Top of the Morning To Ya

And what a good morning it was as we visited new friends at Shirley Barber Elementary School. The cafeteria was filled with excitement as the staff geared up for their first-ever Cookin’ Up Breakfast event. Their principal addressed a crowd of more than 30 chef volunteers to thank them for their time and efforts and said “This is an experience the kids will not forget. Thank you!” 

This breakfast was hand-crafted by the culinary teams at Luxor and Mandalay Bay. The menu featured: Pancake & Sausage on a Stick, Belgian Waffle with sugar free whipped cream, Cheesy Egg Bites, a Seasonal Fruit Skewer, and hand-crafted Strawberry Pop Tarts. As an extra special treat the kids also received a “Bag O’ Toques” Chef’s Ted’s mini chocolates featuring dark chocolate with a white chocolate drizzle. 

We love how much care the teams at MGM Resorts International put into each and every detail of the meal. From scratch-made pop-tarts in the school’s colors to drawing the school mascot on the menu board, and more, the team really goes all out to make each breakfast extra special for the students. 

These details are carefully thought out and done with intention to show the students how much the culinary team cares about them. You can catch Justin Frederickson, Executive Chef of the Mandalay Bay and Luxor culinary teams, talk about why they choose to support Chefs for Kids’ Cookin’ Up Breakfast initiative, and just how much this program means to their chefs as well on the Food & Loathing podcast. 

The breakfast was a hit with the students, who especially loved the sausage and pancakes on a stick. It was fun to try this new take on a breakfast corn dog. This SUPER culinary team helped fill another breakfast this year – the last one of the 2024/25 school year. In fact that is one reason we honored the Chefs of MGM Resorts International at our Dinner & Auction #33.