The Bartolotta Restaurants has promoted
Michael Genre to executive chef of
Harbor House restaurant on the lakefront in downtown Milwaukee.
Genre most recently served as chef de cuisine of the New England-style seafood restaurant, located at 550 N. Harbor Drive, and has been with the Milwaukee-based restaurant group since 2011.
He succeeds
John Korycki, who is stepping away from the head chef role
after four years and relocating out of state to be closer to family and pursue other culinary opportunities.
During his tenure, Genre has climbed the ranks from lead line cook of The Rumpus Room in downtown Milwaukee, to the kitchen at Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant, to executive sous chef of Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro, before taking the post as chef de cuisine at Harbor House in 2021. Genre graduated from Milwaukee Area Technical College in 2011 with an associate's degree in culinary arts and chef training.
"Michael’s journey is a wonderful success story and he has truly earned the opportunity to lead Harbor House as its executive chef," said Paul Bartolotta, chef, owner, co-founder of The Bartolotta Restaurants. "He has continued to grow as a culinary and fine dining expert, and as a leader. ... While we welcome Michael in his new role, we also want to extend our best wishes to chef Korycki and thank him for his dedication and leadership. We will always consider him a member of The Bartolotta Restaurants family."
With Genre's promotion, Bartolottas has tapped Harbor House executive sous chef
Martin Delgadillo for the role of chef de cuisine.
"It’s an honor to be rewarded for your work and commitment in the kitchen, and I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity," said Genre. "Harbor House means so much to the Milwaukee community and those of us at The Bartolotta Restaurants. I look forward to creating new memories for our guests and our staff, while furthering our reputation for outstanding guest service and incredible seafood. I would also like to take this opportunity and express my gratitude for all the people and relationships who have helped me along my culinary journey to reach this position."
Bartolottas recently
acquired sole ownership of Harbor House from a group led by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Michael Cudahy who
died in March at the age of 97. Cudahy formed the entity in 2009 and partnered with The Bartolotta Restaurants
to open Harbor House one year later at the former Pieces of Eight site on the lakefront. He and the late restauranteur and Barolotta Restaurants co-founder Joe Bartolotta worked closely to design and launch what’s now considered one of the city’s premier fine dining spots.
The group will soon add another concept to its 17-property portfolio:
The Commodore restaurant and catering venue will open next summer on Nagawicka Lake in Delafield, breathing new life into a historic waterfront property that previously housed Weissgerber’s Seven Seas Restaurant for nearly 40 years. BizTimes recently caught up with Paul Bartolotta to get the details. Read the Q&A
here.
