Chef of the Month: Michael Madigan of Farm 2 Bistro in Rockaway
By JILLIAN RISBERG · SPECIAL TO THE DAILY RECORD · April 7, 2010
Cooking runs in Michael Madigan's blood. The executive chef at Farm 2 Bistro in Rockaway has been around food his entire life: Dad's a chef, Mom was a restaurant owner and his paternal grandmother also worked in kitchens. "It's on both sides," Madigan says. "It was kind of genetic."
During high school, he helped his parents on the weekends and received his gastronomic education at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. After graduation, Madigan spent time as a chef at Rockefeller Resorts in the Virgin Islands, as well as premier destinations in San Francisco; Dublin, Ireland; Southeast Asia and Hawaii. He says he spent a good 15 years just traveling, working and cooking.
In 2005, he started Snails and Quails, a catering company serving the Star of America and other big ships docked at Chelsea Piers in New York City and Weehawken. His idea was to focus on the best products that could be sourced the closest and most efficiently. His fondness for using New Jersey produce sprung up and evolved from there. But despite substantial success, things changed.
"The economy exploded," Madigan says. "All my customers with Citibank, AIG, the construction companies, the real estate companies - these were the people who were renting the boats. We went from millions to nothing."
The chef decided to take action immediately, opening Nutley's Farm 2 Bistro in August 2008, amid the worst financial crisis the country had seen in years. He expanded with a second location in Rockaway this past February.
Madigan prides himself on serving the freshest local produce, depending on the season. He uses organic lettuce and greens and sustainable seafood. Although not all the meat he serves is organic or certified organic, Madigan adheres to safe-farming practices and humane animal treatment. The gelatos he serves are 100 percent organic; the teas and coffees are fair-trade organic.
In spring, summer and fall, "we literally have people bring us stuff from their backyard gardens," he says. "We took local to another level - hyper local."