Our Story

Our Mission

Our Mission
Michael’s mission is for you to taste real flavors, freshness and escape mediocrity. Flybird serves fine everyday food you can enjoy knowing only the best and healthiest ingredients are used.

Chef Salmon has distilled all his knowledge to create a chicken that is juicy, flavorful and wonderfully charred. The entire menu is built on seasonality and produce that can always be delivered daily and locally grown if possible. Every morning trays of fresh garlic and lemons are prepped to perfection, the cilantro sauce is mixed and the grill is fired up….and voila…the Flybird chicken experience is ready to enjoy.

Meet Michael

Meet Michael
After graduating the CIA, Michael earned a spot as the saucier at the famed 21 Club, where he learned advanced food techniques by Chef Geoffrey Zakarian. He then became Chef de Cuisine at the posh eatery “Arcadia” in New York. Arcadia was a pioneer of farm to table, before the expression even existed, and this approach to simple and seasonal food is the foundation of his cooking style.

Michael's culinary background includes being a personal chef to mayor Ed Koch for three years, where he cooked for Jackie O and a long list of A-listers. He continued as executive chef at Mickey Mantles, which was a favorite spot for sports legends. The owner himself “The Mick” was a huge fan of Michael’s cooking and they shared memorable moments together. Michael was also invited as a guest chef at the famed James Beard House.

Michael was selected from thousands of nationally recognized chefs to participate in The Next Food Network Star television show, and for him this was like the icing on the cake. He is an entertainer at heart, and cooking on a national stage was a lot of fun. He was later invited back to participate on the 24 Hour Restaurant Challenge with his daughter Geri, and it was a fantastic experience to share with her.

Both the chef’s daughter and wife are involved in FlyBird, and being able to be in this culinary adventure with family is a dream come true for Michael. “I have cooked for my friends since I was in high-school. Whenever I asked what they wanted, they always said, 'Just feed me,' which stuck with all of us into adulthood. So to this day, I tell anyone coming to Flybird to say 'Just Feed Me' and I will take care of the rest."