Must-See Cuisine

While Olivia Ostrow was on set as a contestant filming the third season of the popular cooking show 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing, the Miami chef and restaurateur didn’t have much bandwidth to consider the impact of the show beyond the bright lights, camera lenses, and the bustling competitors around her. “I’m thinking: ‘Don’t overcook the fish…Don’t burn the sauce…Move faster’,” Ostrow tells AQUA Miami. “It’s survival mode.”  

By the time she reached the premiere episode viewing party in late April at her acclaimed kosher French-Mediterranean North Bay Village spot Maison Ostrow—complete with Champagne, live music, and a special sharing menu—the potential for impact is starting to hit home. “If someone out there sees a French, kosher, slightly sarcastic woman doing her thing without fitting into a box,” Ostrow says, “maybe they’ll realize they don’t have to fit into one either.” 

Stepping Into the Kitchen      

 In some ways, Ostrow’s path to the kitchen seemed foreordained. In others…not so much. “My father was in restaurants, so food was always there—loud, alive, a little chaotic,” she says of her Parisian childhood. “I grew up around it. [My interest in food] wasn’t some romantic a-ha! moment accompanied by a soufflé rising in the oven. What I remember more is the feeling: the energy of a dining room, the rhythm of a kitchen.” 

Still, there were neither visions of sugar plums nor rising soufflés dancing in her childhood head. “The ambition came later,” Ostrow says. “I didn’t wake up one day and say, ‘I want to be a chef.’ I kind of walked into it...and then realized I was very good at it. And once I know I’m good at something, I don’t do it halfway.” 

The world has taken notice of Ostrow’s talent and drive. Aside from preparing dishes for a diverse array of high-profile diners ranging from Andrea Bocelli, Liev Schreiber, and Ziggy Marley to Romero Britto, DJ Irie, and Alonzo Mourning, she has garnered raves from Forbes, NBC, Us Weekly, New York Post, and more.  

Then, of course, the casting department of Food Network 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing came calling, inviting Ostrow to leap from the kitchen frying pan into the reality television fire alongside “24 talented and fearless chefs taking on 24 challenges over the course of 24 straight hours” for a potential $100,000 prize. 

“I got cast because I’m not standard,” Ostrow says, describing the filming experience as intense, fast, and fun. “I don’t cook like everyone else, and I definitely don’t behave like everyone else…I don’t get intimidated by TV. It’s entertainment, not open-heart surgery. Some people train for months like they’re going to war. And still lose. I showed up, cooked, and enjoyed it.” 

Ostrow brought two major advantages with her to the Last Chef Standing stage: First, her unique “kosher but make it couture” approach to French-Mediterranean cuisine. “There’s technique, there’s identity, there’s restriction, but also creativity,” she says. “You can’t hide behind butter, so your food better be good.” And second, her time in the crucible that is the Magic City dining scene. “Miami prepares you for chaos—and I mean that in the best way,” Ostrow adds. “You’re dealing with high expectations, diverse clients, intense seasonality, and people who have eaten everywhere. It forces you to be sharp, fast, and adaptable…Also, Miami diners don’t care about your story—they care about what’s on the plate right now. That mentality translates perfectly to competition cooking.” 

Those who joined the viewing party—co-hosted by Miami Food Yenta—enjoyed fire-grilled brioche, beef kefta, tuna skewers, pulled brisket, warm hummus with smoked paprika, and house-made chocolate mousse to finish as well as live music and were treated to a very chill Ostrow. 

“The show is one thing, but watching it live, in my restaurant, with my guests, my team, good food, Champagne, music... that’s my world,” she says. “That’s where I’m actually comfortable. It turns it into a moment, not just TV, but an experience. And if I’m going to watch myself on screen, I’d rather do it with a full room, a drink in hand, and great energy.” 

Looking Ahead 

As for the future, Ostrow has perhaps predictably big plans. “[Maison Ostrow] is more than a restaurant, it’s a lifestyle brand,” she says. “I see us expanding into France, London, Vegas, Dubai, Panama—the world is our kosher oyster. Think chef-driven dining, celebrity tables, art, and design, all under one unapologetic French umbrella.” 

Quite ambitions. But if the flagship 3,500 square-foot space in North Bay Village boasting a terrace overlooking Biscayne Bay—decorated with art from Ostrow’s personal collection, no less—doesn’t make you a believer (spoiler alert: it will), then the chef’s tasting menu featuring five to seven courses with seasonal pairings designed to bring “haute cuisine to the kosher world” likely will. Then there is the curated kosher wine list, live French cabaret music every Sunday night, a “bright, elegant” brunch spread that “pairs French comfort with Miami sunshine, featuring crisp salads, shareable signatures, and pâtisserie-inspired touches,” Thursday specials (classic South of France fish stew with rouille and baguette; Hachis Parmentier, i.e. French shepherd’s pie), and more. “This is a place where you can come in more than once a week for a family meal, a night of cocktails and jazz, or a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience,” Ostrow says. 

And if a reality television competition helps place the spotlight on such an amazing institution, all the better.  

For more information and reservations, visit maisonostrow.com.