I Felt Like Burnt Toast - The Story That Started it all
How I went from a broken-down chef sneaking beers in a walk-in to building one of Brooklyn’s most-loved bakeries — and what it taught me about food, purpose, and starting over.
This is who I am, what I believe about food, and why you might want to stick around.
WHAT MADE ME BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR
I felt like burnt toast.
After years of grinding 90-hour weeks as an Executive Chef at a resort on Cape Cod, I was exhausted, miserable, and drinking too much just to get through the day. Then one random Craigslist ad changed my life:
“I have a wood oven. You make bread?”
Three months later, I was in Brooklyn, baking sourdough in exchange for rent — and unknowingly laying the foundation for what became a million-dollar business: SCRATCHbread.
I worked my day job in a culinary school storeroom, napped in my car, then baked all night in a 700°F oven. I experimented like a mad scientist — aging loaves in salted flour, wrapping them like meat, baking them at insane heat. The results? Breads like a 4½-pound “Riserva” sourdough aged six days and baked at 600°F. The best damn bread I’ve ever tasted.
I stayed anonymous at first — my logo tattoo was the only “photo” of me online — and even accepted a Zagat “30 Under 30” award with just my forearm in the profile grid of each winner.
That mystery, plus my obsession with turning baking on its head, made SCRATCHbread into a Brooklyn cult favorite.
BAKING LIKE A COOK
Back then, artisan bakeries weren’t on every block. There were pastry shops, and there were bread bakeries serving exactly what you’d expect. I baked like a cook — high heat, bold textures, savory soul.
Think:
Medium-rare shortbread — salty, barely sweet, bourbon soaked vanilla, creamy AF inside, crisp edges.
Cacio e Pepe sourdough — aged in olive oil, butter, pecorino, black pepper.
Drunk-in-olive-oil focaccia with smoked prosciutto, rosemary, Dijon, red onion.
Eventually, SCRATCHbread became a hybrid bakery-café with lines around the block. My “STOOPbrunch” — buttery grits, roasted bacon, soft eggs, flavor-bomb condiments — became a neighborhood ritual.
But success had a cost. After six and a half years, no business partner, and mounting debt, I had to face reality. If it wasnt getting better I always said:
If it just ‘works’, blow it up.
So I did. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
That story — and the poem I wrote to say goodbye — I’ll share in another post.
GLUTEN FREE, BUT NOT REALLY
I’m not gluten-free. But I am someone who believes food should make people feel normal again — even those who’ve been dealt intolerances or restrictions that uprooted their relationship with food.
That belief shaped my second concept, 7GA, born during the pandemic. It started as a wellness bakery but became a cozy takeout window serving savory, nutrient-rich food that didn’t make people feel “less than.”
When someone asked if I had anything safe for celiacs, I said:
“The whole damn menu.”
MY THIRD ACT
Now, I’m building something different: Bake Like a Cook — my personal brand and philosophy.
After 30 years in this industry, I’ve realized I’m not just a chef or baker — I’m an emotional eater, a recovering workaholic, a guy who used food to fill holes left by a lack of love.
My drive to cook started as a desperate attempt to get my father’s attention. He’d sit drunk on the couch watching cooking shows — I once smashed his TV with a bat, only to find a new one there the next day. Years later, I forgave him. He even helped me build the first table I used to bake thousands of loaves. That table — and his death soon after — became part of my story.
So yeah, this one’s personal.
IN CLOSING
This is my third time building something from scratch.
And this time, it’s about purpose — not just survival. But i’ts only going to work with your support and feedback.
I’ve led teams, mentored cooks, taught hospitality, and built businesses from nothing. But the real goal now is to help others rebuild their relationship with food — and maybe with themselves.
Because sometimes the most honest question you can ask is:
“Does this work… or is it holding me back?”
“If this hit you somewhere deep — subscribe. I’ve got stories that’ll make you hungry, laugh, and maybe rethink how you feed yourself.” Plus LOTs of recipes. For everyone.
So much LUV,
mjt