Michelle Bernstein

Last year, Michelle Bernstein opened her namesake restaurant, Michy’s, in Miami’s hip Upper Eastside. It’s already been listed in Gourmet magazine’s “Top 50 Restaurants in the Country,” Food & Wine magazine’s “Best New Restaurants 2006” and Bon Appétit magazine’s “Top Hot List 2006”; it was also named New York magazine’s “Hottest New Restaurant” and received a four-star rating from the Miami Herald. Bernstein’s cooking is a blend of styles and cultures gleaned from her unique background as a health-conscious Jewish-Latina growing up in Miami. When not in her own kitchen, Bernstein is busy gaining fame in front of the cameras. For two years, she co-hosted The Food Network’s Melting Pot; she was a winner on the Iron Chef America series; and just last week, she appeared as a celebrity chef on Bravo’s Top Chef finals in Aspen. Houghton Mifflin plans to publish a cookbook in early 2008 that explores her Floridian, Argentine and Jewish heritage. Here are her picks for South Florida’s best.

Favorite local restaurant?

I have four favorite restaurants in Miami. I guess at the top of my list is Hy Vong. It’s a tiny, simple Vietnamese restaurant run by two women — one Vietnamese, the other American. The best dishes are pork rolling cakes, spring rolls wrapped in mint and lettuce, kingfish with mango, chicken with lemongrass, any soup on the menu, their salad with avocadoes and walnuts — oh, and I can’t forget the homemade rice noodles with beef and peanuts. Now I’m craving it, and I’m in Cancun cooking my food and desperate to come home!

Favorite food trend?

I hate to say, I’m really not into trends. The one thing I do appreciate in the last couple of years is that cuisine has become simpler. We now are allowing ingredients to stand out instead of covering them up with a lot of other ingredients and flavors. Sustainability is finally being respected; we are now coming together to support locally grown flavors and products. These products can shine on their own, simply presented and cooked properly.

Favorite meal?

Grilled steaks, homemade French fries with lots of condiments for dipping and schmearing, a huge salad with red wine vinaigrette, at home with family and, of course, dessert, probably chocolate cake with lots of cream. I love simple homey foods that are predictable and comforting. I rack my brain everyday for new, fun, well-executed foods and recipes. When I eat, I want the absolute simplest thing in the world.

Who is your favorite Food Network celebrity?

I’m afraid I just don’t watch food TV. It would make me crazy, as that is basically all I do. But I can tell you I have a huge amount of respect for Ina (Barefoot Contessa), Jamie Oliver, Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain. I just don’t have patience to watch food when I’m off.

What do you eat when you’re not in the mood to cook or go out?

Popcorn. I have been in love with popcorn since my Dad used to make it for me as a kid. Mixed by hand with butter and kosher salt, he never ever microwaved it. I make it the same way today, but I have hunted for the best-quality popcorn around. I think I found it in Santa Fe.

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