the story of chef mike
meet chef mike
As a successful Private Chef, I'm passionate about creating incredibly delicious meals for others to enjoy. Having been in the food industry for the past 30 years, I've gained valuable experience and insight that led me to where I am today. A few twists and turns along the way, but all of my roads always lead to food. Really good food.
As the former Owner and Chef of "Salt of the Earth" restaurant in Nutley, NJ, I learned how rewarding, yet exhausting, owning a restaurant can be. It was a great experience while it lasted, but my work/life balance wasn't quite exactly balanced as it was during that same chapter of my life, that I was also starting a family. It was time to move on and leave the never-ending schedule of a restaurant owner behind. With the sale of my restaurant, I started my next chapter as a Corporate Chef. First in NJ for 10 years and then moved into an extremely rewarding position in NYC that I thought would be my final chapter, that's just how much I enjoyed that position. And then Covid came along and changed the dynamics of everyone's path. NYC shut down. End of story?
Not even close.
That's not where my story ends, so let's start at the beginning....
Growing up in an italian family
I was the kid that grew up in a strong Italian family. Sunday was always reserved for dinner at my Grandparents house. It wasn't just us, it was everyone. Grandparents, parents, aunt, uncles and cousins. Lots of cousins. And lots of food. All day long. It's what I grew up thinking was "normal" for every family. Later in life I found out that not every family eats the way an Italian family eats. Course after course, hour after hour, loud conversations, alot of laughing, some bickering, and the famous "kids table" that some of us never grew out of. All was well in the world.
This is where my passion for good times and good food was born.
Note: This picture was taken in my Grandparents dining room,
approximately 30 years before my time.
starting my own family
Leaving the restaurant world behind was the best move that I could've made.
It gave me the opportunity to start my own family and create two of
my most favorite people -- my daughters Desiree and Bianca.
I'm proud to say that just like me, they are foodies also.
Together we have visited some of the best restaurants.
Some fancy, some definitely not-so-fancy aka total whole-in-the walls,
but the memories that we have created over some of these meals are
those that can never be replaced.
So bringing it back to my childhood memories of
Sunday dinners at my Grandparents house,
some of the best memories in life revolve around food.
And sometimes it's not just about the meal,
it's about who you're sharing that meal with.
Cheers to good food and great times!