Growing up outside of Buffalo N.Y. Mike Andrzejewski began his restaurant career as a busser in a large dining and banquet facility known for extravagant de’cor and service. After realizing dining room etiquette was not his forte, he requested a move into the kitchen; management needless to say was happy to oblige. Mike soon realized the intensity, comradery and gratification of the cook’s life was what he was looking for and began a thirty year education into the passion of good food of all genres, from American comfort food staples to classical Euro styles, especially Asian cuisine.

In the early stages of his career Mike worked in many local Americanized eateries before finding true direction at the Pierce Arrow, under Chef Norman Hart and sous-chef Bob Colmerauer. Here he first learned that discipline and strong skills were what really set good cooks apart. Mike took the energy and desire through a period of working in Regional style restaurants where the knowledge of how local ingredients, ethnicities and economics dictated the cuisine of America.

Mike’s drive to become better and gain the utmost experience led him to apply at The Rue Franklin, arguably the finest restaurant in Buffalo at the time. After several attempts he finally got his foot in the door and the position soon became a life changing epiphany. The Rue owned and operated by Dede and Joel Lippes was truly a fine dining restaurant in every sense , purchasing the finest ingredients, providing truly outstanding service and expecting the best were the norm.

The next step was Warren’s, a restaurant whose owners Mark and Sue Warren, were very progressive and gave Mike the opportunity to be creative and experiment in flavors and presentation, at a time when American Restaurants were coming into a new heyday of prominence and respectability.

Michael’s most challenging opportunity came when he was offered the Executive Chef position at Olivers, a historically top area establishment, owned and managed by one of Buffalo’s most respected restauranteurs, Henry Gorino.

After almost ten years at the stoves of Olivers and its catering facilities, Mike and his wife Sherri (a kitchen veteran and pastry chef herself) made the difficult decision to step out on their own and open Tsunami, a trend setting, Asian inspired restaurant, strongly influenced by their love of Hawaii and Pacific Rim food and lifestyle. Soon Tsunami was recognized among Western New York’s most exciting dining spots, receiving accolades from the local media, as well as some national publicity, including two invitations to cook at the James Beard House in New York City.

Four years into Tsunami’s run however, things came to a crashing stop as Chef Michael was in a serious motorcycle accident losing his leg to amputation and very nearly his life. With the help and support of many, many friends, fellow restaurant people and the outpouring of local support that carried them through very tough times, Mike and Sherri were able to keep Tsunami open.

The October 2006 blizzard permanently froze the doors of the popularly acclaimed restaurant 'Tsunami', and Chef Mike Andrzejewski set out to surf a smaller wave. Andrzejewski had a new culinary and exciting vision; a scaled up neighborhood sushi bar featuring a menu focusing on Mike’s penchant for exciting flavors and artfully crafted plate design, accentuated by superior service. On Friday, July 13th, 2007, just ten months after leaving Tsunami behind, Andrzejewski opened the doors of SeaBar. Shortly after SeaBar received accolades from the press and public alike and has widely been recognized as the top spot for premium fresh seafood in a sophisticated, yet relaxed, atmosphere.

In addition to his restaurant ventures, Chef Mike is a culinary instructor at a local state college and is involved in many local charitable organizations through volunteer work and culinary donations.