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 has had the opportunity to participate in Food Network productions such as Best Thing I Ever Made, Chefography, and Martha Stewart Magazine. He was also a featured contributor to the books Street Eats, Crossing Borders, and Savor by food photographer Alan "Battman" Batt.

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Michael competed on the hit TV Show Chopped (champion), Cutthroat Kitchen (champion), Beat Bobby Flay (finalist), Iron Chef America (4-1 in five episodes), and Bobby's Triple Threat. 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. Recently, he has moved to the other side of the table judging many episodes of Beat Bobby Flay and the Worst Cooks in America Season 27 finale. He is currently serving as the executive chef at Butter Restaurant.