Meet Chef Michael Fattah, a culinary maestro hailing from Egypt.
His culinary journey started under the tutelage of a German Meister in Switzerland.
Chef Fattah’s exacting standards extend to every dish that leaves his kitchen. If he can’t be at the helm, the restaurant remains closed. For Chef Fattah, there’s no middle ground; it’s either excellence or nothing at all. There are certain culinary masterpieces only his hands can create. He personally crafts his own cuts of meat, handcrafts fresh mozzarella, and simmers his demi glace for an indulgent 48 hours. Desserts are no exception, prepared with classical finesse – think homemade tiramisu and creme brulee, all meticulously crafted by Chef Fattah himself. He even goes the extra mile, meticulously scraping vanilla bean pods for their seeds instead of opting for mere extracts. “At Farfalla, no one but me crafts desserts,” Chef Fattah proudly proclaims.
Before donning the chef’s hat, Fattah delved into the world of accounting, endowing him with a business acumen that’s proven invaluable in his culinary endeavors. His knack for spotting trends is equally remarkable. Back in 1998, he foresaw Estero as an emerging market and sought special approval from Lee County to construct his restaurant with an open kitchen. He was a trendsetter in this regard, allowing patrons to witness the immaculate efficiency of his kitchen long before it became fashionable.
Ristorante Farfalla’s opened in January 1998. The inspiration for the restaurant’s name, Farfalla, came after Liz, Chef Fattah’s wife, discovered a swallowtail butterfly in the parking lot. In Italian, “Farfalla” means “butterfly” and intriguingly doubles as the word for “bowtie,” reminiscent of the pasta.