09/16/2026
This is Chef Mikey's dear friend and career mentor Chef Robert Passaglia.
He was the first chef ever to give me a chance working in the kitchen and he helped to guide me and helped to mold my early career path in the culinary and foodservice industry. He was always in my corner from day one and he was so proud of me and all of my career accomplishments over the years. He was more than just a chef that I worked for, he was someone who consistently made an effort to encourage me and push me and challenge me all at the same time. He was a real true friend to me as well as a mentor and I am so sad to have gotten a phone call this past Friday notifying me of his tragic passing. My heart and soul have been shattered again by this loss. I had a very big important dinner event on this past Saturday and thankfully I was able to channel my emotions and cook my heart out to honor the positive impact that he had on my career and on my personal life. He treated me like a son, and we surely had a strong special bond. One that chefs have when they really respect and admire each other. My emotional energy came through in my food and my cooking and I am proud of my performance of this most recent special dinner. Ride on with the angels Chef Rob and make sure the big man upstairs is properly seasoning his food! I love you chef and I am forever grateful for you and the massive impact that you had on me as a person and as a professional chef. I can’t wait to see you again someday and get a big hug and share a good laugh. 👨🍳❤️🤘💪🙏
