Jolene Mannina
Entrepreneur, Event Specialist & Beverage Professional, Lagniappe.
About Me
Jolene Mannina has been in the hospitality industry for over 20+ years. From a captain at Commanders Palace in New Orleans to the creator of culinary events and TV show Late Night Chef Fight on A&E's FYI Channel.
With decades of vast experience under her belt, Jolene's event management company, Relish LLC, quickly became the go to resource for all thing’s food and beverage in the budding festival world. As Head of Culinary for the inaugural Life is Beautiful Festival in downtown Las Vegas to a long list of other events and festivals like Further Future (Known as Burning Man for the 1%).
Jolene has brought her unique tenacity and ability to foresee needs to create distinct experiences. As VP of Culinary Relationships and Chairman of the Advisory Board, Jolene was one of the first to bring Urban Agriculture to Las Vegas.
Jolene is currently the President & Co-Founder of SecretBurger.com, an online platform that allows chefs the freedom to be creative with no risk, and allows consumers to reserve one time only dishes before the sellout. Lastly, if you've heard about BOH Brawl then you know how amazing this underground food battle is that has been going on for 5 years. This is also a Jolene Mannina creation which is still running today.
SECRETBURGER.COM
Presdient & Co-founder
What is SecretBurger.com?
SecretBurger is a marketplace of off-the-menu dishes that drives restaurants
revenue and covers with zero risk or cost, all while generating social media
buzz and new customers. Eat Off-The-Menu.
Current Cities:
As of March 2019
Las Vegas, NYC, LA, Phoenix, Spokane, Chicago,
San Francisco, Portland, Philadelphia
Goal:
Add three new cities per month, growing the
business model horizontally across the United States.
Clients
First 60 Days
Las Vegas, NYC, LA, Phoenix, Spokane, Chicago,
San Francisco, Portland, Philadelphia
CURRENT CITIES
(AS OF MARCH 2019)
Las Vegas • LA • PHOENIX • SPOKANE • NYC • CHICAGO
• SAN FRANCISCO • PORTLAND • PHILADELPHIA
GOAL
Add three new cities a month growing the business model
horizontally throughout the United States.CLIENTS
IN FIRST 60 DAYS
LAS VEGAS
Sparrow + Wolf • Kitchen at Atomic • Esther's Kitchen • Border Grill
• District One • Fat Choy • The Goodwich • Honey Salt • Andiron
• Vesta Coffee Roaster • Le Thai • Good Pie • EDO Tapas • Cafe Lola
• Forte Tapas • Vegans Baby • DW Bistro • Bin 702 • Crafhaus
• Whiskey in the Wilderness • Searsucker • The Sand Dollar Lounge
• Other Mama • Stack
LOS ANGELES
Border Grill • Black Market Liquor • DAMA • Father's Office
NYC
Bowery Road • Toro • Glady's Caribbean • Emmy Squared East Village & Williamsburg
WASHINGTON
Ocotillo • Clover • Zona Blanca • Cochinito Taqueria
OTHER
Coopers Hall, Portland • Maybeck's, San Francisco • Park & Field, Chicago • Lou Birds, Philly
RECAP REPORT
SECRETBurger.com is driving real results!! In the first two month SecretBurger has 61 dish submission and we generated over $72K for local businesses.
Urban Seed
Head of Culinary Partnerships &
Chairman of Culinary Advisory Board
The Urban Indoor Agriculture facility in Las Vegas. Urban Seed grew 25 different varieties on a aeroponic system that used 95% less water.
Responsibility:
-Build a Culinary Advisory Board of Chefs and Food and Beverage professional.
-Organize sales and partnerships with the top culinary teams and casinos in Las Vegas.
Culinary Advisory Board:
Jolene Mannina, Chairman
Michael Mina, Mina Group
Geno Bernardo, Summit Club
Mary Sue Milliken, Border Grill
Susan Feniger, Border Grill
Bryce Krausman, Owner DW Bistro
Gary LaMorte, Owner Honest Hospitality
Sam Berkley, Souther Glacier Wine & Spirits
Nicole Brisson, Execute Chef Eataly Las Vegas
Clients:
MGM International (all MGM properties on Strip in Las Vegas)
Station Casinos
Esther’s Kitchen
Sparrow + Wolf
DW Bistro
Kitchen at Atomic
The Goodwich
Cured & Whey
Other Mama
Vesta Coffee Roasters
Public US
Bin 702
Summit Club
Relish, Seasoned Events
Owner
RELISH Seasoned Events, focused on but was not limited to culinary based events and festivals. We produced small and large events, from event curation to full production. We took pride in our execution and always made sure the client was taken care of from beginning to end.
Relish was also known for branding events like Real taste of Liquorish, Downtown Dirty Bar Fight and the BOH BRAWL.
Events:
Red Bull Curates, High Tea Hip Hop
Curated by Jolene Mannina
Red Bull’s yearly event that is lead by a local influencer from Las Vegas. The event takes place on the same weekend of the Life Is Beautiful Festival.
