Greenwood native and Greer-based chef Michael Sibert was named as one of three 2024 South Carolina chef ambassadors during a January press conference at the Statehouse in Columbia.

Sibert, 32, is part of the 10th anniversary class of ambassadors, along with chef Javier Uriarte of Elgin and chef Leslie Rohland of Bluffton.

In recent years, Sibert has put Greer on the map as an emerging culinary destination with his three restaurant ventures: first with the Cajun-Creole and Italian-influenced White Wine & Butter, initially located in Greer’s Cartwright Food Hall. That fine dining concept restaurant is now moving to its own stand-alone location in Greer. Followed by Anonymous Burgers and, now, Hendrix Chicken and Waffles, both in Greer’s Cartwright Food Hall.

Sibert said some of his earliest memories are of his great grandfather, Richard Tommy Quarles, nicknamed “Black cat,” and “Rich” cooking in McCormick.

“It was just a man, a fire and a grill,” Sibert said. “I watched him roast whole hogs. Guys would go hunting and bring it to my granddad and he would cook anything. One of my favorite things that his daughter, Geraldine Tutt, cooked is cheesecake. I actually have a cheesecake tattoo on my arm for her.”

A passion of Sibert’s is finding ways to work with South Carolina communities to address food insecurity, according to Sibert’s marketing director Melanie Coblentz. With Sibert’s White Wine & Butter enterprises, Sibert helps with fundraisers to aid nonprofit organizations and works with local schools to teach students about cooking through recipes they share and cooking demonstrations.

“He loves to get kids excited about eating good food,” Coblentz said. “We’re also partnering with the Children’s Museum of the Upstate. He’s did one (in February) called ‘Fall in love with your veggies.’ He showed parents and children how to make ‘confetti burgers’ that had minced carrots and little flakes of fresh-frozen spinach. He made little sliders.”

Coblentz said the sliders were a hit, even with reluctant veggie eaters, with some asking for seconds.

Sibert is chef/owner of White Wine and Butter, Anonymous Burger and the newly opened Hendrix Chicken and Waffles in Greer. The latter already has a “wall of fame” with snapshots of return customers.

“Chef Mike has a great story and love for this community,” said Mark Hopper, who was enjoying lunch from Anonymous Burgers March 28. “The food is high-quality, consistent and different.”

Fellow lunchtime diner Rob Battenfield said Sibert’s restaurant vibes are laid back, but his uses of seasonings is top-notch.