Born and raised in Chicago, Mindy Trafman studied elementary education with an emphasis on art education at Northern Illinois University. While attending school and teaching, Mindy was bit by the restaurant bug. Working a decade with Rich Melman’s Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, she opened several restaurants from Chicago to LA, worked another decade with Debra Sharp’s rock & roll catering and restaurant group, she developed a love for hospitality. It was at Cru Wine Bar where her passion for wine and food began to grow. She explored wine further by teaching classes at Chicago’s Loyola University while running the Lush Wine and Spirits shops, which led her to become a sommelier.

In 2014, Mindy moved to Saugatuck to help a good friend open The Kirby, an intimate hotel and restaurant in Douglas, Michigan. She had spent a lot of time in the kitchen and fell in love with the abundance of Michigan farmland giving the most beautiful produce in the country and challenged herself to find interesting preparations for these gems. She went on to open Coast 236 in Saugatuck and recently started Somm + Seeds, a catering and consulting company where she caters all types of events from in-home food + wine classes to small tasting menu dinners to large-scale weddings. You may spot her around town hosting an event or class at some of the local restaurants, wineries, or event venues.