Chef & Partner of Porter House Bar & Grill NYC
GOTHAM ARTISTS COLLECTIVE
Michael Lomonaco
Speaking Fee: 18214
Travels From: Available Upon Request
Michael Lomonaco At A Glance:
Michael Lomonaco is the Culinary Director of the highly respected and successful restaurant Porter House Bar and Grill along with his piano-cocktail lounge Center Bar. He is an original star of Food Network, a food and travel host on Discovery and Travel channels, and was a Distinguished Visiting Professor at CUNY. An esteemed veteran of American cooking and the New York restaurant scene, Michael has helmed some of NYC’s most iconic kitchens including ‘21’, Windows on the World, Wild Blue, Noche and Guastavino’s. His philanthropic work has made him a leader in the restaurant community and his hometown NYC.
Widely regarded as a Chef’s Chef, Michael is one of America’s Most Recognizable Culinary Leaders. Having spent his career in some of New York’s most respected restaurants, he promotes an welcoming atmosphere of warm hospitality alongside his modern American cooking. Michael is known for dishes that feature pristine ingredients prepared with joy and gusto.
Michael Lomonaco is the Culinary Director of the highly respected and successful restaurant Porter House Bar and Grill, and Center Bar, a mixologist’s dream. He is an original star of Food Network, spent 8 years as a noted food and travel host on Discovery and Travel Channels, and has taught cooking classes throughout the US. In 2002 Michael was appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor at New York’s CUNY. Equally at home in front of a University lecture hall, on a frenetic TV studio set, or up close and personal in your virtual kitchen, Michael inspires us with lively and warm personality, quips and tips on cooking, wine, music. Ask him where to find the best of anything, anywhere!
Throughout his long culinary career Michael has always been involved and engaged in community service. He has served on the advisory boards of many food and hunger related non-profits including Share Our Strength, City Harvest, C-CAP. Following the tragic aftermath of 9/11, he co-founded Windows of Hope, a 501-C3 charity which raised millions of dollars for the benefit of families of the food service workers who perished at the World Trade Center. Service to others is a hallmark of his culinary ethos, the gift of hospitality through which Michael uses food to do more than feed those around him.
Within his leadership keynotes and interactive cooking classes, Chef Lomonaco provides a unique perspective on adapting, adjusting, creating and delivering the gift of hospitality to customers and employees alike in any fast-paced environment, regardless of the circumstance or industry. His approach to hospitality, the gift we give others, is what all businesses need most in customer relations, staff and team-building, and how we can best represent ourselves to the world around us.
Michael has faced challenges and adversity in life which had left him feeling alone and grief stricken. His methods of coping during difficult times have allowed him to move forward with life and thrive under pressure. He is in the process of writing a memoir which details these challenges and shares his ideology and beliefs. Sharing truthful stories about his life experiences, resilience, and renewal has given him the opportunity to help others through personal crisis. As he recounts the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and the aftermath and rebuilding of his life and helping others rebuild their own lives we are shown a lifetime of insight into how to live a life of hope and acceptance.
-
Kitchen Sessions: Inspired Leadership
As a chef and restaurateur, Michael Lomonaco knows that while there is no single "recipe for success," there are certainly key ingredients that need to be present to succeed. Through his years of dedication and innovation in his restaurants and in the hospitality industry as a whole, Michael's well established reputation for thoughtful leadership is based on inclusiveness and kindness. His firmly held belief that enabling and empowering others to develop their own goals and harness their "inner entrepreneur" propels businesses from merely surviving to thriving achievements. His commitment to "doing the work" shows through his engagement in mentorship and his support of his industry and community. -
The Human Spirit: Managing Crises with Resilience, Creativity & Compassion
The unexpected challenges that life brings to everyone often create chaos and uncertainty. Throughout his own journey, Michael Lomonaco has faced life's situations with a strong foundation of belief in human inner strength, Stoic acceptance and determination. This practical philosophy has allowed him to rise to the occasion with compassion for others while maintaining mindfulness. In this frank and entertaining dialogue, Michael shares his personal and professional experiences to inspire audiences to live with resilience, strength, courage and to enrich their lives with the creative spirit at its core.
