Mimi Martin Katz, Partner
A second generation Italian-American, Mimi was raised in Seattle, WA. Learning at her grandmother’s knee, she knew early on that she would be a chef. After culinary school in the States, Mimi moved to Italy, where she spent the next few years cooking in several culinary regions including Bologna, Rome and Sicily.
Mimi returned to Seattle in 1995, and after stints at two of Seattle’s great Italian restaurants, Sostanza and Baci, she opened Ristorante Amici, her own celebrated downtown trattoria and bar.
Mimi thrived in the booming food and wine scene, consulting on menus for several of Seattle’s top Italian restaurants, chiefly the local favorite, Serafina. She also briefly worked with Fullers Restaurant where she met her future husband, David. In 1998, they moved to the Napa Valley. There, Mimi established a successful business as a private chef and independent caterer. That business, Big Fish Chefs, became Panevino, Food for Wine in 2006.
