Michael Patlazhan

 I take simple ingredients and dress them in something extravagant.

My focus is creating flavorful, beautiful-looking meals with an emphasis on innovation and purity. I am always trying to incorporate a wide range of ingredients into my style and seek to craft meals that are bursting with flavor and nutritional content. I incorporate my love for cooking with the technical knowledge that I have acquired from my studies at the French Culinary Institute.

My arsenal now includes techniques inspired by Molecular Gastronomy, but I believe that food doesn’t have to be fussy or difficult in order to be interesting and delicious. I have been experimenting recently with deconstructing classic dishes, highlighting each component with top-quality ingredients and creating a new eating experience.

I had not cooked anything until about 4 years ago. I was always interested in food, but my experience never went beyond eating in restaurants and admiring my wife’s mother, who is an excellent cook. After working in Finance, I took advantage of an opportunity to study at the French Culinary Institute and graduated from FCI last year.  During my studies, I was interning at the Dutch in NYC. After completion of my courses, I started working in Park Avenue Winter.

During my time at Park Avenue I started my catering business called “Cooking With You and For You” through which I work with customers to bring the restaurant to your door! I think it is important to volunteer as well and have helped at events such as the James Beard Foundation “Taste of the NFL” with Bobby Flay.