Michael Hinojosa was born and raised in Puerto Rico, moving to Florida with his parents at the age of 15. Thanks to his father’s background, Hinojosa grew up eating and preparing Spanish and American dishes in his families’ kitchen which in turn, has largely influenced his current cooking style.
Hinojosa began his journey through the culinary world at a small, local pizzeria where he worked as a dish washer. It wasn’t until his boss needed help sautéing vegetables that he stumbled upon his true calling. He will never forget the aromas permeating from the pan that marked the start of his career.
After working nearly every front and back-of-house position within the restaurant industry, making him the well-rounded person his is today, Hinojosa made a decision to stay in the kitchen and never looked back. After working in prestigious kitchens such as The Capital Grille and Seasons 52, Hinojosa yearned to flourish at a restaurant where he could push the limits of his creativity. Fortunately, he made his way to City Cellar, where he fell in love with their culinary team and immediately began putting his touch on signature dishes working as sous chef.
Although he has never received a culinary degree, Michael attributes his culinary chops to his passion and extensive experience in the kitchen. Besides his families’ influence, Hinojosa draws a great deal of inspiration from Thomas Keller and the Voltaggio brothers. He claims the most satisfying part from his every day job is his confidence in knowing that he is the best at what he does.
When he’s not in the kitchen at City Cellar, Hinojosa enjoys watching soccer and spending time with his wife and two daughters.
City Cellar Wine Bar & Grill: Set within West Palm Beach’s popular City Place overlooking the courtyard fountains, City Cellar is an upscale bar and grill with an exceptional award-winning wine list offering over 400 wines by the bottle, half bottle, glass and flight. The restaurant’s focal point is the magnificent floor to ceiling glass-enclosed wine cellar located behind the bar with a wine list that earned a place on the 2011 Wine Spectators’ “It List” including fine vintages from around the world in all price ranges. The menu from Chef Michael Hinojosa offers a variety of flavors and textures beautifully presented from pizza and pasta to steak and sea bass, along with a daily selection of local and imported artisanal cheeses from France, Spain and Italy. City Cellar’s energetic happy hour is driven by its two for one cocktail special and half priced appetizers from 4-7pm, creating a casual see-and-be-seen ambiance at their spacious interior bar and outside at “Iggy’s Bar”. 700 S. Rosemary Ave, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 | 561.366.0071 | www.CityCellarWPB.com |City Cellar also has a second location in Westbury, New York.