Michelle Bernstein facts for kids
| Cooking style | Latin cuisine |
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| Education | Johnson & Wales University |
| Spouse | David Martinez |
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Current restaurant(s)
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Previous restaurant(s)
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Television show(s)
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Award(s) won
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Michelle Bernstein is a famous American chef from Miami, Florida. She is known for her amazing cooking style, which is inspired by Latin American flavors. She even won a special award called the James Beard Foundation Award for her talent!
Contents
Early Life and Education
Michelle Bernstein grew up with a mix of cultures. Her mother was from Argentina and had Jewish heritage, and her father had Russian-Jewish roots.
Michelle was a very bright student and finished high school when she was just 16 years old. After high school, she moved to New York City to follow her passion for dance. She studied at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, a very famous dance school.
Later, Michelle decided to explore her love for food. She went to Johnson & Wales University to study culinary arts, which is the art of cooking. This is where she learned many of the skills that made her a top chef.
Michelle's Culinary Journey
Michelle Bernstein has had an exciting career in the world of cooking. She has opened many popular restaurants and appeared on several TV shows.
Opening Her First Restaurants
In 2001, Michelle helped open a restaurant called Azul at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. It was a big step in her career.
In 2005, Michelle and her husband, David Martinez, decided to work together. They left Azul and opened their own restaurant in Miami called Michy's. This restaurant was very popular and stayed open for many years.
Later, in 2008, Michelle opened her third restaurant, SRA. Martinez. It was a tapas restaurant, which means it served small plates of food, in the Miami Design District.
In 2011, she opened a cozy café called Crumb on Parchment, also in the Miami Design District. It was a great spot for people to enjoy delicious pastries and coffee.
Michelle on Television
Michelle Bernstein is not just a chef in the kitchen; she's also a star on TV! She was a co-host on a Food Network show called Melting Pot.
She even competed on Iron Chef America and won a cooking battle against another famous chef, Bobby Flay. She has also been a guest judge on Top Chef, where she helped decide which new chefs were the best.
Since 2015, Michelle has hosted her own weekly TV show on PBS called Check, Please! South Florida. On this show, people review different restaurants in South Florida. She also debuted her TV show "SoFlo Taste" in April 2015.
Awards and Other Work
Michelle Bernstein received a very important award in 2008. She won the James Beard Foundation Award for best chef in the South. This award is like the "Oscars" for chefs!
Besides her restaurants and TV shows, Michelle also helps a great organization called Common Threads. This group teaches children about cooking and healthy eating. Michelle runs the Miami chapter of this organization, helping kids in her community learn important life skills.