2018 I was selected to curate the event. I was given a blank canvas to choose the theme and build my best event yet, High Tea Hip Hop. HTHH was a collaborate of elite and urban back drops. It showcased beauty around every corner and display colored prints with a rustic street vibe throughout the event. Chefs moments and tea cups danced around the event.The entire setting was constructed by hand with local artists from las Vegas. From the elaborate entrance to the hand made dresses and fabric walls surround the event we created a beautiful house party.
Performance was by the one and only Method Man and Blimes Brixton.
Further Future Festival I & II
Head of Culinary
Further Future is a transformational festival held in southern Nevada. The Further Future model is, “a shared experience that’s beyond our future, ” and, "promises a carefully curated slate of, business and cultural leaders, chefs, mixologists and masseuses”
Further Future was located in the middle of the desert, 45 minutes from Las Vegas. We brought in top chefs to prepare pop-up dinners in the desert for up to 200 people a night. Experiences ranged from food trucks to $300 Japanese Whiskey tastings. Las Vegas’s finest bartenders joined us to create an ultimate cocktail experience in containers and yurts.
Chef Talent and Vendors: Nobu, Jason Neroni, Michael Bryant, Sam Marvin, DW Bistro, Forte Tapas, Intuitive Forager, District One,Three Dice ( HongKong) and many more.
Life is Beautiful
Head of Culinary
30 food venders, 20 chef demonstrations. A culinary crawl with 6 locations and 12 chefs. Directed the charity dinner and the Grills and Guitars opening party.
Culinary Advisory Board
Bruce Bromberg, Blue Ribbon
Eric Bromberg
Scott Conant
Cat Cora
Donald Link
Jonathan Waxman
Chris Consentino
Rick Moonen
Hubert Keller
Michael Mina
Kim Canteewalla
Additional Chef Lineup:
Jet Tila
Aaron Sanchez
Mary Sue Milliken
Susan Feniger
Akira Back
Nancy Silverton
Michael Symon
Todd english
Kerry Simon
Francois Payard
Carla Pellegrino
Richard Camarota
Sven Mede
Steve Martorano
Nina Manchev
Marcel Vigneron
Mike Minor
Megan Romano
Frank Gorrceta
Gerald Chin
Elias Cairo
Josh Graves
Jason Tuley
Sean Kinoshita
Grant MacPherson
Late Night Chef Fight
Creator, Producer, Talent
Late Nite Chef Fight was a spin off real community event, Back Of House Brawl created by Jolene Mannina in Las Vegas. Relativity Media, shopped event and sold 16 episodes to the FYI network.
Late Nite Chef Fight was an Elite Vegas-based chefs compete without using well-equipped restaurants. In front of a lively audience, two chefs in each episode go head-to-head after-hours on the Las Vegas Strip. Using diverse, exotic ingredients left in the food trucks, the cooks try to create unique dishes in three fast-paced rounds.
The overall champion, determined by a rotating panel of judges, wins bragging rights and a meal cooked by the loser. Culinary enthusiast and former world champion boxer Laila Ali and chef/restaurateur Vic "Vegas" Moea co-host. Judges are Spike Mendelsohn, Michael Chernow, Casey Lane and Chris Oh.
Back Of House Brawl
Creator & Organizer
Late Nite Chef Fight was a spin off real community event, Back Of House Brawl created by Jolene Mannina in Las Vegas. Relativity Media, shopped event and sold 16 episodes to the FYI network.
2011 - Present: The Back of House Brawl ( BOH BRAWL) began in 2011 in the parking lot of Tommy Rockers Bar and Grill as an underground culinary event. Chef compete on food trucks for bragging rights and their chance to get their name on the iconic trophy.
The BOH BRAWL soon began the hang out for all culinary professionals in Las Vegas.
The event was organized to bring everyone together to celebrate everyone in the industry.
Since 2011, 100 chefs have competed and the event continues to bring in new up and coming chefs.
2019: The BOH BRAWL is moving onto the Las Vegas Strip. What was once an underground event is now going to be showcased under the big lights.
Cock Fight
Cock Fight is a late night bartender battle that takes place at during the BOH BRAWL. Bartenders from top restaurants and mixology bars in Las Vegas must create two cocktails in 10 minutes from a mystery bar. Best drink wins!
Sloppi Jo's Roving Eatery
Owner
One of the first food trucks to hit the Las Vegas Streets, Sloppi Jo's menu was designed around Hatch New Mexico Chiles that only harvest once a year. Sloppi Jo's was featured on the TV Show "Eat Street" and mad an appearance in "The Great Food Truck Race".
Gallery
Community
A small tagline
Urban Seed Foundation
Chairman of Culinary Advisory Board
8 Gala 2017 & 2018
8 Gala I & II
Eliminate Hate & Elevate Food
Charity event to fundraise for Urban Seed Foundation and LGBQ Community and The Center of Las Vegas
Chefs come together and create a beautiful and playful dining experience for donors.
Giving Back, Make A Wish
Coordinator and Producer
Culinary Experience at Tivoli Village to honor a young lady from the Make A Wish Foundation and raise money for the charity through silent auction.
UNLVino
Secure chefs and restaurant participants for main event.
From its humble beginnings in the Southern Wine & Spirits warehouse, the annual UNLVino has grown into Las Vegas’ premier food, wine, and spirits experience, and serves as the year’s largest scholarship fundraiser for students of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ William F. Harrah College of Hospitality.
