THE PASSION OF A LIFE TIME

Chef Michel Chiche, native of Nice, France, has dedicated the last 25 years of his life creating dish and pastry for such famous five star places as the Beverly Hill Hotel in California, la Samanna in St Martin F.W.I. and the legendary Biltmore hotel in Coral Gables, FL. just to site a few. He has designed great deserts, sugar sculptures, and chocolate pastries  for celebrity such as Harrison Ford, Diana Ross, Steven Spielberg, President Clinton, and Juan Carlos King of Spain.

In 1978, after finishing his studies of culinary art, he graduated with high honor from one of the most renowned  hostelry school The Ecole Hoteliere de Nice.

He completed a one year internship in one of the best star restaurant in the region, called Le Perigord, a classical French restaurant  full of traditions and of rituals. Stiffness and discipline was a way of life, but a good school to learn from.

Then, a brief stay with a friend of his father called Monsieur Cappa. A man of great integrity who owned a pastry shop and wanted to teach and refine Michel's knowledge.

In 1979, contaminated by the American dream, he arrived in Los Angeles, California.

He started to work with Chef Gilles Saunier, one of the first French restaurant in Hollywood, called Au Petit Cafe. There, Chef Gilles and Michel were sharing the same passion and doing dishes the old fashion way, but still very appreciated today: vichyssoise,  blanquette de veau, home made pate souffli and tarte tatin, were the big winners.

Then Michel joined the culinary team of the famous cabaret La Cage aux Folles. For a brief  period of time, life and work were to be consumed with no moderation: sleep day light and work at night time under the spot light of a crazy LA Cabaret.

In 1981 he met with Michel Richard, star Chef from Los Angeles, former Chef of Gaston Lenotre, father of all pastry chefs. There, Michel decided to pursue his career as  a pastry chef. When Michel Richard saw the passion and love that Michel had toward his work he did not hesitated to become his mentor, and showed him his art and generosity,  all the little tricks that would make a big difference in Michel's life.

In 1983, Michel became the pastry chef of Pierre Sauvaget, an old friend of Michel Richard, who was opening a  gastro restaurant .

In 1984, Michel joined  Jimmy Murphy at Jimmy's, one of Beverly Hills jet set favorite restaurant.

Its in 1985 , at  26 years old,  that Michel was the Executive Pastry Chef of the Los Angeles Hilton and Tower Hotel.  Running a team of 15 persons and overlooking all the restaurants and banquet operations.

In 1990, he was the  Pastry Chef of legendary Beverly Hills Hotel where he had to exceed expectations of a very demanding clientele.

In 1992, Michel met with Chef Marc Ehrler from the Saint ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, a highly rated resort. Chef Marc Ehrler, an ex from Alain Ducasse, was looking for a pastry chef that could match his talent to go and to open one of the ten most exquisite resort in the world, called: Hotel La Samanna. 86 rooms only, and two restaurants, but the expectations were very high, as most of the clientele was  rich and famous. There, Michel had to excel.

He designed, created and customized pasty creations for that superb and delicate clientele.

Michel stayed five years on the island, but every ten month he went back to France  to keep up with the latest pastry trend at the Lenotre School. One of the most renowned pastry school in the world.

In 1998, at the request of the Biltmore Hotel,  Michel accepted the position of Executive Pastry Chef and joined the culinary team, and felt that his presence kept the Biltmore legendary standards at his highest level.

In 2000 he rejoined his old friend Marc Ehrler Executive Chef at the Loews Hotel in Miami Beach. 

Today,  he would like you to take advantage of his years of knowledge and experience, so you may try, in all simplicity, a taste of what occurs to be a little taste of a big passion. Customizing what he calls the deserts of the sun.                                                       

His native background and his travel from California to the Caribbean and to Florida based on a method of using and incorporating local products,  herbs and spices,  adding texture and temperature,  makes him an accomplished Pastry Chef.