Growing up in St. Paul Minnesota, Michael began his culinary career by cooking with his grandmother who taught him to cook from scratch at a young age. He got his start in the industry by working in two family owned catering business until he attended the St. Paul Tech Culinary Arts School in 1997. While obtaining his Culinary Arts Degree, Michael began working as Sous Chef at the Mississippi Dunes Club. Michael quickly moved on to become a Sous Chef at the Hudson County Club. One year later, Michael became the Executive Chef at the age of 20. He then became the chef at the San Pedro Café, a Caribbean themed restaurant, utilizing the freshness of the islands and its flavors. Michael started his career in the corporate world as a chef at Houlihans. Realizing that the corporate world was not where he belonged, he went back to the Mississippi Dunes Club as a fount of the house manager. It was at this time that Michael decided to take a break from his management duties to find his true calling. Michael joined the Tavistock family while working as a line cook at Napa Valley Grille. He also worked as the Chef de Cuisine at North Coast on Lake Minnetonka. Michael returned to the Tavistock group working as a Sous Chef at the California Café at the Mall of America for two years. Alcatraz Brewing Company luckily acquired Chef Michael’s skill and love for culinary masterpieces inspired by the fresh flavors of California. Michael’s cooking philosophy is “keep it simple from scratch with fresh ingredients!”
