Chef Michael Siegel’s culinary foundation was built in the kitchens of Tucson, Arizona, cooking alongside his mother and grandmother. This early appreciation for vibrant, regional flavors eventually led him to San Francisco in 2003, where he climbed the ranks of the city’s most respected institutions, including Grand Café and Bix. Notably, as Chef de Cuisine at the acclaimed Betelnut, Michael worked under Chef Alexander Ong to maintain the restaurant’s prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand and San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 status.
In 2012, Michael honored his family roots by opening Shorty Goldstein’s, a beloved Jewish Delicatessen in San Francisco’s Financial District. Named after his great-grandmother, the deli became a destination for artisanal comfort foods—from house-made pastrami to his great-grandmother’s signature potato knish.
Returning to the Mexican influences of his youth, Michael later took the helm at Playa in Mill Valley. There, he fuses traditional techniques with modern interpretations, a successful formula that has earned the restaurant consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand honors in 2023, 2024, and 2025. In 2024, he expanded his footprint with the opening of Corner Bar, a vibrant cocktail lounge featuring Mediterranean-inspired small plates. Whether crafting a delicate crudo or a complex mole, Michael’s food remains grounded in a career spent exploring world flavors through the lens of exceptional hospitality.