Mike’s Food

Mike’s Food I’m an in-house chef looking to showcase some of my culinary creations

So much to be thankful for!! Thanksgiving was originally celebrated after a successful harvest, which meant plenty of fo...
10/11/2026

So much to be thankful for!!

Thanksgiving was originally celebrated after a successful harvest, which meant plenty of food for the winter. It’s a day for family, stretchy jogging pants, and food induced comas.

Last nights dinner party theme was “fall harvest”, but I definitely steered clear of traditional turkey and mashed potatoes.
Check it out:

1. Fennel salad, Dijon vinaigrette, arugula, pear, crispy prosciutto, candied pecans

2. Walnut crusted salmon, crispy beet pavé, garlic aioli, carrot/horseradish puree,
micro broccoli

3. Braised short ribs, butternut squash gnocchi, roasted heirloom carrots, cranberry chimichurri

4. Smoked apple stuffed with apple/blueberry crisp, blueberry amaretto compote, amaretto whipped cream

Have a wonderful day!

Yesterday was Sunday, it was also the first Sunday for the NFL. (Go 🦁) It should have been a pizza night. I think growin...
09/14/2026

Yesterday was Sunday, it was also the first Sunday for the NFL. (Go 🦁) It should have been a pizza night.

I think growing up, our family ordered pizza on Sundays approximately 78% of the time. Watch football, turn to golf when you needed a nap, watched more football, an then ordered pizza. Our preferred pizza place knew our order, and our address without being told.

I tried to start this with my family, I played the nostalgia card. It worked for a bit, but I get an awful glare when I suggest pizza anymore. I think we are down to 3%.

So instead of crispy, chewy, cheesy, saucy perfection in every bite, this it what we had:

Savoury garlic and chive waffles, apple c***r braised pork belly, wh***ey maple apple compote, topped with an egg

Love a good breakfast for dinner, just not on Sunday 😁

A full 3 or 4 course, elevated breakfast for dinner sounds pretty good if you’re interested. Reach out!

“No allergies, no aversions, we’re open to anything, and make it a surprise.” Yes!!!!!My creative juices are always flow...
08/30/2026

“No allergies, no aversions, we’re open to anything, and make it a surprise.” Yes!!!!!

My creative juices are always flowing, when it comes to menu planning, but last night was an opportunity to put my twist on a cuisine that I’ve never tackled before.

Nordic cuisine is simple, seasonal, and ingredient-focused, featuring wild game, seafood, mushrooms, berries, root vegetables, and grains. It often uses smoking, curing, pickling, and fermentation, with earthy flavours balanced by fresh acidity. Definitely not the most popular type of food, but maybe it should be???

Check out my menu:

1. Venison carpaccio, salt cured egg yolk,
raspberry, toasted almonds, arugula, Dijon vinaigrette

2. Seared scallops, parsnip purée, w**e poached pear, prosciutto crisp, lemon dill butter, micro radish

3. B**r braised beef cheek, wild mushroom barley risotto, blackberry gremolata, fried shallots

4. Smoked apple/blueberry crisp, whipped mascarpone

Let’s book something!

Last night was the finale in my summer bachelorette series, it’s been fun!! I was given the go ahead to do a surprise “M...
08/22/2026

Last night was the finale in my summer bachelorette series, it’s been fun!!

I was given the go ahead to do a surprise “Mike’s choice” type of menu, my favourite kind, 😆. The bride to be loves Italian, Mexican, and Lebanese food, and if you follow along with my social media, based on the quite common trend of people asking for Italian and Mexican, I wanted a change of pace.

My family loves Lebanese food! We are in Windsor all of the time with our kids sports, stopping for a takeout shawarma is a regular occurrence. Still trying to figure out who can beat windsorpalacerestaurant?? Any suggestions?

Anyways, on to last night’s menu, I had to dig deep for some different ideas, and how I could twist it up. Check it out:

1. Roasted bone marrow, grilled pita, fattoush salad

2. A play on samke harra, which is most commonly served with white fish, and a spicy lemon tahini sauce. Instead I did walnut crusted scallops, served on eggplant fritters, the samke harra sauce, pomegranate seeds, lemon zest, and parsley

3. Shish barak, (Lebanese dumplings usually stuffed with lamb, and served in a lemon/garlic yogurt sauce) I stuffed mine with eggplant and onions, coffee crust rack of lamb, roasted heirloom carrots, mint chimichurri , pine nuts

4. Kataifi (shredded pastry used in Dubai chocolate) , grilled peaches, orange blossom whipped mascarpone, blackberry sauce, lemon/lime zest, roasted pistachio

Another spectacular view last night, celebrating an upcoming wedding. When I arrived and saw the bridal party had the m...
07/25/2026

Another spectacular view last night, celebrating an upcoming wedding. When I arrived and saw the bridal party had the margarita machine running, I knew the Mexican theme (with a twist or two) would fit quite perfectly. 🍸🍸

Check out the menu:

1. Grilled watermelon, arugula, chili lime vinaigrette, grilled corn, guacamole, cotija, candied pumpkin seeds

2. Grilled shrimp, queso blanco, grilled pineapple, roasted poblano/jalapeno, toasted tortilla strips

3. Mexican/italian fusion (my in-laws should turn away now😆)
Butternut squash ravioli, braised short ribs, espresso, chipotle jus, pickled onions, avocado crema, micro greens

4. Mango margarita cheesecake, tequila infused mango purée, fresh mango, mint torched tequila lime

Reach out!!

