2023 Chefs

Miami & Grand Cayman

At Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, James Beard Award-winning chef/owner Michael Schwartz (47) shares his passion for where food comes from. His flagship Miami restaurant opened in the Design District in 2007, followed by a sister Michael’s Genuine in Grand Cayman in 2010 and Harry’s Pizzeria, a low-key neighborhood joint which just opened in fall 2011, serving up seasonally inspired pizzas from a wood-burning oven. Two new projects in progress include bringing locally-sourced produce to 150 Central Park by Chef Michael Schwartz aboard Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas beginning October 29, 2011, and a takeover of food and beverage operations at Miami Beach icon, The Raleigh Hotel in winter 2012.

According to the chef, the secret to good food is… good food. Diners have come to embrace and crave the type of cuisine that Schwartz does best – homemade and straightforward, with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients.  Menus change daily because they start with what’s in season and arriving on the doorstep from nearby farmers, fishermen, and ranchers.  From there, it’s about letting the ingredients speak for themselves when they hit the table, from house-cured heritage meats and homemade seasonal fruit jams to wood-fired local fish and colorful salads.

Outside of the restaurant, Schwartz focuses his time and influence supporting the arts and giving back through grass roots projects that nurture sustainable food systems in underprivileged parts of the community and its schools. Schwartz currently resides in Miami Beach, FL with his wife Tamara and three children, Ella, Lulu, and Harry.