Known For
Michelle Bernstein earned the 2008 James Beard Award for Best Chef: South and has shaped Miami's dining culture through innovative restaurants blending Latin, Jewish, and global influences while cooking for world leaders.
About
Miami-born with Jewish-Latin roots, Bernstein built her legacy at Tantra and Azul, cooking for figures like Mikhail Gorbachev and securing the 2008 James Beard Best Chef: South award before launching iconic spots like the late Michy’s and her 2024-revamped Sra. Martinez featuring shrimp aguachile and seafood paella. Teaming with husband David Martinez, she debuted Café La Trova in 2019 as a Cuban powerhouse on Calle Ocho, expanded La Cañita's rum-centric Caribbean vibe to three South Florida sites starting in 2021, and co-owns the playful Sweet Liberty cocktail bar plus MBC Michelle Bernstein Catering. Beyond kitchens, she crafts the American Express Centurion Lounge menu at MIA, hosts PBS's Check, Please! South Florida and Channel 10's Emmy-winning SoFlo Taste, and serves as Vice Chair of Common Threads' national board after founding its Florida chapter.