Dinner on the Mediterranean Sea (maybe Lake Erie) last night to celebrate a bride to be! So many great short term rental...
07/13/2026

Dinner on the Mediterranean Sea (maybe Lake Erie) last night to celebrate a bride to be! So many great short term rentals in our area, but this place was especially stunning!

Theme for the night was Mediterranean, with each course highlighting my take on a different European country’s cuisine Lots of fun creating this menu for sure! Check it out, and let’s chat about your special nights menu.

1. Italy: panzanella salad, bone marrow vinaigrette, topped with burrata

2. Greece: herb and sundried tomato stuffed chicken thighs, grilled peach, Kalamata olives, hot honey drizzle, toasted almonds, whipped feta

3. Spain: beef tenderloin, smoked eggplant fritters, fried quail egg, pomegranate, garlic aioli, romesco emulsion

4. France: blueberry thyme infused creme brûlée

Summer is finally here…I think?I’ve got some availability in august and September, to cater your backyard pool party, or...
06/23/2026

Summer is finally here…I think?
I’ve got some availability in august and September, to cater your backyard pool party, or a fine dining event while staring out at the sunset on Lake Erie.
Let’s chat about a personalized menu that will take it next level.

Check out some pics of dishes that I’ve created that would definitely fit both the season and the setting.

Cheers 🍻

I had a lot of fun last night not only cooking for a great group, but also interacting! The hosts won a silent auction f...
06/07/2026

I had a lot of fun last night not only cooking for a great group, but also interacting! The hosts won a silent auction for a dinner with me, with proceeds going to kingsvillesouthshore rotary. They do amazing things locally and I was quite happy to give back just a tiny bit, to a group that means a lot to me ❤️ ❤️

Asian fusion was the theme, and I decided to “fuse” each course with a different cuisine. (fyi everything is gluten free) Check it out:

1. Japanese/Spanish
Bison tataki, smoked carrot purée, diced strawberry, roasted asparagus tips, pickled asparagus, miso aioli, toasted almonds

2. Thai/french
Shrimp stuffed crepe, butter poached lobster, roasted pork belly, coconut curry, mango

3. Korean/Mexican
Gochujang short ribs, smashed Caribbean sweet potato, guacamole, pickled onion, micro arugula

4. Thai/italian

Thai basil semifreddo, strawberry rhubarb compote, gingersnap crumble, black sesame tuile, Thai basil oil

A little more casual approach to a good friend’s birthday celebration, thrilled to cook for you, Dave! Hope you enjoyed!...
04/18/2026

A little more casual approach to a good friend’s birthday celebration, thrilled to cook for you, Dave! Hope you enjoyed!

Had this type of menu in the back of my head for a while, just needed the right group. (As long as there was no dill, mushroom, tomato, broccoli, peppers………..) 😂

Menu:

honey whipped feta, strawberries, fennel, prosciutto crisp, pistachio, micro arugula, Dijon vinaigrette.

Waffleuterie board:
Coffee crusted beef tenderloin
Roasted crispy skin pork belly
Grilled shrimp
Sweet potato fritters
Waffles
Plum/red w**e chutney
Blue cheese sauce
Chimichurri
Mustard aioli
Picked onion
(Topped with a fried egg)

Key lime crème brûlée, toasted almonds, raspberries, basil

I’ve had a fair amount of new followers of late (thanks for that!!), and also received more than a couple inquiries with...
04/14/2026

I’ve had a fair amount of new followers of late (thanks for that!!), and also received more than a couple inquiries with questions on what the actual process is like if you book a dinner with me.

Here’s an explanation with some pics, about one of my favourite parties I have had in the last couple of years. Keep in mind, that a total surprise menu is my favourite, but I know it’s not for everyone.

A family was celebrating their parents 50th anniversary, and wanted me to cater it, but also wanted me to totally surprise them. After inquiring about any allergies, or aversions, I dug a little, and found out that a couple months back, the happy couple had celebrated themselves in Portugal, so I decided to culinarily take them back, with my twists.

I always spend a lot of time coming up with customized menus for my guests, but this one required a little extra effort, since I was not extremely familiar with their cuisine.

Here’s a brief description of the menu. If you’re interested in booking something that is fully customized to your group, let’s chat!

1. Pasteis de Bacalhau (cod fritters) lemon garlic aioli, carrot ribbon salad honey lemon vinaigrette, candied pecans, kalamata olives, hot honey goat cheese

2. Smoked pork belly, grilled shrimp, sweet corn puree, piri piri sauce , crispy potato skins ( cause there has to be potato somewhere)

3. Braised beef cheeks, plum and port reduction, fried egg, chestnut puree

4. Pasteis de Nata (world famous custard tart), almond and ginger crumble, port macerated cherries

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Kingsville, ON

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