Wynwood Chef and Restaurateur Michael Shikany Found Dead

Acclaimed chef and restaurateur Michael Shikany was found dead Friday, March 10. He was 38. According to the Miami Herald, suicide is suspected as the cause but the case is still under investigation by the Miami Police department.

The Miami-born chef worked in kitchens like Ortanique on the Mile and SushiSamba Dromo before branching out on his own with his namesake restaurant and cooking school in Wynwood in the spring of 2014. The restaurant received plenty of critical acclaim, but close to a year later it shuttered abruptly claiming plumbing issues, and never reopened.

According to the Miami New Times, he had left Miami after the closing of Shikany. Yet from the looks of his Instagram feed, he was staging a Miami comeback of sorts, signing a lease to a space in Allapattah just a few weeks ago. No word on what might come of that space.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated