Michael Jenkins
Michael was born in Philadelphia and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma. He grew up eating and developing a love of American food, having family in places like New Orleans, Nashville, and New York. His love for food led him to the great city of New York in 2004. Prior to graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education, he began working at BUTTER Restaurant under the tutelage of Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli. He worked his way up the ladder to eventually become the chef de cuisine. In working with Chef Alex through the years he had the opportunity to participate in Food Network productions such as Best Thing I Ever Made, Chefography, and Martha Stewart Magazine.
He is a featured contributor to the books Street Eats, Crossing Borders, and Savor. He has been invited to the James Beard House to host 2 of their featured chef series dinners. Michael competed on the hit TV Show Chopped (champion), Cutthroat Kitchen (champion), Beat Bobby Flay (finalist), and Iron Chef America (4-1 in five episodes). He is a 2x winner of The South Beach Food & Wine Festival’s Burger Bash competition. After New York was hit with the pandemic, Michael took over at Lola Taverna in Soho and lead them to a Michelin Plate recognition. He is currently serving as the executive chef at Butter Restaurant.
