Michael Mina

I loved growing up in Washington, but I have been a diehard, 100 percent 49ers fan since I was 11.

I loved the cooking; that was what I was passionate about, but getting to watch the guests eat - because you could see everything from the kitchen - just watching people eat and looking at the plates when they came back, just understanding, this is such an amazing job.

I had always been told cooking was a servant's job.

I liked to screw around in the kitchen when I was a kid. But I started cooking when I was 15.

Bringing your kids into the kitchen doesn't require you to be a top chef; only time and maybe a willingness to get a little messy.

I believe what makes cooking in Las Vegas different from cooking in most other cities are the guests that dine with you in Las Vegas.

The part that I know I enjoy most is the restaurants. You can't do everything, you know? For me, the priority has been being deeply involved in my restaurants and figuring out different ways to make them run better.

Chefs become attracted to being able to get product and then clientele - those are the two things that attract you as a chef.

With chefs, the problem is we have to be very confident because people are looking at us for that. So pretty soon, you think you're a plumber, you think you're an electrician, you think you're an accountant.

I love San Francisco; it's very hard to compete with San Francisco when it comes to availability of product, but one thing you can't replace about Las Vegas or Miami is people are walking in the door and they want to have a good time.

People love steak all over the United States.

Food feeds both the body and soul - there are clear reasons to eat a balanced diet, but there are also reasons you cling to your mom's secret chicken noodle soup recipe when you're sick.