Chef Olivia Ostrow opened Maison Ostrow in North Bay Village to serve classic French cuisine adapted entirely to kosher dietary laws, replacing traditional dairy and pork staples with in-house alternatives like dairy-free butters and duck fat, the Sun Sentinel reported.
Classic French Cuisine Meets Kosher Regulations
Traditional French gastronomy relies heavily on ingredients forbidden by kosher dietary laws, including pork products like bacon, ham, and lard, as well as shellfish, snails, and the mixing of meat and dairy. Kashrut.org describes keeping kosher while exploring French cuisine as a minefield due to heavy cream bases and butter-basted steaks, according to the Sun Sentinel. Maison Ostrow addresses these restrictions by eliminating dairy and non-kosher items entirely while maintaining traditional flavors in dishes such as Beef Bourguignon, French onion soup, and Canard à l’Orange.
To recreate the textures and flavors of French cooking without dairy or restricted meats, Chef Ostrow utilizes specific substitutes and techniques. The restaurant relies on proprietary dairy-less butters offered in multiple flavors, along with duck fat used for frying, browning, and searing in preparations like confit and roasted potatoes. The kitchen also produces its own items, such as veal ham, enabling dishes like a French ham and butter sandwich.
Inventive Dishes Showcase Restricted French Ingredients
The menu features dishes that typically incorporate restricted ingredients in standard French cooking. Elan Kornblum, publisher of Great Kosher Restaurants Magazine and moderator of the Great Kosher Restaurants Foodies Facebook group, stated that dishes like the Veal Chop Provençale and Chicken Cordon Bleu showcase inventive methods, telling the Sun Sentinel, “By making their own veal ham, they are able to serve even a French ‘ham and butter’ sandwich.” Additional menu items include Chicken and Lamb Paupiette priced at $65 and a tableside Filet au Poivre seared with cognac for $150.
Desserts present a particular challenge because pastries such as eclairs, mousses, and tarts usually depend on butter and cream for structure and texture. Maison Ostrow addresses this by offering items like a Signature Chocolate Mousse priced at $22.10 and a Financier almond butter cake with strawberry coulis priced at $24.70, according to the Sun Sentinel. The restaurant operates under kosher certification from the Orthodox Rabbinical Board of Broward and Palm Beach Counties, ensuring adherence to regulations that prohibit non-kosher animals, mandate the separation of meat and milk, and require closures on the Jewish Sabbath and holidays.
Chef Ostrow Expands from Miami to Aventura
Chef Ostrow, 51, has a background in the restaurant industry rooted in her family. Her father, Daniel Binn, operated a French eatery called Le Rendez-Vous in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she worked closely with him. After settling in Miami more than 20 years ago, she debuted Ostrow Brasserie in the Buena Vista neighborhood in 2023 before closing it to open the more ambitious Maison Ostrow in North Bay Village. Alongside the restaurant, she operates Ostrow Privé, which supplies kosher food for yachts, jets, and private events, and plans to open Maison Baguette in Aventura in November to offer international foods served on her homemade breads.