DENNIS MICHAEL
Summary
Experienced in a fast-paced, high-end kitchen environment, with excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills. Talent for building streamlined and cohesive teams. Skilled in team leadership and innovative menu creation. Proven ability to efficiently manage kitchen operations and maintain high standards of food quality.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Private Chef
Daily Dose Life, Tricia Williams
09.2024 - Current
- Working as a Private Chef hired out through DailyDoseLife
- Focus is on healthy meal prep and private dinner parties for clients in the NYC area
Executive Chef
Calle Dao
03.2024 - 09.2024
- Head Chef of three restaurants responsible for overseeing all BOH operations including ordering, product management, hiring, training, selection of purveyors, product price negotiation, labor/food cost analysis menu planning, scheduling, labor cost and food safety/sanitation standards
- Dropped food cost from 35% to 19% in second month of employment (average of three locations)
- Direct supervisor of over thirty BOH employees
Sous Chef
Lafayette Grand Cafe
01.2023 - 02.2024
- Part of a five Chef management team in a very large high volume restaurant
- Managing a BOH team nearing 80 employees
- Was the opening Sous responsible for supervising the prep team and running daily Breakfast/Lunch service which lasted eight hours
- Weekday covers reached 300+
- Weekend Breakfast/Brunch service reached around 800+ covers, service was 8.5 hours long in which I ran the pass solo utilizing seven line cooks and five food runners
- Largest cover count was 989 during a Mother's Day Brunch service
Saucier
Emeril's
08.2022 - 12.2022
- Company Overview: Emeril Lagasse's flagship restaurant in New Orleans
- Worked as the Saucier at Emeril Lagasse's flagship restaurant in New Orleans. Responsibilities entailed over 25 sauces made either daily or every other day
- Took this position temporarily while I prepared to move back home to New York City after being displaced because of the pandemic
Sous Chef
Couvant/Eliza Jane Hotel
08.2021 - 08.2022
- Worked as the only Sous Chef for the reopening after a two year closure
- Was also the Sous Chef of the Eliza Jane hotel handling events/banquets as well as the menu for 'The Press Room' hotel bar
- Myself and Chef worked closely with the Hyatt F&B director and GM of the hotel on aspects of menu planning, guest services and promotional advertising
- Was responsible for the hiring and training of all BOH positions
- My shift usually ran from 4:45am well into dinner service six days a week
Sous Chef
Justine Brasserie
09.2020 - 08.2021
- Was the opening AM Sous Chef as well as the primary Grill cook for dinner service generally putting in 15 hour days
- Was responsible for production of all stocks, soups, sauces, butchery and large prep
- Also handled inventory and receiving while managing and supervising the AM porter crew and subsequently the PM cooks after they arrived in the early afternoon
- BOH operations was primarily run by myself and one other Sous
Private Chef
11.2019 - 03.2020
- Worked private dinner parties for various families and events in Manhattan
Sous Chef
Moby's
05.2019 - 10.2019
- Was part of the kitchen management team for the summer season
- Service ranged from 500 to nearly 1000 covers most nights
- My responsibilities included vetting and hiring cooks for the season, butchery/prep, ordering, receiving and splitting my six day work week between working the line and expediting with the other Sous
Private Chef
01.2019 - 05.2019
- Worked private dinner parties for various families and events in Manhattan
Professional Poker Player
Self
09.2014 - 12.2018
- Played poker full time specializing in high limit cash games around the country and playing four years in the WSOP
- Borgata, Atlantic City NJ, Foxwoods, Mashantucket CT, Parx, Bensalem, PA, Ameristar Black Hawk CO, Bay101 Shooting Star, San Jose, CA, Commerce, Los Angeles, CA, Bellagio, Las Vegas NV
Lead Line Cook
La Grenouille
04.2013 - 09.2014
- Began as the Legumier for dinner service and then was moved up to the lead position of Rotisseur/Poissonier
- Prep work included all butchery and was also solely responsible for producing family meal for upwards of 65 employees
- Left with many other long term employees after Charles Mason left La Grenouille and the restaurant was taken over by his brother Philippe
Line Cook
La Mangeoire
09.2012 - 04.2013
- Apprenticed under highly Chef Christian Delouvrier (Maurice, Les Celebrites, Lespinasse)
- Trained directly with Chef Christian for this six month agreed upon position with the restaurant owner due to overstaffing in the kitchen
- Chef Christian then got me into La Grenouille
Line Cook
RiverPark
09.2011 - 09.2012
- Worked the pasta station for this Tom Colicchio restaurant as a part of a seven station savory brigade
Lead Line Cook
Caliu
01.2011 - 09.2011
- Worked as the lead cook with Chef Franco Barrio in his first restaurant venture
- Handled ordering and ran the kitchen on Chef's day off
- Leaving this roll coincided with Chef Franco leaving the restaurant
Line Cook
Scarpetta
03.2009 - 01.2011
- Worked hot line and morning prep for this three star rated NY Times Italian restaurant
Line Cook
il Buco
08.2009 - 03.2010
- Worked for awarded Chef Ignacio Mattos in his first restaurant stage in NYC
Education
Culinary Arts -
Institute of Culinary Education
New York, NY08-2009
Skills
- Leadership qualities
- Team management
- Menu development
- Culinary expertise
- Food safety regulations
- Cost reduction
- Vendor relations
- Budgeting and cost control
- Team building and development
- Food prep planning
- Problem-solving
- Kitchen staff management
- Recipes and menu planning
Awards
- Mayoral Service Certificate of Recognition, 07/21/21, Issued by NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio / Chief Service Officer Laura Rog in recognition of volunteer hours served in 2020.
- The President's Volunteer Service Award, 07/21/21, Issued for the extensive hours of community service in a program designed to feed those in need during the pandemic shutdown of NYC during the spring/summer of 2020.
Organizations Volunteer Work
- NYCares, Volunteer, 04/20/20 - Present
- 9Million Reasons, Volunteer, 06/20/20 - Present
- Sunnyside Community Services, Volunteer Cook, 09/19/19 - 04/20/20
Certification
- NYC/DOH Food Protection Certificate
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Spanish
Professional Working
Timeline
Private Chef
Daily Dose Life, Tricia Williams
09.2024 - Current
Executive Chef
Calle Dao
03.2024 - 09.2024
Sous Chef
Lafayette Grand Cafe
01.2023 - 02.2024
Saucier
Emeril's
08.2022 - 12.2022
Sous Chef
Couvant/Eliza Jane Hotel
08.2021 - 08.2022
Sous Chef
Justine Brasserie
09.2020 - 08.2021
Private Chef
11.2019 - 03.2020
Sous Chef
Moby's
05.2019 - 10.2019
Private Chef
01.2019 - 05.2019
Professional Poker Player
Self
09.2014 - 12.2018
Lead Line Cook
La Grenouille
04.2013 - 09.2014
Line Cook
La Mangeoire
09.2012 - 04.2013
Line Cook
RiverPark
09.2011 - 09.2012
Lead Line Cook
Caliu
01.2011 - 09.2011
Line Cook
il Buco
08.2009 - 03.2010
Line Cook
Scarpetta
03.2009 - 01.2011
- NYC/DOH Food Protection Certificate
Culinary Arts -
Institute of Culinary Education
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