Michael Bertozzi, a nationally acclaimed chef, is the Director of Culinary at The Kitchen Restaurant Group where he leads menu development, recruiting and training of chefs for the growing company’s restaurant concepts and multi- locations across America. A Florida native, Bertozzi has been working in restaurants since he was 15 years old. Born and raised in Jacksonville, he credits his passion for Southern cuisine to his mother and grandmother, both native Texans.
Bertozzi attended Auburn University where he graduated with a degree in Biomedical Sciences. Like many students, he worked in the restaurant industry while studying and essentially “cooked his way through school.” Bertozzi made a name for himself in his alma mater’s town, working at several restaurants including Skybar Café and IN ITALY Ristorante & Bar, where he became the head mixologist. Furthermore, he served as Sous Chef at Auburn’s famous Amsterdam Café where he also had a hand in designing and cultivating their two-acre “Chef Garden” as part of their campaign to “Buy Fresh, Buy Local”.
In 2010, Bertozzi was recruited to one of the top restaurants in the country, Atlanta’s TWO urban licks, to work with Chef Cameron Thompson. A brief hiatus took him back to Alabama to serve as Executive Chef at Central before returning back to TWO urban licks as Executive Chef. Bertozzi also served as Directory of Culinary for Concentrics Restaurants. When he is not cooking, Bertozzi enjoys fishing, gardening and spending time with his wife and two children.
