Michael Solomonov on Zahav, Addiction, and Why Philly is the Best Food City!!

Michael Solomonov on Zahav, Addiction, and Why Philly is the Best Food City!!

July 27, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

Chef Michael Solomonov discusses his restaurants, the Philadelphia food scene, and the challenges of addiction in the culinary industry.

Adrienne and Joe are joined by acclaimed Chef Michael Solomonov to talk his award-winning restaurants, the thriving Philadelphia restaurant community, and the realities of addiction and recovery in the industry. In this episode, we also discuss: The origins of Zahav and the inspiration of Israeli food culture Opening a restaurant during the 2008 recession Why Philly’s food scene thrives: affordability and community Moving beyond traditional French and Italian fine dining Ingredient integrity: prioritizing substance over hype Addiction, recovery, and rebuilding a life in the kitchen Building healthier kitchen cultures and leaning on partners Walk In Confession: Cooking out of a neighboring bodega to keep service alive during a power outage. Follow Michael: @mikesolomonov Follow the show: @chefscutpod Follow Adrienne: @chefadriennecheatham  Follow Joe: @insta.flamm

People in this episode

Hosts: Adrienne, Joe

Guest: Michael Solomonov

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Zahav

Places: Philadelphia, bodega

More episodes of The Chef's Cut

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Chef's Cut podcast page.