Chef Michael Lewis on Ukiah's Two Homes
How seasonality plays a part in Fort Lauderdale and Asheville
Chef Michael Lewis has cooked with the best. The Baltimore native moved to New York City as a teen on a mission to make a career in the culinary field. He studied at the Culinary Institute of America, training under David Bouley and Eric Ripert, and not long after worked his way up to the chef de cuisine position at Jean-Georges in New York City. Lewis then went on to open Market for Jean-Georges in Paris, St. James Street in London, and served as Zuma’s global executive chef for six years.
In 2016, Lewis opened Kyu Miami with fellow restaurateurs Steven Haigh and Lizzy Maynes. The restaurant received rave reviews and earned a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant in 2017. In 2020, he opened Ukiah in Asheville with his Kyu partners, alongside Michael Sponaugle and additional local investors. There, Lewis tapped into the many skills he honed at previous endeavors to create a Japanese smokehouse that combined the refinement of Japanese cooking with the chef’s love of American BBQ. Lewis and partners just opened a second Ukiah in Fort Lauderdale a few weeks ago.
He shared that he fell in love with the Fort Lauderdale location, with a patio directly alongside the city’s waterfront. Fort Lauderdale, he says, also has more of a small-town vibe — not unlike Asheville — than Miami. “There are families, single young professionals, and plenty of dogs and kids. Even though it's not a small town, there’s a small-town feel to it.”
Two other reasons to open in Fort Lauderdale rather than Miami, just a half hour south: “The food scene is super and getting more diverse,” says Lewis, adding that operating a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale is less expensive than Miami. “It’s not cheap — but it is cheaper.” Factor in that Michelin has opened up its Florida Guide to include Fort Lauderdale, and the location is becoming very attractive to chefs and restaurateurs. “I think a lot of Miami chefs are going to consider this area if they’re not already. I think we’ll see a wave of activity.”
Lewis does mention one large difference between Asheville and Fort Lauderdale: “In Asheville, we have mountains and a fireplace. In Fort Lauderdale, we have a river.”
There’s also a difference in seasonality — important to a chef who values his relationship with local growers and purveyors. “This is peak growing time in Asheville, and it’s been mild weather. For instance, we’ve been able to keep sugarsnap peas longer than we used to because of the mild summer.” In Florida, however, the harsh summer sun proves difficult for many crops. “When it comes to South Florida, this is our current version of the dead of winter. Nothing grows now except for mangoes.”
For Lewis, that means utilizing mangoes. “I try to add as many mangoes to dishes as I can,” he says, adding that the mangoes, bananas, and papayas that wind up on the menu come directly from his backyard.
Currently, Lewis is trying to transfer the bounty of his Asheville location to the South Florida one. “I’m trying to get our bok choi and tomatoes from our farmers in Asheville, but being able to get stuff shipped to Fort Lauderdale has been tricky. There will come a day when my chef in Asheville and I will come together. It’s a matter of figuring out the logistics.”
OF course, being in Fort Lauderdale means access to fresh fish, and Lewis is taking advantage of his access to freshly-caught snapper, tuna, mahi, and more. His team offers them as tartares, sashimi, and sushi. “We’re winning at tuna, so it all balances out,” says the chef.
The menu — a mix of Japanese izakaya and American BBQ — was born from a desire to make food the chef liked — and to please a range of people. Lewis wants the restaurant to be a welcoming space for locals, and a menu that includes fresh seafood, plenty of veggies, and platters of pastrami, smoked brisket, short rib, chicken, or pork shoulder just fits the bill. “I have no idea what I’m doing,” quips Lewis. “I just make food.” He adds that he likes the democratic range of items. “My wife never craves barbecue. But this is a place where she can have fish and salads, and I can have all the meats. Being able to have that in one place makes everyone happy.”
Still, the barbecue items are a standout. “When I first started creating Ukiah, I realized I was going down the barbecue road. I made my own version of a Carolina barbecue sauce that I put on the menu, which I love, by the way. It just felt right. Now that we’re here in Fort Lauderdale, it still feels right.”
Lewis and his family live in Miami, but Asheville provides a much-needed summer respite from Florida summers. The two cities cooperate, with Asheville now in its busy season while Fort Lauderdale’s pace slows down until the fall. Right now, the Florida location is less than a month old, and infants need attention, but Lewis is hoping to spend family time in the mountains at some point.
Asheville, says Lewis, is doing very well after last year’s devastating hurricane. Lewis said his restaurant was spared the brunt of the damage, but there were still challenges like obtaining potable water. “When we first opened, I was driving 45 minutes into the mountains to fill these giant water bladders so we could basically do the dishes. But just being able to open made everything worth it.”
Asheville, especially its downtown area, is open for business. So, this summer, if you’re looking for some good food (and great barbecue), you have two options: a city by the water, watching the boats go by, or a cool, mountain setting with spiritual and artistic roots.
Either way, Ukiah is open and ready to feed you.