Chicago’s Chef for the Soul How Dr. Michael Airhart Turned an Unlikely Calling Into a Movement of Love and Dignity

When most of us wake before sunrise, coffee in hand and heads down toward our first meeting, Dr. Michael Airhart is already several miles deep into his day’s work — not toward a corner office, but onto the streets of Chicago with a grill, a heart full of faith, and enough love for every person he passes.

For over a decade, Airhart — known simply to countless Chicagoans as “Chef Mike” — has woven nourishment and compassion into the fabric of this city’s struggle with homelessness. His nonprofit, Taste for the Homeless, is not your typical service program. It’s a human-first movement — one built on hot meals, warm conversation, freshly laundered clothing, hygiene kits, and, above all, unwavering dignity for those living on society’s margins. 

From Altgeld Gardens to Purpose

Born and raised in the Altgeld Gardens public housing complex on Chicago’s South Side, Airhart’s earliest memories involved feeding those around him. At just eight years old — in a single-parent apartment where cupboards were often bare — he learned to improvise dishes and feed hungry neighbors with whatever ingredients he could borrow. “Everyone knew I cared,” he reflects, “and that I would do anything to make sure someone didn’t go without.” 

Those formative years weren’t easy. Like many who grow up in disenfranchised communities, Airhart flirted with darker paths — at times even selling drugs — yet even then, he funneled whatever money he made back into feeding friends and neighbors. “I wasn’t a great dealer,” he once joked, “because I’d buy hot dogs and buns instead of keeping the cash.” 

A pivotal moment came years later during a visit to the city’s famed Taste of Chicago festival. Airhart watched a vendor throw away pizza as a man experiencing homelessness begged for just a slice — only to be met with dismissal and threats. The memory haunted him. “I told that man then, if I ever see him again, I’d make sure he’d never have to ask for food like that again,” he said. 

The Birth of a Feast for Hope

That promise grew into Taste for the Homeless. Founded roughly ten years ago, the organization started modestly — Airhart cooking meals for people on the street from a van. But it soon became something far larger: a daily ritual of service that sees Chef Mike and his team feeding hundreds, sometimes thousands, of Chicagoans a day. From towering burgers and grilled steaks to collard greens and fresh sides, the fare is far from the stereotypical “charity meal.” “We don’t give people expired food or scraps. We give them the best. Because they deserve the best,” Airhart says. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, his work went fully mobile as Chicago’s most vulnerable faced spikes in hunger and isolation. Airhart’s “restaurant on wheels” — now a cafe-style outreach — brought not only nourishment but community to neighborhoods from the South Side to Lake Shore Drive. Thousands of meals were handed out, along with hygiene kits and clothing, even as the city battled lockdowns and fear. 

More Than Meals: Festivals of Dignity

While daily service anchors his mission, Airhart’s vision expanded into seasonal festivals that operate like the Taste of Chicago — except everything is 100% free for attendees. In partnership with organizations like Chance the Rapper’s SocialWorks, Taste for the Homeless hosts Summer and Winter Fests that bring food, clothing, haircuts, entertainment, and basic services to hundreds of shelter residents from across the city. Buses bring people from shelters, and attendees are greeted with cheers, music, and spaces designed to honor their worth, not stigmatize their circumstances. 

Behind these events is Airhart’s belief that humanity flourishes when dignity is affirmed, not deferred. “We treat every person like they’re family,” a long-time volunteer says. “Here, they’re not asking for help — they’re receiving love.”

Beyond Food: A Life of Faith, Innovation, and Compassion

Airhart wears many hats: chef, organizer, mentor, and community elder. His commitment isn’t a part-time charity — it’s a lifestyle. He rises before dawn and often serves until nightfall. Some days he’s handing out Air Jordans and socks; other days he’s offering deep talks, laughter, or music alongside a plate of food. 

His faith — and belief in the inherent worth of every human — drives it all. “You can’t drive past someone who needs food and not stop,” he says matter-of-factly. That sense of divine purpose has propelled him through freezing Chicago winters and blistering summer streets alike. 

Though known primarily for Taste for the Homeless, Airhart also extends his reach to youth and families through other efforts including mentorship, job support, and community outreach under the banner of All Kids Matter, helping provide coats, backpacks, mentorship, and opportunities to families across Chicago. 

A Legacy of Love

In a world where social services often feel transactional and impersonal, Airhart’s work has always been relational. People remember his name. Shelter residents wave to him from a distance. Volunteers talk about him with admiration reserved for rare souls. Chicago’s media and nonprofits have recognized him as an inspiring leader — and for good reason: he doesn’t just feed bodies; he feeds hope. 

To walk alongside Chef Mike on any given morning is to feel the city’s heartbeat in its rawest and kindest form. From the streets to the shelters, from grills to festivals, Airhart’s imprint is unmistakable: love delivered plate by plate, handshake by handshake, smile by smile.

And for those whose lives he touches, it’s more than a meal — it’s a reminder that they matter.