Matbucha And Mispucha: Life As An Israeli-American Chef with Michael Solomonov

Noam Weissman· Host0:00

This episode is brought to you by Route One. They send North American Jewish teens to Israel for this remarkable immersive experience before they go to college. It helps them build meaningful, lasting connections to not just Israel, but to all different types of Israelis of all backgrounds. I've seen teens return from Route One trips totally changed. They're so confident, and they're able to navigate these difficult and complex conversations that we're always begging young people to have. So to learn more, visit routeone.org. It's such an important organization. Check it out. [upbeat music] Hey, everyone. Welcome to Wondering Jews with Michal and Noam. I'm Noam, and this podcast is our way of trying to unpack those really big questions being asked in the world today about Israel, about Judaism, and about the Jewish experience. We are about halfway through our series on Jewish American Heritage Month. We're asking, what does it mean to be a Jewish American? What's unique about this identity? And what has this group of people contributed to the Jewish community and to the US? Mike Solomonov is the co-owner of Cook and Solo Restaurants with his 20-year business partner, Steve Cook, chef of the seminal restaurant, Zahav, and co-author of four cookbooks. He is one of the country's foremost restaurant minds. He garnered great recognition with Zahav named a 25 Best Restaurants in Philadelphia 2025 by The New York Times,