When it comes to Italian cuisine, few American chefs have a history quite like Michael White. A Wisconsin native he’s spent decades mastering Italian cooking, earning six Michelin stars throughout his career and a James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant for his celebrated New York restaurant, Marea, following years of training in Italy and France.
But guess what: Now, Miami gets a taste of his culinary expertise at MIKA in Coral Gables.
The restaurant marks another exciting chapter for White, whose passion for beautiful ingredients, impeccable technique, and authentic Italian flavors has made him one of the industry’s most respected names.
At MIKA, White brings his decades of experience to Coral Gables, delivering the refined Italian dining that made him a household name among serious food lovers. As executive chef and co-founder of BBianco Hospitality, alongside business partner Bruce Bronster, he’s expanding his culinary footprint with restaurants in Miami, New York, the Bahamas, and beyond.
For Miami diners, MIKA is an opportunity to experience the talents of a chef who has cooked his way through some of the world’s most celebrated kitchens without having to book a flight to Manhattan or Milan.
Name: Michael White
Nickname: Chefbianco
Owner at: Chef & Restaurateur, BBianco Hospitality, SANTI, New York City; MIKA, Coral Gables, Florida.
Why MIKA in Miami, and why Coral Gables? Miami has become one of the most exciting dining cities in the country. You can taste influences from all over the world here, sometimes in the span of a single afternoon. What I like about Coral Gables is that it still has that neighborhood feel. The Plaza has a real sense of community, and you get to know the people who come through the door. With MIKA, I wanted to create a place people could make part of their routine, somewhere they’d come back to two or three times a week, not just save for a birthday or anniversary.
Childhood leftover memory: Love leftovers…I remember eating lots of casseroles growing up as a kid in Wisconsin. There’s always leftovers when there’s a casserole involved.
Favorite restaurant to take leftovers home from: Honestly, any Chinese (Cantonese to be specific) - 100%!
My last meal would be: A beautiful plate of pasta, great bread still warm enough to tear apart with your hands, sprematura extra virgin olive oil and a really good bottle of Sangiovese. Nothing complicated, just excellent ingredients, cooked properly, with enough time to enjoy every bite.
If you were a guest in your own restaurant, what would you order? I would start with one of the crudos, pasta al pomodoro and a great steak. Mika really covers all the bases.
What music is playing in your kitchen? The list is long and quite eclectic. I listen to everything from Mobb Deep to 50 Cent, Action Bronson, AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
What do you wear at home in the kitchen? A T-shirt and shorts. I’m not putting on chef whites to make dinner at home. The only uniform I need is something I can get sauce on without worrying about it.
Favorite thing about the Miami restaurant scene: The energy! Miami feels international and constantly in motion, with an incredible mix of cultures, cuisines and traditions. You can move from one neighborhood to another and feel like you’ve traveled somewhere completely different.
Least favorite thing about the Miami restaurant scene: Sometimes, there’s too much emphasis on the scene, the room, the crowd and the photograph, and not enough on what’s actually on the plate. A restaurant can look beautiful, but at the end of the night, it’s the food that has to speak for itself.
After work, I drink (alcoholic/non-alcoholic): Diet Coke!
What would people be most surprised to know about you? I’m into street rods and lower rider trucks. Go figure!
Kitchen tool you swear by: A good, sharp knife. You can have a kitchen full of expensive equipment, but if your knife isn’t right, you’re going to get nowhere. A sharp blade gives you control, precision, and cleaner cuts and it makes the work feel better, too.
Most overrated culinary trend: Anything designed primarily to look good on Instagram rather than taste good. If the dish needs a camera angle, a ring light and an explanation before you can enjoy it, we may have lost the plot.
Thoughts on MSG: It’s an ingredient, not the enemy. Used properly, it has its place, just like salt or anything else. The goal is balance, not fear of a seasoning that can make food taste fuller and more savory.
Favorite thing to cook at home: I cook everything at home but everyone always wants me to make pasta!!
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be doing? Something to do with boats, cars and/or automobile racing.
What advice would you give aspiring chefs? Learn the fundamentals. Show up early, work hard, pay attention and don’t be in such a hurry to become an executive chef. You need to first learn how to cook, how to season, how to manage heat, how to respect ingredients and how to stay calm when the kitchen gets out of control. The title comes later.
What’s your #1 guest-order pet peeve? I really don’t have any pet peeves when it comes to guests! The customer wants what they want and I will do whatever I can within reason to accommodate.
Favorite city to visit for food: Only one?? Hong Kong, Bologna, Paris, Lyon, Mexico City, Dubai. Sorry, I cannot anwser that in a simple way!