-
"Roundtables"
Bringing people together is the essence of hospitality. Michael Lomonaco draws on his experiences to bring people together through food, culture and conversation. Michael works directly with clients to create interactive culinary experiences on any topic such as wine, coffee, olive oil, pastries, grilling…you name it. You will have the opportunity to cook along or just relax and learn. Customized culinary gifts upon request. In person or virtual.
Partnering with Gotham Artists Creative, a division of Gotham Artists, Michael works directly with clients to create engaging and interactive culinary experiences. Attendees have the opportunity to cook and chat with Michael while creating a wonderful meal for themselves and their family. Gotham Creative manages all of the fulfillment needs associated with your event - sourcing, packaging, and delivering all of the ingredients for a masterful event. It's a can't-miss experience!
Michael Lomonaco tells a story that is captivating, heartbreaking, and even life changing. He adds color to what humanity really means in our daily lives and he challenges us to re-evaluate the relationships we have with our family, our peers and coworkers, our neighbors, and our customers.He is a natural presenter, highly engaging, and authentic to the core. There's hardly an event or audience that wouldn't benefit from hearing him speak.— Heartland Payment Systems
Chef Michael was great to work with and very entertaining for all our guests. One of my favorite parts about working with Michael was how he told stories to our guests in between cooking. Through the planning process, Michael was super creative and organized. I appreciated his optimism and flexibility with all my crazy ideas!— Yext International
The live stream with Chef Michael went great! A ton of questions and engagements and a great way to start off the series! He made it look easy.— Decoded Advertising
Michael was a fantastic addition to the VISA x Hudson Yards series. He did a great job during the live demo and the viewers were loving him.— VISA Sponsorship Marketing
What a treat it was to virtually cook with Michael in his kitchen! He was so generous with advice and tips and was such a natural. Michael was very accessible to the audience and a warm and wonderful storyteller. The whole experience was just so enjoyable and we can't wait to work with him again— First Republic Bank Strategic Partnerships
Related Speakers
Danny Meyer
Founder & Executive Chairman, Union Square Hospitality Group
Danny Meyer is the founder of Union Square Hospitality Group and Shake Shack. His restaurants and chefs have earned an unprecedented 28 James Beard Awards, and in 2015, Danny was named to the TIME 100 list of the Most Influential People in the World. Now Available for Virtual Programs
Bruce Feiler
Bestselling Author and TV Host
BRUCE FEILER is one of America’s most thoughtful voices on contemporary life. He is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including LIFE IS IN THE TRANSITIONS, THE SECRETS OF HAPPY FAMILIES, and COUNCIL OF DADS. His three TED Talks have been viewed more than four million times, and he teaches the TED Course HOW TO MASTER LIFE TRANSITIONS. His latest book, THE SEARCH: Finding Meaningful Work in a Post-Career World (May 2023), is a bold new roadmap for finding meaning and purpose at work, based on insights drawn from hundreds of life stories of all vocations and backgrounds.
Nick DiGiovanni
Youngest Ever Masterchef Finalist & TikTok Celebrity
With over 5 million TikTok followers and making the Forbes 30 under 30 list, his audience is steadily growing as the world sees his passion and watches this young man balance the transition from Harvard grad to cooking phenomenon and young entrepreneur pursuing his dreams.
Eddie Huang
CELEBRITY CHEF | BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF FRESH OFF THE BOAT | HOST FOR VICE AND MTV
Celebrity chef. Charismatic host of Huang’s World on VICE. Bestselling author of Fresh Off the Boat—adapted into the groundbreaking hit ABC sitcom—as well as Double Cup Love. Yes, entrepreneur EDDIE HUANG is many things, but beneath each incarnation is an irresistible story of entrepreneurship and self-made success. He speaks on how embracing cultural diversity—your own story—is vital if we want to grow as people, and as a society.
