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Michael Brennan
Executive Chef
Executive Chef Brennan was raised on an island on the coast of Florida. While growing up, he spent many summers on the Western side of the United States visiting his mother's family in San Diego, California. The combination of growing up on both coasts is evident in his cooking style. Chef Brennan loves to use ingredients that he found in his backyard on Marco Island and combine it with great, fresh produce from California. He likes to use mango, star fruit, papaya, pineapple, and oranges and pair any one of them with a California Hass avocado, water chestnuts, and cilantro to make a beautiful tropical salsa served over grilled Pacific Halibut.
Chef Brennan started as a dishwasher when he was fourteen years old. After a couple of months on the job, and wanting to quit, Chef Brennan's father told him, rather sternly, you are not going to quit, you are going to learn something, and make yourself better. With that, and a few more life lessons, Chef Brennan was off to learn all aspects of the kitchen, working with Executive Chef Rick Scalise. Working his way through high school he learned the ins and outs of the kitchen while ascending the ranks of the culinary hierarchy.
After high school and a short stint at a state university, Chef Brennan decided to return to his passion and go to culinary school. After culinary school, Chef Brennan was ready to travel the world. He worked as Chef/Manager for a small Bed & Breakfast in Costa Rica for almost two years, learning the culture and food of Central America. From Central America, he moved to Geneva, Switzerland, where he worked and studied, in awe, under Executive Chef Manu Barros. Following Chef Barros day in and day out, Chef Brennan learned how a true European kitchen is run, as well as great regional specialties and desserts. While in Geneva, learning the culture and the French language, Chef Brennan also worked as a Personal Chef for a local family. After returning back to the United States, Chef Brennan worked for a restaurant company, Culinary Concepts, as Chef Tournant, traveling between the companies' different concepts, and working with their many great Chefs, Skip Quillen, Whilhelm Gahabka, Chris Metzler, and Gary Minteer.
In the year 2000, Chef Brennan moved back out to California where he held positions as Corporate Chef and Executive "Regional" Chef for two different restaurant companies.
Executive Chef Brennan knows that he doesn't "know it all" but strives for perfection on every occasion. He states, "For me one of the best feelings in the world is when someone comes up to you with a big smile and states, "that was one of the best meals I have ever had."
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