Beyond ‘Good for Kosher’: Chef Olivia Ostrow is raising the bar for Jewish dining

For chef Olivia Ostrow, “good for kosher” may be one of the most frustrating phrases in the culinary world. The French-born chef behind Miami’s Maison Ostrow believes kosher food should be judged by exactly the same standards as any other cuisine - whether it’s a perfectly cooked steak, a freshly baked baguette or a meal served at 40,000 feet. It’s a philosophy that reflects the changing face of kosher dining in America and the influence of a generation of Israeli chefs who have helped bring modern Jewish cuisine onto the global culinary stage. At Maison Ostrow, Ostrow has built her reputation around French technique, ambitious cooking and an unwillingness to treat kosher requirements as an excuse for compromise. Now, her ambitions are extending well beyond the restaurant. Maison Baguette, which grew out of the restaurant and earned national attention after Forbes recognized one of its sandwiches, is preparing to open a standalone location in Aventura, Florida. Meanwhile, Ostrow Privé is bringing upscale kosher dining to private aviation, yachts, hotels and events, with plans to eventually reach travelers far beyond Miami. For Ostrow, it is all part of a larger vision: Creating food that reflects her French roots, American home, Jewish identity and connection to Israel without ever needing an asterisk.

JP: How has the Kosher scene in Miami evolved over the years?

OO: Massively. For years, kosher diners were almost trained to grade on a curve: “It’s really good… for kosher.” I hate those two words. Why ‘for kosher?’ If I serve you a steak, it has to compete with the best steak in Miami. If I bake you a baguette, I’m French - You have every right to judge me harshly. Actually, you probably should. Miami has changed because the kosher customer has changed. They travel. They eat in Tel Aviv, Paris, New York. They understand food, wine, design and service. They don’t want an imitation of a great restaurant with a kosher certificate on the door. And Israel has had a huge influence on that evolution. Look at what has happened with Israeli cuisine over the last twenty years. Israeli chefs showed the world that Jewish food doesn’t have to be nostalgic or apologetic, it can be sexy, modern, sophisticated and world-class. That’s the standard. I don’t want Maison Ostrow to be one of Miami’s best kosher restaurants. I want it to be one of Miami’s best restaurants. The kosher part isn’t the asterisk. It’s the point of pride.

What are the challenges to running a Kosher restaurant in America?

Should I send you the answer or my therapy bill? Everything costs more. Everything takes longer. Sourcing is harder. Staffing is harder. Holidays are complicated. Ingredients that every other chef can order tomorrow sometimes require us to find three suppliers, make six phone calls and possibly involve God. And then you have the obvious French-chef problem: No butter.

I somehow chose to be a French chef and open a kosher meat restaurant. This was not excellent strategic planning. But constraints force creativity. We make things ourselves. We source obsessively. We developed techniques because simply substituting something mediocre wasn’t acceptable to me. And the customer doesn’t need to care how difficult any of that was. They aren’t paying for my problems. They’re paying for dinner. The food has to be great.

Tell us about Ostrow Privé and why you are doing it?

Because I got tired of seeing kosher travelers pay luxury prices and receive an aluminum container that looks like it survived a small war. You can fly on a $50 million private jet and somehow your kosher meal still arrives looking like an apology. Why? Ostrow Privé is our answer. We’re creating luxury kosher food for private aviation, airports, yachts, hotels, travel, corporate clients and private events. Beautiful boxes, real food, real presentation, the same standards we expect at Maison Ostrow. We’re also developing the ability to flash-freeze and ship our food, which means this doesn’t have to remain a Miami business. And yes, Israel absolutely matters to the vision. I love the idea of Jewish people being able to travel anywhere in the world without having to choose between keeping kosher and eating beautifully. Kosher shouldn’t restrict the experience. We should elevate it. My dream is very simple: You open the kosher meal on the plane and the person next to you wants yours. That’s victory.

Next up is Ostrow Baguette? Any details?

Baguette. I’m French. Bread is contractual. Maison Baguette started almost accidentally inside Maison Ostrow. I wanted to make the kind of baguette sandwiches I grew up understanding, not an American sandwich wearing a beret. So we make the baguettes. We make our charcuterie. We hand-cut the fries. We obsess over ingredients. Then Forbes included one of our sandwiches among its 15 standout sandwiches in America. At that point I thought: Well. Apparently I own another brand now. So yes the secret is officially becoming less secret. Maison Baguette is opening in Aventura this fall. A real location. Expanded menu. Breakfast. Coffee. More baguettes. More trouble. And because I’m Jewish, apparently instead of enjoying one successful restaurant, my preferred response to stress is to open another one.

Any big plans for 2027?

2027 is shaping up to be slightly insane. Maison Ostrow continues to grow. Maison Baguette will have its first standalone location and I believe the concept can go much further. Ostrow Privé is opening an entirely new world for us in aviation, hospitality and international travel. We’re also scheduled to participate in the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in February 2027, which means a lot to me. But the bigger story is Ostrow Global. For years I thought like a chef: The restaurant, tonight’s service, tomorrow’s menu. Now I’m thinking about building a hospitality company. Fine dining. Maison Baguette. Ostrow Privé. More locations. Products. Travel. Maybe airports. Maybe other cities. Miami is home, but my ambition doesn’t have a Miami ZIP code. And Israel will always be part of my culinary and personal compass. I’m French, I’m American, I’m Jewish, I’m proudly Zionist and somehow all of those identities end up on my plates. Preferably with sauce.

You’ve been on several TV shows. What are the challenges or tricks to TV cooking?

The trick? Don’t look scared. You can be scared. Just don’t look scared. Restaurant cooking and television cooking are completely different. In my restaurant, if something goes wrong, I can fix it before you ever see it. On television, there are cameras specifically hoping I don’t. You have a clock, producers talking, cameras everywhere, someone asking you a question while you’re reducing a sauce and suddenly you’ve forgotten how onions work. I also have a French accent, very little filter and a face that unfortunately communicates every thought before my mouth does. Apparently television likes this. I’m also very open about something that surprises people: I’m not the most technically perfect chef. Never have been. But give me ingredients and ask me to create something delicious? Now I’m dangerous. My cooking is instinctive. I understand the flavor. I know what I want people to feel when they eat something. TV taught me that perfection isn’t necessarily interesting. Personality is. And apparently tantrums have excellent ratings.

https://maisonostrow.com/ 1666 79th Street Causeway Suite 102, North Bay Village, FL 33141

This article was written in cooperation with Tom White