Michael Solomonov, 1978-

A multiple James Beard Award winner who leads several Israeli-themed restaurants in Philadelphia and writes cookbooks, Solomonov was born in Israel and raised in Pittsburgh. He worked in a bakery when he returned to Israel at 18 because of his limited Hebrew. He champions Israel’s diverse cuisine, including the film “In Search of Israeli Cuisine” and the Jewish Food Society’s “Bringing Israel Home” web series.

Photo: CooknSolo