Michael A. Goodman was born in the heart of New York City's Manhattan in 1971.  In 1994 he received his Bachelor of Science in Communications from Ithaca College.  After a few years in the music business, he foudn himself back at school at the French Culinary Institute.

During his studies he worked at Moomba.  The brainchild of Chef Frank Falcinelli, with the backing of Oliver Stone and Laurence Fishburne, Moomba was packed every night with the city's A-list.  The passion for food, cuisine and style quickly began to take hold of him, and he put all his energy into it.