September Chef of the Month
Mike Segarra is our Chef of the Month for September because of two simple words: Customer Obsession.
Chefs might have a reputation for being tortured, standoffish geniuses. In some cases (looking at you, “The Bear”), it might be true. But nothing could be further from the reality of Mike. Simply put, he aims to make a positive impact on someone’s day – and the quickest way to a smile is with a meal that hits the spot.
How does someone come to be so...amazing? Probably from half a lifetime of doing things his way. A native of Bridgewood, Queens, Mike has been cooking since he was fourteen years old, learning from watching the men in his life do the same. He learned that he loved to eat, but didn’t love eating the same thing over and over. The best way to remedy that was to learn how to cook for himself.. Now, after developing a passion from experimenting in the kitchen, Mike believes that you can take even the worst ingredient and make it delicious – all you need to do is “give it a little love.”
At DIG, Mike’s favorite dishes are the Cashew Kale Caesar with Roasted Broccoli as a “strong second place.” But once a chef, always a chef: another trick to honing his craft is taking home DIG meatballs and adding them to pasta and veggies.
It wasn’t too long ago that two customers came into DIG arguing over a parking spot. Mike, being the peacemaker in every room, made sure both parties left in a good mood by giving out some cookies and grub on the house. Breaking bread is one thing, but when it’s offered directly from the chef? That can end quite a few conflicts. This is Mike, and this is why we celebrate him now: because he’s all about, in his own words, “Peace, love, and DIG.”