Female Chefs Kicking Butt

By: Cindi Avila (@ChefCindi)

 

 

As Beyonce famously sang, “Who run the world? Girls!” And now women are running some of the best restaurants in America. In honor of International Women’s Day we wanted to spotlight some female Chefs kicking butt in the food industry. It’s something I first wrote about back in 2014 when I interviewed Elisa Strauss—Owner of Confetti Cakes in NYC. You may recognize her from her many TV appearances including the Today Show, Sex and the City, Food Network Challenge and 30-Minute Meals With Rachael Ray. Strauss told me, “In the last decade you have really seen a better representation of women in the culinary field from sommeliers to restaurateurs.  The professional kitchen used to be just for male chefs, but I’m happy to see more women chefs [in general], not just a few famous ones whose names keep being regurgitated.”

 

I used to do public relations for one of the biggest culinary schools in the country and 50% of students there were women. That 50/50 ratio isn’t quite the same in restaurant kitchens just yet though. I can tell you we are getting there, slowly, but surely thanks to some fabulous women. Here are just a handful you should know about:

 

 

Cindy Hutson

I have to start with another Cindy in my hometown, Miami. Chef Cindy Hutson is the Executive Chef and Owner of Ortanique on the Mile. Her website tells a fascinating story: “In 1994 award-winning chef Cindy Hutson met her life partner, Delius Shirley. With an inherit passion for cooking, but no formal training and three kids to care for, Hutson was hesitant to open her first restaurant venture. Against the odds and with the extra support of Shirley, Hutson took the leap of faith and that same year opened Norma’s on the Beach.  Rave reviews touted Hutson’s cuisine as “the best Caribbean restaurant in South Florida” and international support from USA Today, The New York Times, London Times, Chicago Tribune, Chef Magazine and Eater, who named Hutson “Chef of the Year” (2012), helped set the pace for what would develop into a thriving culinary future.Hutson’s culturally diverse and seasonally driven culinary style is heavily influenced by her extensive travel and food history. Her signature “Cuisine of the Sun” is a self-coined approach that means to create without limits and cook everything under the sun, infusing nuances of her famous island flavors throughout. “I thrive on teaching about our earth’s bounties, edible history and utilizing indigenous ingredients that are regionally prepared,” says Hutson about her culinary inspiration, which is apparent in her many regionally-inspired Caribbean concepts.”

 

 

Michelle Bernstein

 

I can’t talk about Miami Chefs without mentioning Chef Michelle Bernstein.

Eater recently declared, “Michelle Bernstein’s Cena Was Miami’s Saddest Closure of 2016.” We too are eager to see where she pops up next. In the meantime she hosts SoFlo Taste on Channel 10 (WPLG) and Check Please! South Florida on WPBT PBS. According to her bio on PBS, “Her sunny smile brightens up TV screens across the country; her charisma is undeniable and her cuisine sublime. Since drawing the national media spotlight in the mid 1990s and garnering a series of coveted awards, Chef Michelle Bernstein has become one of the most respected and successful chefs/restaurateurs in the nation. A Miami native of Jewish and Latin descent, this James Beard Award winner (Best Chef South 2008) and author of Cuisine a Latina (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2008) has dazzled diners and critics alike. With her husband and partner David Martinez, Bernstein currently owns and operates two highly successful restaurants in Miami. Michys, which opened in 2005, was dubbed one of the Top 50 Restaurants in the Country by Gourmet and Best New Restaurant 2006 by Food and Wine. Crumb on Parchment, which opened in 2011 in the Miami Design District, is a cozy caf with an extensive menu of innovative salads and soups, freshly-made sandwiches, and exquisite baked goods (including cakes handmade by Bernsteins mother, Martha). In addition to her restaurant ventures, she consults for Delta Airlines, creating tasty, healthy in-flight menus for First and Business Class Elite, is a brand ambassador for Crisco, and a member of the Macys Culinary Council and the LEAN CUISINE Culinary Roundtable. Bernstein also launched the Miami chapter of Common Threads, an after-school program dedicated to teaching underprivileged kids ages 8-11 to cook, socialize, and eat healthy one recipe at a time.

 

Eileen Andrade

Eileen Andrade is someone to keep an eye on for sure. She is the mastermind behind Finka Table & Tap in West-Dade. Her bio on carnavalMiami.com says that, “Andrad “grew up in the kitchen working alongside experienced chefs and her grandfather whom started their family business back in Cuba. After coming to Miami and opening one of the city’s most well known Cuban restaurants since 1977, Islas Canarias, Eileen’s grandfather paved the way for his children and grandchildren to continue his culinary legacy.At an early age, Eileen showed interest in everything creative. Mixing cuisines and reinventing traditional dishes that her grandfather brought from his homeland has always been a passion of hers. In 2011, Eileen opened up her first business, CUBANCUBE foodtruck. The foodtruck was an instant success on the streets and at large scale caterings. CUBANCUBE’S popularity showed how Miami’s food scene was lacking a real twist on traditional Latin cuisine. Steamed Asian buns stuffed with their famous “Croquetas de Jamon” topped with avocado, maple bacon sauce, fried shallots, and chives was one of their top sellers. Now, you can find similar twists on classics at Eileen’s newest project, FINKA TABLE & TAP.Eileen opened FINKA TABLE & TAP in July of 2014. Her focus on Cuban, Peruvian and Korean cuisines draws thousands of people a week through the rustic doors of FINKA. Her eclectic food menu mixed with craft cocktails using homemade syrups make for a different experience in the suburbs of West Kendall in Miami. With new ideas and projects coming soon, this is only the beginning for this 26 year old’s career.”

 

Alexandra Guarnaschelli

I first came to know Alex when I appeared on The Food Network’s Chopped. She was a judge on the show, I was a contestant in the first season. I crashed and burned on the show, but she came up to me right after I got “Chopped” and couldn’t have been nicer. I am so appreciative of her kind words and I can’t help but think her talent in the kitchen, personality and ability to work a kitchen and a crowd as well all helped her achieve success. As her Facebook page boasts, “There are few American chefs, much less female chefs who can boast staying power in Michelin-starred restaurants. Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli can boast indeed — she embarked on a culinary journey in France and ended up working in some of the country’s top restaurants including esteemed chef Guy Savoy’s eponymous three-star kitchen. If you are in NY or heading there soon I strongly suggest you check out her restaurant, Butter. You can also still catch her on the Food Network. She still appears on Chopped and various other shows.