Olivia Ostrow is taking on the challenge. The Paris-born chef and her French-trained staff brainstorm kosher approaches to this cuisine full time at her North Bay Village restaurant, Maison Ostrow, which opened last year. Its menu is filled with classic dishes such as Beef Bourguignon, Chicken Cordon Bleu, French onion soup and Canard \u00e0 l\u2019Orange (duck with zesty oranges).<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s not exactly how it would taste at a French restaurant in Paris that\u2019s not kosher, I don\u2019t want it on the table,\u201d Ostrow said.<\/p>\n
Kosher restaurants adhere to strict Jewish dietary regulations, not only separating meat and milk but forbidding animals such as pork and shellfish and closing on Jewish holidays and the Jewish Sabbath.<\/p>\n
Nothing at Maison Ostrow contains dairy or any non-kosher ingredients. The restaurant is certified kosher by the Orthodox Rabbinical Board of Broward and Palm Beach Counties,<\/a>\u00a0one of the major kosher supervising agencies in South Florida.<\/p>\n Elan Kornblum, publisher of Great Kosher Restaurants Magazine and moderator of the Facebook group \u201cGreat Kosher Restaurants Foodies<\/a>,\u201d said he has been intrigued by several Maison Ostrow dishes, including Veal Chop Proven\u00e7ale and Chicken Cordon Bleu, which in traditional French cuisine are made with dairy products.<\/p>\n \u201cBy making their own veal ham, they are able to serve even a French \u2018ham and butter\u2019 sandwich,\u201d Kornblum said. \u201cAnd [their] non-dairy butter, with six flavors, it\u2019s already legendary. You just don\u2019t get this in other restaurants \u2026 I always think, \u2018What is the chef going to come up with next?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n Maison Ostrow is not the first Miami-Dade County restaurant to start gaining attention recently for its gourmet kosher offerings. In May, Mutra in North Miami became the first kosher restaurant in the world<\/a> to earn a Michelin star. Like Ostrow, Mutra chef Raz Shabtai said he works to show that kosher cuisine is not restrictive but rather a source of creativity and deliciousness.<\/p>\n Ostrow, 51, has lived and cooked in the United States, France and Israel. Her father, Daniel Binn, was a restaurateur who opened a French eatery in Greensboro, North Carolina, called Le Rendez-Vous. She worked closely with her father at the restaurant, not only cooking but learning about the food business.<\/p>\n She settled in Miami more than 20 years ago with her husband, Steve Ostrow, an attorney who grew up in Miami-Dade. They have two children. She made her Miami debut in 2023 with the kosher Ostrow Brasserie in the city\u2019s Buena Vista neighborhood, far from the concentrated Jewish communities typically associated with Miami-Dade, such as Surfside and Aventura. She said she closed it because she wanted to open a more refined, ambitious establishment.<\/p>\n \u201cI like to create my own path,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve never been a follower.\u201d<\/p>\n When she heard about a restaurant space in North Bay Village that was for sale and already had a liquor license, she jumped to her next opportunity. She opened Maison Ostrow three months later.<\/p>\n Ostrow said the key to her authentic French flavors is her dairy-less butters and cheeses, although she declined to share the ingredients. She also depends on duck fat to fry, brown and sear.<\/p>\n \u201cI use it in preparations such as confit, roasted potatoes and other dishes where richness, flavor and texture are essential,\u201d she said. \u201cIn French cuisine, duck fat isn\u2019t simply a substitute for lard. It\u2019s a beautiful ingredient in its own right, with centuries of culinary history.\u201d<\/p>\n Desserts have proven a challenge, as eclairs, mousses, profiteroles and tarts are usually made with butter or cream, or both. A recent Maison Ostrow dessert menu offered a Signature Chocolate Mousse ($22.10) and a Financier (almond \u201cbutter\u201d cake with a strawberry coulis, $24.70).<\/p>\n \u201cTry telling a French chef she can\u2019t use butter or cream!\u201d Ostrow said. \u201cButter provides flavor, structure and texture. Cream provides richness and stability. You can\u2019t simply swap them for margarine or a non-dairy alternative and expect the same result. It requires technique, creativity, and a lot of testing.\u201d<\/p>\n Her menus show the extensive research she has undertaken to make her elevated kosher feasts, including Chicken and Lamb Paupiette (chicken stuffed with lamb, prunes, eggplant, imitation bacon and pureed apples, $65) and Table Side Reserve Cut Special Filet au Poivre (steak seared with cognac and ignited at the table, $150).<\/p>\n Besides her multiple collaborations that birth new kosher dishes \u00e0 la fran\u00e7aise, Ostrow is also working to expand her brands. Ostrow Priv\u00e9, which supplies kosher food for yachts, jets and private events, is one venture; and Maison Baguette<\/a>, which will offer foods from around the world on Ostrow\u2019s homemade breads, is expected to open in Aventura in November.<\/p>\n She believes she has found her life\u2019s work.<\/p>\n \u201cWorking in a kosher kitchen doesn\u2019t mean abandoning French traditions,\u201d she said. \u201cIt means understanding the techniques well enough to adapt them without sacrificing authenticity.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Olivia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TFL-L-Maison-Ostrow5.jpg\")
Owner Olivia Ostrow said the key to her authentic French flavors is her dairy-less butters and cheeses. (Carline Jean\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n![\"Olivia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TFL-L-Maison-Ostrow2.jpg\")
Owner Olivia Ostrow at work in the kitchen of Maison Ostrow in North Bay Village, sauteing kosher chicken on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (Carline Jean\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n