Mike Brewer has been in the restaurant scene in New Orleans since 1999. He started as a waiter at Brennan’s and quickly moved up to captain, and then wine captain after receiving his entry into the Court of Master Sommeliers. He left Brennan’s in 2005 and was a maitre d' onboard the Norwegian Cruise Line Pride of America in Hawaii. In early 2006, he returned to New Orleans to head a new restaurant, Jackson, in the Irish Channel. Jackson was voted the Best New Restaurant in 2006 by Gambit readers.
In mid 2007, Jackson closed and Brewer moved to Commander’s Palace to head the wine and liquor programs. After more than two years, he moved to Charlie’s Steak House as the executive chef. After a three-year foray into equipment sales, Mike opened The Sammich as a pop-up in a bar in Mid-City. One year later, he moved The Sammich to its current location at 7708 Maple St. in the Riverbend, where he is trying to rewrite po'boy folklore with his take on fine dining dishes served up on Leidenheimer’s French bread.