Chef Nina Curtis

Chef Nina Curtis is a celebrated professional in plant-based cuisine, named one of the 25 Top Women in Foodservice and Hospitality for 2024. With over two decades of culinary excellence, she has redefined the possibilities of plant-based cuisine, earning widespread acclaim from vegans and non-vegans alike. In 2020, she was honored as America's Top Hospital Chef, highlighting her commitment to health and flavor.

In 2023, Chef Curtis curated a historic plant-based menu for a White House State Dinner at the invitation of First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, honoring Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This groundbreaking event showcased her ability to elevate plant-based cuisine to luxurious heights.

As the Director and Executive Chef of Plant’ish & Co. Culinary Arts, Chef Curtis continues to innovate and inspire through her delectable creations and leadership. Her role in the American Culinary Corps, a James Beard Foundation and State Department initiative, underscores her dedication to culinary diplomacy and cultural exchange.

Chef Curtis's influence extends beyond the kitchen. She is a passionate advocate, sharing her expertise through captivating dining experiences and enlightening lectures, inspiring culinary professionals and enthusiasts worldwide with her imaginative and nourishing creations.

As the former Director and Executive Chef for the Adventist Health, Roseville Campus, Vitaliz Café and Culinary Arts, Chef Curtis was at the helm of this dynamic culinary division. From inception, launch and execution, Chef Curtis recruited, trained and led both the front and back of the house team, providing delicious and nutritious plant-based meals for associates and guests at the Adventist Health Corporate Offices. She also led whole plant-based food educational programs and presented demonstrations to encourage associates and guests to incorporate more whole foods in their diets outside of work, receiving rave reviews.

During her time as Executive Chef at The Ranch at Live Oak, Malibu, the acclaimed seven-day fitness and wellness bootcamp and the Chief Nutrition Officer for the Ranch Daily, a meal subscription service in Southern California, Chef Curtis kept her finger on the pulse of wellness and plant-based lifestyle trends and incorporated the best of the best practices and cuisines for guests to have a full wellness experience.

Chef Curtis has been an avid proponent of a plant based lifestyle for over twenty years. Her food and beverage background includes working with Marriott Group, Hilton Hotels, Baxters, Manhattan Beach, the El Caballo, Oakland, Pure Food and Wine, New York and the Springs Restaurant and Wine Bar, Los Angeles.

An MBA graduate of Pepperdine University, Curtis was also trained at Living Light Culinary Institute, Trinity School of Natural Health, the Natural Gourmet Culinary Institute and she holds a Plant Based Nutrition certificate from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutritional Studies, Cornell.

After all is said and done, the thing I know most to be true is that I'm only as good as my last dish and I delight in every new dish that I make!