GINA MARINELLI

Chef/Partner

With a passion for cooking that shines in each dish, Chef Gina Marinelli is the Executive Chef Partner at La Strega, Las Vegas’ bewitching trattoria and locals’ hotspot featuring farm-to-table and coastal Italian cuisine in the heart of the renowned Summerlin community. With a desire to captivate her guests and take them on a personal adventure across Italy, Chef Gina’s regionally inspired menu highlights her unique twists on Italian favorites infused with contemporary, fresh yet simple flavors. 

Upon graduating from Le Cordon Blue College of Culinary Arts in Orlando in 2006, Chef Gina moved to Las Vegas where she worked alongside iconic chefs including Michael Mina at Nobhill Tavern, Sven Mede at American Fish at Aria, Shawn McClain at Sage at Aria, and James Beard award-winning chef Scott Conant at D.O.C.G Enoteca at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. 

After years in Las Vegas kitchens, Chef Gina traveled to Italy, visiting the Amalfi Coast, Sicily and Bologna to further study and immerse herself in authentic Italian cuisine. During her travels, she worked in local kitchens and cooked alongside various local and regional chefs, even participating in a fisherman tour, dishing up fresh seafood caught by locals. Her travels left her inspired, driven and full of ideas for her next project, La Strega. Opened in early 2019, La Strega brings Chef Gina’s years of expertise, travels and tastes for beautiful food to the forefront of this modern Italian restaurant, which continues to maintain one of the busiest kitchens in the greater Las Vegas area. 

When not in the kitchen, Chef Gina enjoys traveling with her fiancé, watching movies and football, listening to music, and spending time with her three dogs.