For most of us, honing our skills and dedicating our lives to achieving our dreams is what drives us to become our most successful, authentic selves. Such is the case for chef extraordinaire Michael Reed, who’s been working steadily for 19 years to build his culinary empire. Through his tireless dedication, the Oxnard, California, native has honed his craft in kitchens across the nation while making his mark on the culinary landscape.
Chef Reed’s training began at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and continued on through his work in prestigious, Michelin-starred restaurants The Modern at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and David Myers’s Sona in California, among others.
Out on his own, he created the high-end catering company, Root of All Food, providing services to celebrity clientele including Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale and Sugar Ray Leonard. Then, in 2014, he and his wife/business partner, Kwini Reed, opened their first brick-and-mortar restaurant in downtown LA, Poppy & Rose, which offers classic American diner fare along with a seasonal menu. It’s become a staple within the brunching community and was named among the city’s “Best All Day Breakfast Restaurants” by CBS Los Angeles. Along with serving delicious food to their customers, Chef Reed and Kwini partner with local nonprofit Brown Bag Lady to provide thousands of meals to the homeless of the Skid Row area of downtown LA. Giving back to the community is a cornerstone of their business model, and they continue their philanthropic efforts supporting social justice causes as well as youth development programs.
In 2021, the Reeds opened their second restaurant, Poppy & Seed, located in Anaheim's Packing District. With its modern greenhouse setting and upscale American cuisine, Poppy & Seed quickly established itself as a go-to destination and Orange County hotspot, leading Orange Coast Magazine to name it “Best New Restaurant.” The undeniable commitment to quality and innovation at Poppy & Seed earned it a MICHELIN recommendation just this year, and Chef Reed himself recently received recognition as a Best Chef: California semi-finalist for the 2023 James Beard Foundation Awards. These acknowledgments serve as testaments to Chef Reed’s hard work, tenacity and passion for the culinary arts which is reflected not only in the incredible cuisine but also in the inviting spaces he’s created for the community to savor his vision. Chef Reed embodies what it means to dedicate your life to the dream. I was fortunate to speak with him about his journey and am excited to see what he does next.
What was the catalyst for your becoming a chef?
I broke my foot my junior year of college and, as a collegiate athlete, I had to rethink my future. I always had a passion for cooking, one that stemmed from being surrounded by good food that my parents prepared and grew. Therefore, I decided to attend Santa Monica City College with a culinary focus, and I never looked back after that.
You’ve been a chef for 19 years. What are some highlights of your culinary journey?
When I first started my culinary career, I was about 20/21 years old. At around 23, I went back to LA and started working at Sona, one of LA's best restaurants in its heyday. After Sona, I started working for the well-known Nancy Silverton and by 26 years old, had become an executive chef. Following my time with Nancy, I opened my catering company, Root of All Food (which still exists today). Fast forwarding to 2023, I was recognized as a Best Chef: California semi-finalist for this year's James Beard Foundation Awards, and my restaurant, Poppy & Seed, received a MICHELIN recommendation.
What was the inspiration for Poppy & Seed, and how is that reflected in your current menu?
We opened Poppy & Seed during the pandemic. I left all of my consulting gigs and was itching to get back into a dinner restaurant. We were able to snag the location and space that is Poppy & Seed today for a reasonable price because of the pandemic timing. I was excited to start a dinner restaurant that showcased what I loved to cook—simplistic but elevated food inspired by seasonality.
Can you talk about any community initiatives or sustainability efforts that the restaurant is involved in?
Giving back to the communities that support us is near to our heart. Among some of our current and past initiatives are our work to provide meals monthly to No Kid Hungry, LGBTQ+IA – QMNTY and the Union Station Homeless Services. One sustainability effort is our onsite garden that we source ingredients for Poppy & Seed and also draw inspiration from.
Your wife, Kwini Reed, is a co-owner of both restaurants. How do you share/delegate the responsibilities of running successful restaurants?
We do our best to stay in our respective lanes and communicate effectively. Our collective efforts and common vision are what make all of Poppy & Seed's concepts successful.
If you had to recommend only one dish and one cocktail at Poppy and Seed, what would they be and why?
It usually depends on my mood and the same applies for Kwini as well. Sometimes our cheese plate is perfect and, other times, the scallops or pasta dishes call my name. My go-to drinks at the moment are our new Seoulful Margarita and the Evening Sun cocktail.
What’s next for you and Kwini in the culinary world?
We want to go on to do great things! We want to diversify Poppy & Seed's portfolio and continue to grow, but in a way that disrupts the restaurant industry—changes how it operates and how its workers are treated. We also want to change the expectation of what restaurant owners look like; black and brown people have always been a large part of the hospitality industry and deserve to have positions of leadership. We have a new concept in the works that will eventually open up at San Pedro West Harbor, so keep an eye out for that! On top of that, we are also creating a non-profit that will tighten our ties to the local community even more. We hope that in later days we can end with a bang. We envision a smaller restaurant with an intimate experience that sticks with guests for a lifetime.
Creative Credits
- Written by
- Bernardo Badillo
- Photography
- Isaac Alvarez
- Senior Editor
- Jessica Catignani
- Retouching
- Brianna Kish
- Hair & Makeup
- Pilar Vasquez
- Styling
- Christina Rosas Anastasiou
- Clothing provided by
- Ivan Bitton Style House
- Cinematography
- Isaac Alvarez
- Film editor
- Rafal Cwiok
