About Michael Lydakis

Author and Master Storyteller

My Story

I was born in New York in the 1970’s and studied journalism and history at Saint John’s University. After fighting in World War I, my grandfather immigrated to New York City in the 1920’s. My father served in the United States Navy during the 1950’s and 1960’s and my uncles served in the Army and Air Force. To this day, my family still continues to serve in the United States Military.

I had a brief conversation with Jack Nicholson back in 1998 that changed the course of my life and have had many different life experiences, with the opportunity to travel all over the world. In London, I reached over a steel fence and grabbed a leaf of inspiration off a tree at Willaim Shakespeare’s globe theater. I drank at the same bars as Ernest Hemmingway, visited the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte in Corsica, and walked with impunity within the walls of the Kremlin. I also did the 200 km pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and witnessed the Northern Lights above the arctic circle in Finland, while also being able to attend three days of Peace, Love, and Music at Woodstock 1994.

With over thirty years of hospitality experience, I’ve seen quite a few characters. l had the opportunity to work with Anthony Bourdain at Les Halles back in 2002 and held a position at a Michelin Star Restaurant in 2015. He have also served and had conversations with a former President, a Secretary of State, a speaker of the house of Representatives, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Cindy Crawford, Cameron Diaz, Eva Mendes, Ed Burns, Adrian Brody, Eli Wallach, Kim Bassinger, and Sylvester Stallone to name a few.  I was also mentioned in a New York Times article.

These experiences inform and perfume my storytelling and writing, and I am quite enjoying the process.