Champion! Chef Michael has always loved and had in interest in food. At age 12, he began working in his aunt’s restaurant at the Hotel Limpia Dining room. By 14, he was trained and shaped by chefs on the line and soon took a lead role in the kitchen. In 2003, Michael graduated from Fort Davis and moved to the Rio Grande Valley to study culinary arts. He received his Associates Degree in Culinary Arts in 2005 and went to work at H-E-B as the Department Manager for the Cooking Connection. In 2013, he launched his own business, Exquisite Catering, and has had the pleasure of catering all kinds of small and large events as well as destination weddings.