i. Biography
In Coconut Grove, Florida, the work at Ariete in Miami is built on discipline as much as memory. Michael Beltran’s cooking sits in Cuban-American tradition, but the useful detail is how that tradition is handled: through repetition, restraint, and the sort of kitchen fluency that comes from years on the line. As Executive Chef and owner, Michael Beltran gives the restaurant two clear markers of intent: Duck Press, a signature dish, and Versos Sencillos, the daily tasting menu. One anchors the menu in a single dish; the other sets the pace of the meal in sequence.
The Path
Training at Averett University and Florida Culinary Institute (2007) sits at the front of a career that moved through kitchens in a measured way. Michael Beltran started as line cook at Casa Juancho, then worked as sous chef at Red Fish Grill, before becoming head of production at Norman's 180 (from 2010). That role points to more than title progression; it reflects trust in consistency, timing, and the standards that keep a kitchen running. The next roles widened the range without changing the pace: Head Chef at The Local Craft Food & Drink, chef de partie at Tuyo (from 2012), and Executive Chef at The Cypress Room (from 2013). Each step added another layer to the working vocabulary behind Michael Beltran’s later restaurant work. Today, Michael is founder and Executive Chef and owner of Ariete (since 2016) and chef/owner of Ariete Hospitality Group (since 2019).
The Work Today
Founded in Coconut Grove, Florida, in 2016, Ariete is the clearest statement of Michael Beltran’s approach. The restaurant centers Cuban-American cooking, but the more telling point is how that concept is organized: with enough specificity to read as rooted, and enough control to hold together as a composed menu. As Executive Chef and owner, Michael Beltran works through that framework with two named reference points, Duck Press and the daily Versos Sencillos tasting menu, which define the kitchen’s range from individual dish to full sequence. Michael Beltran is also a chef at Ariete Hospitality Group concepts in Miami. That broader role extends the same point of view beyond one dining room, linking the restaurant to the group through continuity of standards rather than a separate identity. The value of that kind of work is practical: it keeps a culinary language legible across more than one setting.
Signature
Michael's signature dishes include Duck Press and Versos Sencillos. Read together, they show two different kinds of control: one expressed as a named dish, the other as a tasting menu offered daily. In both cases, the craft is in how the work is framed and repeated, not just in the fact of the food itself.
Acclaim
Michael's honors include StarChefs Miami Rising Stars Award (2021). It sits in line with a career built through steady progression, from early kitchen roles to the work he continues to define at Ariete.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Michael
What is Michael Beltran's current role?
Michael Beltran is Executive Chef and Owner.
Where did Michael Beltran train or study?
Michael Beltran trained at Averett University and Florida Culinary Institute.
What recognition has Michael Beltran received?
StarChefs Miami Rising Stars Award (2021).
