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14 Miami Chefs Who Make Our Food Dreams Come True—and Yeah, They’re All Women

Who’s that in a chef’s apron calling all the shots? That would be our gal Janine. And Dallas. And Leah. Miami’s got a long list of women who are absolutely dominating the food game. From rustic Italian to gorgeous pastries, these 14 chefs are shaking up the status quo.

This New Spot Is Part Market, Part Wine Cellar and 100 Percent Delicious


Janine Booth Of Stiltsville

This Top Chef can do it all. She’s a James Beard finalist, a mom and a stellar toque who’s responsible for some of Miami’s best fried chicken and biscuits (Root & Bone) and soulful seafood (Stiltsville).

1787 Purdy Ave., Miami Beach; 786-353-0477 or stiltsvillefishbar.com

Dallas Wynne Of Stubborn Seed

Head to South Beach to meet the reigning queen of snickerdoodle cookies. Wynne’s corn pavlova garnished with pickled blackberries and bay leaf meringue is to die for, too.

101 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 786-322-5211 or stubbornseed.com

Leah Jones Of Alter

Fine dining, no fuss. That’s what Jones does at award-winning Alter. And we absolutely love her for it.

223 NW 23rd St., Miami; 305-573-5996 or altermiami.com

Mame Sow Of Three

When it comes to bread and dessert at Norman Van Aken’s Three, Sow runs the show. And her artfully crafted confections have to be eaten to be believed—think olive-oil cake with honey-labne ice cream and hibiscus gelée.

50 NW 24th St., Miami; 305-748-4540 or threewynwood.com

chef michelle bernstein
Crumb On Parchment/Facebook

Michelle Bernstein Of Crumb On Parchment

Bernstein’s long list of accomplishments—James Beard Award winner, cookbook author, TV star and restaurateur—along with her ability to serve up everything from beet and ginger cured salmon gravlax to fried chicken are a testament to her versatility.

3930 NE Second Ave., Miami; 305-572-9444 or chefmichellebernstein.com/crumb

Eileen Andrade Of Finka Table & Tap

We’ll drive to West Kendall any day if it means a bowl of Cuban fried rice paired with some croquetas and tostones from this Zagat 30 Under 30 chef.

14690 SW 26th St., Miami; 305-227-8818 or finkarestaurant.com

Soraya Caraccioli-kilgore Of Mad Lab Ice Cream

We didn’t need more reasons to love ice cream, but Kilgore gave us some with her cotton candy swirl, edible sparkles and golden flakes. (Seriously, she’s made soft serve *almost* too pretty to eat.)

140 NE 39th St., Miami; 305-639-8178 or madlabcreamery.com

Val Chang

Anyone who can make us crave a simple bowl of hummus and pita as much as fried chicken and doughnuts is a star in our book. We’ll miss you, Dizengoff and Federal Donuts, but we’re sure Chang has something even better up her sleeve.

Jill Martinez Montinola Of Seaspice

For more than three years, Montinola has filled our heart (and stomach) with the most perfect sweets at Seaspice. We’ll take another order of the key lime and guava-glazed bambolinis, please.

422 NW North River Dr., Miami; 305-440-4200 or seaspicemiami.com

Nicole Votano Of The Wynwood Yard’s Charcoal

At Charcoal, Votano makes us actually want to eat vegetables. Grilled, blackened and delicately seasoned, we’ll take a plate of whatever she’s serving.

82 NW 29th St., Miami; 786-646-2998 or charcoalmiami.com

devon mignonette1
Courtesy of Devin Braddock

Devin Braddock Of Mignonette And Blue Collar

If you’ve visited a Danny Serfer restaurant in the past few months (Mignonette in Downtown or Blue Collar on the Upper East Side) and drooled over the rich chocolate cake, butterscotch pudding or sea salt and chocolate chip cookies, you have Braddock to thank for that.

210 NE 18th St., Miami; 305-374-4635 or mignonettemiami.com

Cindy Hutson Of Zest

All hail Cindy Hutson, the grand dame of Miami cooking and the local, sustainable food movement. P.S. If you haven’t tried her coffee- and cocoa-crusted salmon at Zest, consider that a priority on today’s to-do list.

200 S. Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-374-9378 or zestmiami.com

Adrianne Calvo Of Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard, Restaurant & Wine Bar

More than a decade since opening Chef Adrianne’s in Kendall, this eatery is still getting buzz. (Well, considering how yummy the panko-crusted French goat cheese and the sweet-and-spicy shrimp are, it’s no surprise.)

11510 SW 147th Ave., Miami; 305-408-8386 or chefadriannes.com

Dena Marino Of Mc Kitchen

This Colorado transplant gives us an elevated approach to rustic Italian at her Design District restaurant, MC Kitchen. She’s also responsible for one of our favorite brunches in all of Miami.

4141 NE Second Ave., Miami; 305-456-9948



clarissa buch

Miami Editor

Clarissa Buch Zilberman is a writer and editor based in Miami. Focused on food, lifestyle, and travel, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, Bon Appétit, and Departures, among other print and digital titles.