You’ve watched these celebrity chefs on TV, and now you can see them make magic in the kitchens of Greater Miami & Miami Beach. Some are hometown culinary geniuses, while others moved to Miami and created new epicurean success stories. Here’s a star-studded look at the who’s who of Miami chefs and where you can taste their cuisine at local restaurants.

Stubborn Seed's foamy presentation — Experience Stubborn Seed's food art

Jeremy Ford

Celebrity chef Jeremy Ford has the culinary Midas touch: Anything he touches turns into restaurant gold.

The Florida native with a fun, easygoing personality rocketed to fame after winning Bravo’s “Top Chef” Season 13. He also serves as a host on the TV show “Fast Foodies,” where culinary masters recreate fast food dishes.

Ford has racked up numerous accolades, including a recent MICHELIN star for his South Beach restaurant Stubborn Seed, where the talented team in the open kitchen whips up inventive plates of food art.

Foodie fans can also find Ford’s influence at numerous spots in Miami. He’s a partner in Beauty & The Butcher, an upscale restaurant in Coral Gables that focuses on seasonal ingredients and impressive cuts of meats, as well as JJ’s Guilty Pleasures at the waterfront entertainment venue Regatta Grove in Coconut Grove. Named after the fast food that Ford and his mom used to enjoy together, the restaurant serves up decadent burgers (try the fried soft-shell crab burger or the Guilty Pleasure Freak-O with two patties, fried onions, mojo pickles, cheddar cheese and a special sauce), delicious tacos and sides like truffle fries and crispy onion rings.

Musician at Cafe La Trova — Dine while enjoying live music at Cafe La Trova

Michelle Bernstein

An icon in the Miami food scene for decades, Chef Michelle Bernstein is the culinary queen of TV. The Miami native and James Beard Award-winning chef with a bubbly personality regularly appears as a guest judge on nationally televised culinary competition programs, including Bravo’s “Top Chef” and Food Network’s “Chopped.” She also makes appearances on “Good Morning America” for cooking segments. Local fans can catch her every Saturday morning on Local 10’s Emmy award-winning SoFlo TASTE, where she offers tasty recipes and expert techniques, as well as the PBS show “Check, Please! South Florida.”

Bernstein shows off her culinary expertise at MICHELIN-recommended Cafe La Trova in Little Havana, which is beloved for Bernstein’s modern take on Cuban favorites and its live entertainment, as well as her Cuban and Caribbean dishes at La Cañita in Bayside Marketplace. Bernstein recently launched Michy’s Chicken Shack in the buzzy Downtown Miami food hall Julia & Henry’s, where diners can nosh on her famous fried chicken.

Donatella Arpaia

Avid foodies will recognize Chef Donatella Arpaia as a head judge on “Iron Chef America” and “The Next Iron Chef” and from her appearances on NBC’s “Today Show.”

The attorney-turned-chef and restaurateur has a flair for mouthwatering Italian food and has owned a string of acclaimed restaurants. She currently helms NOMA Beach at Redfish, the only waterfront restaurant in Coral Gables, where diners can expect stunning views and a seafood-focused menu that’s influenced by Arpaia’s Italian roots and her time living in Miami. She’s best known for her homemade meatballs, a not-to-be missed menu staple. The enchanting waterfront restaurant is a great spot for a relaxed lunch or a special dinner out.

Dinner at Chef Adrianne's — Try inventive American cuisine at Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Bar

Adrianne Calvo

Another renowned Miami celebrity chef who shines in the national spotlight is Adrianne Calvo. The Cuban American with fiery red hair has competed on top culinary shows such as Season 9 of “Chopped” as well as Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay.” She’s also made culinary cameos on “The Today Show,” “Good Morning America, “Fox & Friends” and CNN. She’s even garnered accolades for her Emmy-nominated YouTube series “Searching for Maximum Flavor,” in which she explores food scenes around the U.S. Calvo never stops. She’s published six cookbooks and recently launched her own cabernet sauvignon wine.

Calvo helms two popular restaurants in Miami, including her namesake restaurant, Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Bar in Kendall, where she pairs inventive American cuisine with California wines. For a fun spin on seafood, try Cracked by Chef Adrianne in the South Miami area.

Chica's lush bar area, photo by Michael_Stavaridis for Rockwell Group — Indulge in CHICA's Latin American cuisine, photo by Michael Stavaridis for Rockwell Group

Lorena Garcia

A famous face on national television, Venezuelan-born chef Lorena Garcia lights up the screen with her beauty, vivacious personality and culinary prowess. The chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and cookware designer has made the TV rounds with stints as a guest chef on “Top Chef Masters,” “Top Chef All-Stars” and NBC’s “America’s Next Great Restaurant.” She has also cooked on national morning talk shows as well as numerous shows on Telemundo and Univision.

In Miami, she’s best known for CHICA restaurant in the historic MiMo District, which edges the Miami Design District. Here, guests can indulge in mouthwatering Latin American cuisine in a gorgeous setting of lush, hanging plants and midcentury modern design.

Tristen Epps

Tristen Epps is no stranger to TV. He was a finalist on ABC’s former cooking competition series “The Taste,” and this celebrity chef captured hearts when he competed on Food Network’s “Chopped” in 2017 and won with his complex dish of beef kidneys and then a white chocolate panna cotta for the dessert round. In 2023, he made an appearance on Food Network’s fast-paced “Guy’s Grocery Games.”

You can get a taste of Epp’s talent at Ocean Social by Chef Tristen Epps, located in Mid Beach inside the iconic Eden Roc Miami Beach Hotel. Here, he treats diners to playful riffs on surf and turf dishes influenced by his Trinidadian background and global military-brat travels in his youth.

Rhouse's dishes — Find Latin-inspired dishes at R House

Rocco Carulli

As executive chef and owner of R House restaurant in Wynwood, rising chef Rocco Carulli has made a big name for himself in Miami’s culinary world for his tasty, Latin-inspired dishes and popular brunch featuring lively adult drag performances. The nation is now taking notice of the celebrity chef, too, as he recently starred on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay” Season 33. Even though Bobby bested him, Carulli impressed the judges with smoked mozzarella-stuffed jalapenos atop a roasted red pepper and an aji rocoto sauce. Fans can look forward to more national TV appearances by Carulli.

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