Same chef, different story
“Enthusiastic,” “Brash!”
By then the young chef had appeared on numerous cooking shows (Top Chef, Cutthroat Kitchen, Knife Fight, Top Chef Masters and Restaurant Startup) and sat through what I assumed were way too many interviews.
I didn’t want to ask the same questions. I didn’t want to tell the same story.
So I stopped reading and just met the guy.
I’m not sure of the exact pleasantries we exchanged when I walked into Midgley’s Public House, in Stockton this summer, and asked for the chef. But sitting outside on the restaurant’s patio I saw what many before me had likely tried to capture in their words.
Michael Midgley is enthusiastic. There’s no denying that. He tells a story like he’s living it out for the first time in front of you. His optimism is the kind that inspires, his honesty, refreshing.
He and wife, Laci, opened Midgley’s in 2014 and the restaurant is to Stockton what its owner is to customers: approachable and fun with a flare for elegance. Scan the rustic décor and you’ll see wooden beef cuts and a coat of arms, the menu and the CAB logo, each item as intentional as the next.
In fact, the last item so thought out that the chef actually set up blind tests to see if the brand held up to its quality reputation.
“I did with my distributor, with my investors and my friends. I did it here with employees against like tons of high-end meat. It won every time,” he says.
“It’s the consistency in size, the flavor, the brand recognition. I just fell in love with the whole CAB program.”
On a recent Chef Tour, the California chef teamed up with other culinary greats and met a Nebraska Angus family as part of the beef production story.
“I see why it’s consistent. The steps producers take, it’s really hard work.”
The words come from a man who knows well the meaning.
If, by chance, you’re able to secure a spot at the bar on the left, you may find Midgley tossing drinks. Blink, and he’ll be back in the kitchen trimming steaks, perfecting recipes and inspiring his staff.
But nothing brings him quite as much joy as turning a vegan onto meat.
“I’ll take a piece of Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) prime rib and slice it up for Happy Hour. They’ll say ‘I don’t eat meat. Okay, maybe I’ll just take a little bite.’ Nobody was born a vegan. We’ve got pointy teeth.”
We do indeed.
Thanks for allowing me to tell your story,
Laura
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