Mimi Weissenborn Biography – Mimi Weissenborn Wiki
Mimi Weissenborn living in Portland, is the executive chef at Sur Lie in Portland, Gather in Yarmouth, and Catface Café in Biddeford. She is a contestant in the 22nd season of Top Chef – Top Chef:Destination Canada.
Mimi Weissenborn began her culinary journey at L’Academie de Cuisine before making the bold move to New York City to pursue her passion for the culinary arts. As she worked her way up in some of the city’s top kitchens, she discovered her voice as a chef, which became undeniable during her tenure as executive chef at Vinateria in Harlem.
At Vinateria, Mimi led the restaurant to earn a Michelin Recommendation, headlined a sold-out dinner at the James Beard Foundation House, and contributed to the International Women’s Day Beard House dinner. Her success in New York’s competitive food scene eventually led her to Portland, Maine, where she became the executive chef at Sur Lie, a James Beard Award semi-finalist and 2023 nominee for Outstanding Hospitality.
Since then, Mimi has expanded her influence by taking over the kitchen at Gather and launching Catface Cafe, showcasing her commitment to sustainability, seasonality, and community-driven dining. As a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Mimi is passionate about fostering an inclusive, welcoming culinary space where all feel at home.
Mimi Weissenborn Age
Her hometown is Frederick, Maryland.
Mimi Weissenborn Top Chef
Chef Mimi is a contestant on Top Chef; Destination Canada. The cooking reality show is in its 22nd season and will take place in Canada. It premieres on March 13, 2025.
She wrote on Instagram, “TOP CHEF SZN22!! What a dream come true!! So grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way and to my amazing cast mates, what a crazy cool experience!! Destination Canada…and I’m coming with them! It all starts Thursday, March 13th on @BravoTV! “
She is competing alongside other 14 chefs who are ; Kat Turner, Anna “Anya” El-Wattar, Paula Endara, Tristen Epps, Corwin Hemming, Katianna Hong, Lana Lagomarsini, Henry Lu, Vincenzo “Vinny” Loseto, Zubair Mohajir, César Murillo, Massimo Piedimonte ,Bailey Sullivan and Shuai Wang.
This season’s grand prize includes $250,000; $125,000 in Delta flight credit; a feature in Food & Wine magazine; and an appearance at the annual Food & Wine Classic. Plus, the winner will have a chance to present at The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago, Ill., and to headline an exclusive dinner at the James Beard house in New York. Quickfire Challenges are back, so the chefs will also be competing for $150,000 in cash prizes throughout the season.
Mimi Weissenborn Partner
As of 2021, she was in a relationship with her partner Rebecca Elias. Living in Portland, Mimi speaks of being a proud member of the LBGTQ+ community.
“The restaurant has always been my safe place, so that’s what I want to create for others with this new supper club series,” Weissenborn said at the time of the launch. “There are so few visible Queer chefs, and even fewer that are women, so to be able to create a platform to talk freely about my personal experiences and struggles is something that I’m incredibly passionate about as I hope it will inspire others.”
The chef’s Instagram handle is @shefmimi.
