In 1979, at the age of 25, Michael McCarty founded MICHAEL’S, a restaurant in Santa Monica, California. An instant success, it remains one of the most acclaimed and popular restaurants in the United States. Both McCarty, who is chef/owner, and MICHAEL’S have been written about in countless national and international newspaper articles and in numerous magazine features. In 1984, he was named to Cook’s Magazine’s Top 50 “Who’s Who of Cooking in America”.

McCarty was raised in Briarcliff Manor, New York and Rockford, Illinois. His parents’ frequent parties and array of great friends gave him an early appreciation for stylish hospitality and good American food. He attended the Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and lived in Rennes, France for a year as part of the Andover-Exeter School Year Abroad program at Rennes. It was there that McCarty made his first contact with the French Dining experience and, most important, with French Cuisine and joie de vivre.

After completing his secondary studies at the Hill School, McCarty moved to Paris to study cooking, wines and hotel and restaurant management. He received his Certificate d’Aptitude Professionelle from the Ecole Hoteliere de Paris, the Grand Diplome from the Cordon Bleu, and a diploma from the Academy du Vin. McCarty’s first restaurant venture came while still living on the Ile Saint-Louis, serving the first examples of MICHAEL’S New American Food. His fresh, light, innovative style of cooking became a basis for the founding of the “California Cuisine” movement.

In 1974, McCarty returned to the United States, attended Cornell’s Summer Hotel Program, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in the Business and Art of Gastronomy from the University of Colorado at Boulder. While at Boulder, he also taught intensive seminars on food and wine pairing, in French. In addition, he was consulting chef and co-owner of two local restaurants.

With chef/partner Jimmy Schmidt, McCarty opened The Rattlesnake Club’s in Denver, 1985, in Detroit, 1988, and in 1989 opened Adirondacks in Washington D.C.

In the early 1990’s the Rattlesnake Clubs and Adirondacks Restaurants were sold. McCarty currently operates the New York and Santa Monica MICHAEL’S.

His cookbook, MICHAEL’S COOKBOOK: The Art of New American Food and Contemporary Entertaining from the Creator of MICHAEL’S Restaurant, published by Macmillan, was released in November 1989.

Michael has been deeply involved in the following organizations:

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), the contemporary art museum in Los Angeles – founding, charter and Director’s Forum member

Los Angeles County Museum of Art, President’s Circle member

Santa Monica Museum of Art, Kim McCarty – Board member

Whitney Museum of Art, NYC – Whitney Circle member

Museum of Modern Art, NYC – Benefactor

The Music Center/Disney Hall/Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County – Gold Circle founder/board member; vice president, Fraternity of Friends

Armory Art Exhibition, NYC

In addition to his energetic involvement in the community and cultural affairs, McCarty keeps abreast of developments in contemporary art.

McCarty is married to the painter Kim McCarty. They have a 16 year-old daughter and a 13 year-old son. The McCarty’s live in Malibu, California, in a cliff side home surrounded by vineyards that in 1989 produced the first vintage from The Malibu Vineyard of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot Blend. The vineyard is now replanted entirely with Pinot Noir and the first vintage of estate wine will be made in 2005.