Chef of the Month 1999

Chef of the Month Michael Bennett: The Left Bank, Fort Lauderdale "Food reflects your relationship to life. When you create food, you also create memories," says Michael Bennett, chef at the Left Bank in Fort Lauderdale. Bennett came to the Left Bank two... More

Chef of the Month Michael Bennett: The Left Bank, Fort Lauderdale "Food reflects your relationship to life. When you create food, you also create memories," says Michael Bennett, chef at the Left Bank in Fort Lauderdale. Bennett came to the Left Bank two years ago after 26 years of experience, including The Doral and Epicure Market in Miami, where he became famous for his Tropical Cuisine. "My friends would talk about the dinners they had at The Left Bank, and I wanted to work for one of the best places in town," says Bennett. The unassuming burly-looking giant – Bennett is 6 4"- has since then successfully filled the famed Jean Pierre Brehier s apron, and his modern global cuisine is creating delightful memories for The Left Bank s habitués. Bennett s earliest cooking memories - he has been working in restaurant kitchens since he was 15 - date back to when he was nine in Fort Lauderdale. "My brothers and I would make Saturday breakfast for my folks," he recalls. While preparin Less