He began building his culinary skills at the young age of 8 years old in his Grandma’s kitchen. Growing up in an Italian family, Michael’s favorite childhood memories involve his family in that kitchen preparing meals, telling stories and hearing the sounds of laughter. The dinner table was a place you never wanted to miss! His love for feeding people led him to his first culinary experience under the tutelage of an Italian chef in Columbia, SC. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Marine Science, he decided to take a job in his field. After three years, he felt something was missing and discovered he was not passionate about field biology. Michael left his career and decided to move home to Charleston, WV so he could once again explore his passion in the restaurant business. He began as a pantry cook with one of the top-rated restaurants in Charleston and quickly moved up to the role of sous chef, working under some of the best chefs in the state. In 2008, Michael and his wife relocated to Columbus, OH and he began a successful career with Cameron Mitchell Restaurants. Michael served as the Executive Chef at Cap City in Gahanna and was chosen to help build and subsequently open The Barn at Rocky Fork Creek as the Executive Chef in 2014. After visiting a friend’s food truck in April of 2016, Michael was inspired to pursue his lifelong goal of starting a business all his own. Nothing is more exciting to Michael than bringing people together over delicious food. And no surprise, his Italian heritage influenced the decision to choose wood-fired, craft pizza. Outside of the kitchen, Michael enjoys listening to music, gardening, traveling, and most importantly spending time with family and friends. Michael believes you should always love what you do regardless of the risk you need to take to get there. He looks forward to sharing his love of delicious and creative food with you and your family.
