Q&A with California Grill Area Manager Michael Scheifler
Hometown: Vienna, Austria
Education: Hotel Management School, Bad Gleichenberg, Austria, located in the wine region of Styria.
How many years with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts? 5 years
How many years in the foodservice industry? 25 years
In what other notable restaurants have you worked? Arlberg Hospiz, Austria; Schlosshotel Seefels, Austria; Restaurant Zum Lowen, Sweden; Royal Viking Cruise Line, Cunard, Norway; The Four Ways Inn, Bermuda; The Caribbean Club, Grand Cayman; Arugula Restaurant, Buckhead, Atlanta; The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead, Atlanta “The Dining Room”; The Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes, Orlando; The Grand Bohemian Hotel, Orlando; Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Artist Point, Walt Disney World Resort.
What do you enjoy most about being in the food service industry? Not one day is the same, meeting new people, being surrounded by very creative people.
What are your top three picks for the “perfect” wine list? Shafer Relentless, Napa Valley; Sohm & Kracher, Grűner Veltliner, Lower Austria; Kosta Browne Pinot Noir, Sonoma County.
What’s your favorite kitchen gadget? Sharp knives.
Do you have a favorite junk/snack food? Popcorn.
You run a restaurant, but what do you cook for your family? Simple, fast nutritious meals, true to my roots.
What food holds childhood memories for you? Wiener schnitzel, only for special occasions, and still today I love it!
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy? Running, gardening, spending time with my children, Daniela, 10, and Nicolas, 15.
If you weren’t in the food service industry, what would you be? I never thought about this. I love what I do.
What’s always in the fridge at home? Sriracha sauce.
What’s your favorite culinary indulgence? Wine indulgence? A great cup of Equator coffee, and, for wine, a Syrah from Eberle Winery, Paso Robles, Calif.
People would be surprised to know . . . ? I brew craft beer at home.
