Chef Michelle Bernstein
Chef Michelle Bernstein
Born and raised in Miami of Jewish and Latin descent, Chef Michelle “Michy” Bernstein is a fixture in the culinary world, paving the way for bright Latin flavors and standout ingredients in her lively, vibrant cuisine. Bernstein’s style melds taste experiences from her travels around the world into her signature style of exciting, eclectic cooking.
“The food I love to cook is the food I have loved to eat throughout my life,” says Bernstein, James Beard Foundation Award-winner in the “Best Chef: South” category in 2008. “Everywhere I have lived, worked and visited, I’ve picked up favorite ingredients, techniques and flavor profiles that I’ve brought home to Miami and incorporated into my style.”
These days, Bernstein’s schedule is more jam-packed than ever, juggling multiple projects with her husband and business partner, David Martinez. Together, they own and operate Michelle Bernstein Catering, developing incredible menus for catered events large and small — from intimate dinners in private homes to elaborate corporate events.
In 2019, Bernstein and Martinez opened the Cuban-inspired Café La Trova with Maestro Cantinero Julio Cabrera located on Calle Ocho in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. Like many of her previous ventures, it garnered instant acclaim and landed on several of the most coveted best new restaurant and bar lists, including GQ and Esquire magazine, as well as a spot on the “World’s 50 Best Bars” list. Additionally, Bernstein and Martinez are partners in the internationally recognized Miami Beach cocktail bar, Sweet Liberty, where Bernstein developed a creative menu of fun, interesting twists on American classic cuisine.
In 2021, Bernstein and Martinez opened La Cañita, which translates from Spanish to “little sugarcane,” located in Miami’s Bayside Marketplace. The concept-driven restaurant celebrates the food and flavor of tropical, sun-drenched destinations like Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, and Puerto Rico, along with influences from Central and South America. A second location of La Cañita opened in Kendall in February 2025; and most recently a third location opened on Miami Beach.
Next, Zebra Club, a subterranean cocktail bar and supper club in South Beach, will open in fall 2026, featuring a globally influenced food menu.
No stranger to a TV set, Chef Bernstein currently hosts two Emmy award-winning television shows: Check, Please! South Florida (PBS) and SoFlo Taste (Channel 10). She also regularly appears as a guest judge on nationally televised culinary competition programs, including Top Chef (Bravo TV) and Chopped (Food Network).
As a culinary tastemaker, Bernstein is often sought out to collaborate and counsel other restaurants and corporate chefs in menu and concept development. In 2022, Bernstein teamed up with CookUnity, a meal delivery service that brings fresh, fully cooked meals to people’s homes with easy-to-follow heating instructions.
In August 2026, Bernstein took her talents to sea as Culinary Curator & Chef Partner for Victory Cruise Lines. In a partnership created exclusively for the cruise line, she brings her creative vision to signature menus and destination-inspired dining experiences that celebrate the unique flavors, ingredients and traditions of the Great Lakes and Canadian coasts.
Bernstein also devotes time to causes she is passionate about, including her role as Vice Chair of the National Board of Common Threads, a national program that she not only brought to South Florida but also played a pivotal role in establishing the organization as a national non-profit. Their mission is to champion improved community health through the power of food and nutrition. Additionally, Bernstein partners with Cosentyx to share her personal story as an actual patient with psoriatic arthritis and to empower other people living with the condition to continue looking at all available options to address their pain.
To learn more about Michy, please visit mbcmiami.com and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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