Chef Michael Michael

Born and raised in Yonkers, New York, Chef Mikey was surrounded by rich Italian-American traditions that allowed him to develop a love for food and cooking, especially pasta.

Mikey was a late bloomer to a culinary career. Having a need to always build and create, he sought out a career in design engineering. After graduating from the University of Miami with a Mechanical Engineering degree, he worked a few engineering jobs. Then when he was at home during the Covid lockdown, he discovered his passion for the culinary arts while cooking dinners for friends & family. This lead to pursuing a degree in Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education.

Through cooking, Mikey realized he was still able to satisfy his need to build and create, just in a different manner. In his early career, he tested the waters in new cuisines, but always found his way back to Italian food. He eventually made his way to Rezdôra, a Michelin-starred restaurant featuring the cuisine of the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. He worked his way up to Sous Chef and helped them retain their Michelin star for the two years he was there. He then moved to Sous Chef on the opening team of Massara, a sister restaurant to Rezdôra that focuses on Southern Italian cooking.

Today, Mikey continues to be passionate about Italian cooking, with his love for pasta only growing stronger. He has worked to refine his pasta-making abilities and looks to showcase both his knowledge and enthusiasm with others.