Chef Michael Ferraro
If Chef Michael Ferraro could capture his persona in a single spice, it would be salt—unique yet universal, powerful in its presence, and even more so in its absence.
Ferraro’s story begins with his family, who immigrated to the United States from Southern Italy in the 1950s. Food was the heartbeat of their home; his parents ran a family business, and young Michael spent his days gardening and cooking alongside them. By his teenage years, he and his brothers had opened a restaurant of their own, but a piece of sage advice from his father—to do it the “right way”—led him to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).
Graduating from the CIA in 2002, Ferraro headed straight for New York City with little more than a suitcase, relentless drive, and an unshakable passion for cooking. “I was young and driven,” he recalls. “I packed up—no money, no job—just a passion for cooking and a refusal-to-fail mindset.” His relationship with his alma mater came full circle in 2018, when he was invited back to serve as an honorary ambassador and deliver the commencement address to the graduating class.
Ferraro quickly made his mark in some of Manhattan’s most revered kitchens. Working under culinary icons such as Waldy Malouf at Beacon Restaurant and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, he mastered the fundamentals of leadership and discipline. By 2003, he had earned the chef tournant position at the legendary Four Seasons Hotel, followed by a tenure at the Biltmore Room and his first Chef de Cuisine role with the Patina Restaurant Group.
Soon after, Ferraro accepted the Executive Chef position at fine dining seafood restaurant Fresh in Tribeca, where his work earned recognition from both the Michelin Guide New York City and The New York Times.
A firm believer that every kitchen offers a lesson, Ferraro continued to evolve his craft across New York’s diverse culinary scene. In 2008, after seven years and six kitchens, he opened Delicatessen in SoHo as chef/owner—a concept that celebrated seasonality while paying homage to nostalgic comfort food classics. The restaurant’s success inspired a second concept in 2009: Macbar, a playful, design-forward ode to America’s favorite side dish, macaroni and cheese.
His creativity and charisma quickly garnered national attention. Ferraro was featured in Zagat’s inaugural “30 Under 30” (2011) and appeared on The Cooking Channel, Food Network’s Iron Chef America and Chopped, later joining the judging panel on Beat Bobby Flay. He also became a recurring culinary expert alongside Jon Taffer on Paramount Network’s Bar Rescue.
After selling his SoHo restaurants, Ferraro joined the Charlie Palmer Collective as Corporate Chef and Culinary Concept Creator, helping shape the group’s modern American dining identity. Shortly thereafter, the global pandemic prompted a moment of reflection—and a new chapter.
In 2021, Ferraro relocated to Orlando, taking on the role of Vice President of Food & Beverage for Tavistock Restaurant Collection. Overseeing a portfolio of 17 distinctive restaurants nationwide, he has led multiple high-profile reopenings, including the acclaimed Timpano in Fort Lauderdale and Tampa—the latter earning recognition in Michelin’s inaugural Florida guide. Under his leadership, Tavistock achieved its first Michelin star in 2023 for Atlas at the St. Regis Atlanta, followed by Nami at the Wave Hotel joining the Orlando Michelin Guide in 2025.
Today, Michael Ferraro’s career reads like a culinary atlas of achievement. Yet despite his accolades and media presence, those who know him best describe him in the simplest—and most fitting—terms: the true “salt of the earth.”
