Where is Chef Mike Eckles from the Netflix Cook Show Pressure Cooker now? We discuss the popular chef and what he’s up to.
Netflix’s cooking show has introduced us to some incredible chefs, and Mike Eckles is definitely one of them. Pressure Cooker has an interesting and fresh format, combining more traditional reality television with cooking competitions. In my review for ReadySteadyCut, I said:
From the moment that the chefs arrive at the house, with its colorful large kitchen and well-stocked pantry, it’s clear that this is not your typical cooking show. There’s no host or panel of celebrity judges, just the eleven chefs and the restaurant-style ticket machine that gives them their challenges. The mix of private chefs and restaurant owners must live together, making their personalities and ability to work together almost as important as their cooking to their ability to make it to the next round. They’re even rooming together, making it impossible to escape occasional drama.
Not only did Chef Mike consistently create impressive and creative dishes in the competitions, but he also had one of the best character arcs of anyone on the show as he learned to work together with the other chefs and became a great team player.
Who is Chef Mike Eckles from Netflix’s Pressure Cooker?
26-year-old chef Mike Eckles attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York, one of the top culinary schools in the world. He has worked at several of Michigan’s best restaurants, including Coach Insignia and Forest. He founded his own company, Adobe Fine Dining, alongside sous-chef Marcus D’Onofrio.
On Pressure Cooker, Mike shared that he was called “Big Mike” at the last restaurant he worked at, despite his small physical stature, because he tended to act like the “biggest” person in the room. He also shared that he was very competitive and at his best when working with food.
Did Chef Mike Eckles win Pressure Cooker?
Despite starting out ranked fourth in the first challenge, Chef Mike managed to make his way through each level of the competition by cooking consistently good food and being a non-dramatic team player. Chef Mike made it to the final four contestants and had to prepare a monochromatic meal for a panel of food critic tasters. It’s not surprising that his elevated cooking was well-liked by the judges, and he was chosen as the winner of the round.
In the final episode, he was given the task of choosing who to bring to the final competition with him. He chose to compete against Chef Robbie, sending Chef Sergei and Chef Renee home.
Mike and Robbie had to each prepare a four-course menu that would represent their journey with food, with the help of a sous chef of their choosing. Mike chose Chef Lana, who he had worked with earlier in the competition and who had a frank conversation with him when he was dismayed at being chosen last for the first team challenge. This led to a strong bond between the two of them, which helped them work together in this last final challenge.
Mike, with Lana’s help, made a fantastic final meal which was judged, alongside Robbie’s, by all the chefs who had not made it to the finals. Robbie won, but only barely, with five votes to Mike’s four.
Where is Chef Mike Eckles from Pressure Cooker now?
While he didn’t take home the grand prize of $100,000, Mike has certainly not been stopped in his ambitions. He has returned to Detroit, Michigan, where he runs Adobe Fine Dining alongside sous-chef Marcus D’Onofrio. The Adobe Fine Dining website states, “Abode Fine Dining is not a restaurant but we bring the restaurant into your own home. We are private chefs who typically cater private dinner parties.” They serve the entire state of Michigan, creating custom fine dining experiences. Watching him compete on Pressure Cooker gives a solid idea of what a dinner party catered by Mike would entail and it would certainly be a special experience.
What is Mike Eckles’s Instagram?
Chef Mike is on Instagram at @mikehastheflav. He shares delicious, appealing photos of the food that he cooks, along with updates on his personal life. He’s well worth following to keep up to date on his career as a chef and see where he goes next. You can also follow Adobe Fine Dining on Instagram at @adobefinedining to learn more about what he’s doing with his company.
