to end childhood hunger, ensure universal access to quality education and enable healthy active lifestyles. Ayesha lives in the Bay Area with her two daughters, Riley and Ryan, her son Canon and her husband Stephen Curry.