Chef Michael Dell

Meet the Staff

Michael Dell, Executive Chef, Instructor​​​​

Chef Michael Dell began his culinary career as a teenager in Atlanta with the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group. He served as an integral part of the team, opening and working at Pano’s & Paul’s, Pricci’s, 103 West, The Buckhead Diner & Chops Lobster Bar.

Chef Dell graduated from The Culinary Institute of America with honors. Upon graduation in 1992, Chef Dell became the Executive Chef at the Bloomington Country Club in Bloomington, IN where he continued to develop his culinary repertoire in addition to his management skills.

Over the next 20 years, Chef Dell served as the Executive Chef at several other prestigious country clubs including, Stones River Country Club in Murfreesboro, TN., Jacksonville Country Club in NC, Rolling Hills Country Club in Paradise, IN and Stonewall Orchard Golf Club in Gray’s Lake, IL.

As a break from the country club work, Chef Dell also owned and operated a full service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in Montana.

In 2013 Chef Dell moved with his family to Ankeny, IA where he was thrilled to join the culinary team at the Iowa Culinary Institute. Mentoring staff has always been the best part of working in the Food & Beverage industry and now he gets to teach and mold the future through his work. As a lifelong learner, in 2017 Chef Dell earned his certification as an Executive Chef.