the host
Award-winning restaurant owner, Executive Chef, culinary consultant, author, TV personality, and Miami’s very own sauce-y sweetheart, Michelle Bernstein, has been pleasing palates for over twenty years.
Her Jewish-Latino background instilled in her a deep passion for food and the art of its preparation. Known for her simple, yet satisfying and healthy cuisine, Michelle’s culinary point of view is as straightforward as her vibrant personality and has earned her two nominations by The James Beard Foundation in the “Best Chefs in America: Southeast Region” category in 2004 and 2006.
Michelle’s approach to “luxurious comfort food” may be sampled at her award-winning namesake restaurant, Michy’s, located in Miami. The restaurant is cozy and approachable, and has been highly praised by some of the industries top food publications including Gourmet Magazine, Food and Wine Magazine, Bon Appétit and Zagat, where it earned the “Highest Rating for Food” for South Florida in 2008.
Experience in the kitchen has also made Michelle one of the most sought-after chefs in the television industry. In addition to co-hosting The Food Network's “Melting Pot” for two years, she was also a competitor and winner on the Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” series. She currently serves as Consulting Chef to Delta Airlines in the creation of menus for their Business Elite Class and First Class national and international flights and was recently appointed Executive Chef of Michelle’s at Carysfort, a new fine dining restaurant located in the exclusive Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, FL. Additionally, Michelle recently re-launched MB at the Aqua Resort in Cancun, Mexico and will be releasing her very first, highly anticipated cookbook in 2008.
Other Accolades:
- Awarded a Doctorate in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University
- Recipient of The Philanthropic Award of South Florida
- Recipient of the Glass Ceiling Award from the Jewish Federation
- Named one of the 15 top Latinas in the Nation by Latina Magazine
- Named one of the Top 10 Jewish women in America from Jewish Women International Federation
