Chef Michael Solomonov was born in G'nei Yehuda, Israel and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. At the age of 19, he returned to Israel. With no Hebrew language skills, he took the only job he could get – working in a bakery – and his culinary career was born.
James Beard Award 2017 Winner: Michael Solomonov of Zahav won the very top prize of “Outstanding Chef.”
A 2011 and 2017 James Beard Award winner for "Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic," Chef Solomonov is known for his extraordinary skill at transforming simple foods into artful culinary masterpieces. He is widely regarded as one of the city's top chefs.
In addition to the James Beard Award, Chef Solomonov has been recognized for his many accomplishments by The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Esquire Magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, and Travel + Leisure. In 2014, he was named Eater's National Chef of the Year.
Today, he can most often be found covered in flour, working the bread station at Zahav's open kitchen.