Maria Hines

Maria Hines is a Seattle restaurateur and James Beard Award-winning chef. She's also the co-author of the cook book Peak Nutrition: Smart Fuel for Outdoor Adventure.

Early life and career Hines was raised in Bowling Green, Ohio and San Diego, California, and she earned a degree in culinary arts from Mesa College. She worked in kitchens across the country and in Europe before becoming executive chef at Earth & Ocean in the W Hotel in Seattle.

Restaurants In 2005, she was named one of the “Top Ten Best New Chefs in America” by Food & Wine magazine, and she decided to open her own restaurant. Hines worked with Nora Pouillon and Oregon Tilth to have the restaurant certified organic. In 2009, Hines won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest.

Hines opened two more restaurants: the Golden Beetle in 2011, and Agrodolce in 2012, both certified organic. In March 2019, Hines announced that she would sell Agrodolce to her executive chef, focusing her efforts on Tilth and on writing a cookbook and developing retail products.

Television In 2010, Hines won an episode of Iron Chef America, defeating Masaharu Morimoto in a battle of Pacific cod She also competed on an episode of Top Chef Masters, and she appeared on Martha with Martha Stewart.

Activism Hines was a founder of Seattle restaurant week and is known as a pioneer of organic and Pacific Northwest cuisine.