Michael Reed has long been the chef and owner of Poppy + Rose, a popular breakfast and brunch spot in Los Angeles’s Southern California Flower Market. But before the pandemic he was also catering and running the kitchen at The Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills.
When the pandemic hit, he, like so many people, took the downtime to reassess his life. He moved to Orange County and opened Poppy & Seed, a farm-to-table restaurant in Anaheim with its own greenhouse, leaving the Los Angeles restaurant mostly in the capable hands of the crew there, many of whom have been with him for years. Now he’s working on the elusive achievement of work-life balance while planning a new seaside restaurant in San Pedro, Calif., and developing weekly tasting menus.
He recently discussed his change in approach, which includes a new service style that brings cooks into the dining room, his strategy for creating positive work environments and his plans for the future.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
Follow him on Twitter: @foodwriterdiary
