Biographies
Mary Kay Smith
Mary Kay came into the business at the age of 21 after a stint as a forklift operator and a little experience working at the Air Force Museum Cafeteria. Always a worker, she learned the business from the ground up- dishwasher, baker, soup maker, host, server- she's done it all. Mary Kay is our fearless leader and heads up this operation. She sets the standards and is our toughest critic. Driven by ever higher expectations, she has been the visionary behind the Winds evolution over the years. Influenced by her visits to cities like Boston and Chicago, Mary Kay started to get ideas that would mature the endearing café across the street into the gastronomic destination it is today. In the eighties (Big Hair, Power Suits & Reaganomics), the Winds clientele from the seventies (Lava Lamps, Macramé, and Free Love) was growing up. Realizing Winds customers were ready to appreciate something beyond Inglenook Chablis, she began an intense love affair with wine. Traveling to France, Spain, Austria, Australia, Oregon and California, she has pursued her passion and will talk to anyone willing to listen. An advocate for “Old World” wines, MK tries to spread the gospel of terroir, Rosé and especially Riesling. Every trip she makes brings new inspiration for the Winds. Twenty-nine years later she's owner of the place, and it is still possible to spot her trimming the flowers, finishing a soup, fixing the air conditioner, or baking the bread. When away from the restaurant, she is a bragging mother of three who is frequently cooking, hosting at home, blogging or visiting other restaurants.