Michael Pirolo

Bar Bucce

Michael Pirolo

Executive Chef/Managing Partner

Michael Pirolo

Executive Chef/Managing Partner

Born in Queens, New York, and raised in Avellino, Italy, Chef Michael Pirolo’s culinary roots run deep. At 21, he enrolled in culinary school in Torino, which led to formative apprenticeships at Michelin-starred La Voglia Matta in Bologna and Café Groppi in Piemonte. After earning his degree, he returned to the U.S., diving into French cuisine before moving to Philadelphia to become sous chef at Alfred Portale’s Striped Bass—where he met his future partner in life and business, Jen Chaefsky.

The pair later relocated to New York, where Pirolo joined Chris Lee’s Gilt at The Palace Hotel. During his time there, the restaurant earned two Michelin stars. Drawn back to Italian cooking, Pirolo formed a bond with chef Scott Conant and joined Scarpetta, eventually moving to Miami to open Scarpetta at Fontainebleau Miami Beach as chef de cuisine. There, Pirolo emerged as a “chef’s chef”, a hard-working, respected figure in the city’s growing culinary scene. A rare four-star review from The Miami Herald further cemented his rising-star status and paved the way for his next chapter.

Pirolo’s first restaurant venture, The Saint Austere in Brooklyn made a lasting impression in the highly competitive New York restaurant scene for ten years. A vision of the Pirolo family siblings—Fabrizio, John, Jacqueline, and Mike—they wanted the Saint Austere to be a casual restaurant with a focus on authentic Italian flavors, the freshest ingredients, and soulful preparations.

Shortly after, Pirolo went on to open Macchialina with partner, Jen Chaefsky and sister Jacqueline Pirolo, on Miami Beach’s Alton Road in 2012. The restaurant opened to much acclaim, earning the duo accolades including being ranked among the top “South Florida Food 50” by The Miami Herald (February 2015). In 2016 & 2022, Pirolo was named a James Beard Award semi-finalist (Best Chef: South) and in 2018 Macchialina was selected as the best Italian restaurant in Florida by The Daily Meal and to this day, continues to make waves in the press. A tried-and-true Miami Beach standout, Macchialina’s rotating pasta specialties, intimate atmosphere and local cult following continue to garner the restaurant both local and national praise.

In Spring 2025, Pirolo expanded his vision with two new concepts. Fluke, a martini and crudo bar tucked inside Macchialina, offering a playful-yet-refined dining experience built around seasonal crudos, ice-cold martinis, and small plates for an elevated pre- or post-dinner destination. Bar Bucce, located in Miami’s Little River neighborhood, is a casual Italian market, pizzeria, and wine bar designed to reflect the team’s love for conviviality, community, and Italian culture. Both showcase Pirolo’s continued commitment to creating multi-dimensional spaces where food, beverage and hospitality is central to the experience.