Meet the Chef

About Chef Michael Mina

Chef Michael Mina, originally from Cairo, Egypt, and raised in Ellensburg, Washington, embarked on his culinary journey at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. During his studies, he honed his skills in Chef Charlie Palmer’s kitchen at Aureole in New York City. His career ascended quickly when he partnered with Chef George Morrone to conceptualize and launch the renowned seafood restaurant AQUA in San Francisco in 1991. Despite a challenging start due to a major earthquake, Chef Mina thrived as AQUA’s executive chef from 1993 to 2002, earning accolades such as Rising Star Chef of the Year (1997) and Best Chef: California (2002) by the James Beard Foundation.

Meet the team

Jacob Solomon

Jacob Solomon

Executive Chef

Chef Jacob is thrilled to share Chef Michael Mina’s creative Mediterranean cuisine with his guests at Orla.

Read More about Jacob Solomon

Jacob Solomon

Executive Chef

He joined MINA Group in 2022 to oversee 15 of their acclaimed restaurants, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position and serving countless memorable meals to their guests.
Prior to partnering with MINA Group, Chef Jacob was based in Chicago, where he was the executive chef at Testaccio, named one of the city’s best new restaurants by Chicago magazine. He served as a leader for Lettuce Entertain You Hospitality and worked closely with Chef-Owner Oliver Poilevey of Le Bouchon, restaurateur Aldo Zaninotto of Osteria Langhe, Chef Graham Elliot, and the acclaimed teams at NoMi, Dusek’s Board & Beer, and Second City.
A native of Los Angeles, Chef Jacob got his culinary start from his grandmother and took his first job in the kitchen at just 15. He studied at Le Cordon Bleu before departing for Chicago to begin his professional career. He enjoys camping, cycling, and carpentry, and is thrilled to return to his hometown of Los Angeles to lead the team at Orla.

Meet the Chef

About Chef Michael Mina

Meet the team

Jacob Solomon

Jacob Solomon

Jacob Solomon