Chef Michael cowan

Executive Chef of Boathouse II, Hilton Hilton Head Island

Chef Michael Cowan was born and raised just outside of Cleveland, OH, in a town called Solon where he started his culinary career working in a small pizza shop. He learned the basics of how to make a great sauce, how to properly roll dough and bake breads. Wanting to expand his culinary knowledge, he moved to Pittsburgh and went to Pennsylvania Culinary School. After a year of intense schooling, he took on an apprenticeship in Phoenix, AZ, at The Arizona Biltmore where he was introduced to fine dining. Led by Chef Rick Boyer, he learned the ways of new French-American cuisine and learned there is no limit in what an imagination can create. 

Following the apprenticeship, Cowan landed in Hilton Head Island to work with Chef Heath Prosser of the Lowrey Group’s Old Fort Pub to learn the ways of island living and cooking. Six years later in 2008, Cowan remains with the Lowrey Group and is now the Executive Chef of Boathouse II where he has taken his fine dining experience to a fast-paced island favorite and created a mixture of the freshest seafood you can find along with long time staples. He truly creates great guest memories.