My Roots

Chef Michael with his Father and Sister – 1983

Chef Michael grew up working at his father’s seafood restaurant, The Lobster Pot, in Wawa Delaware County, Pennsylvania. By the time he finished high school, having worked every facet of the restaurant, he realized he had found his calling in the back of the house. He apprenticed under four chefs with varying backgrounds.

With entrepreneurial genes in his blood and having seen the void between fast food and speed scratch restaurants, he envisioned a new concept: Gourmet takeout seafood, and thus Seafood On The Go was born. Chef Michael hit the ground running and saw immediate success from the day the door opened.

Later, when an opportunity arose that enabled him to continue to pursue his passion and knowledge in the foodservice industry while allowing some balance between family and work, he jumped on it and began his career with Marriott. In the ten years with Marriott, he worked at various locations and quickly moved up the culinary ladder to the position of District Executive Chef. Michael received certificates from the Restaurant School of Philadelphia and the Culinary Institute of America.

Soon after moving to Chester County, Michael made a shift in his career to the sales side of the culinary spectrum. As a food broker, representing various manufacturers, including some of the largest in the world, he excelled. Michael was voted Account Executive of the year, six out of the first seven years.

When asked about his culinary philosophy, Michael said he is committed to using fresh ingredients and local farm to table products while combining modern fusion with classic techniques. Over the years Michael has developed a unique and diverse culinary talent, incorporating the techniques of authentic French, Mediterranean, Italian, South American, Mexican, and American cuisines.

Chef Michael is a New Garden resident; he enjoys golf and the outdoors; his passions, plain and simple, are food and his family. He has served on the food committee for Boy Scout Troop #24 of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania for nearly two decades.

Chef Mike at the Lobster Pot
Chef Michael, middle top, at the Lobster Pot 1977
Chef Michael with his siblings at the Lobster Pot on New Years Eve at midnight 1982
The Lobster Pot circa 1980, before we landscaped… Haha!
Whale of a Dinner – Restauranteur John Meyers of the Lobster Pot in Middletown, assists Howard J. Smith Jr. of Wallingford, with a 17-pound lobster Smith caught while skin diving off the coast of Atlantic City last weekend. Smith called for Meyers assistance when it was discovered that Mrs. Smith didn’t have a pot big enough to cook the colossal crustacean.” circa 1970