MARCH 5 • 2020 | 43

Hillel’s New Sous Chef Takes 
Its Café to New Heights

M

ichigan Hillel’
s star 
continues to rise 
with more great 
additions to the Hillel Café. 
It introduced Ann Arbor to 
new Head Chef Jonathan 
Shepard last semester and is 
proud to share its new Sous 
Chef Cedric Smith. 
Smith has had a long-
standing relationship with 
the food industry — devel-
oping a deep appreciation 
for the art form at a young 
age from his mother and 
chef father. His passion grew 
as he honed his skills, train-
ing in California alongside 
his older brother, a respected 
chef in his own right for 
Hollywood celebrities. 
Love then called him 
home to Michigan, where 
he cooked for country clubs, 
hotels and restaurants. 
Smith said of his new ven-
ture with Hillel, “I’
m so glad 
to have found Hillel and the 
opportunity to be a part of 
this community’
s Jewish food 
experience.”
 Together, the duo of 
Shepard and Smith are tak-
ing the Hillel Café to new 

heights. They have restruc-
tured and revitalized the 
Café’
s menu, breathing new 
life into the county’
s only 
public kosher restaurant. 
There is now a monthly 
menu of offerings, from 
which customers can 
choose a variety of gourmet 
soups, salads, sandwiches, 
and entrees — all available 
a la carte. 
Reflecting on the updat-
ed menu, Smith shared, “I 
am loving the challenge of 
taking some of my family’
s 
best recipes, like our coveted 
fried chicken, and adapting 
them to kosher dishes. 
“The Café’
s patrons have 
been so helpful in sharing 
with us the best of their 
family recipes, too, and I 
hope they keep those tips 
coming.”
Recent menu items have 
included pulled BBQ brisket, 
cashew creamed chicken 
alfredo, honey-glazed salmon 
rice bowls and more. 
 
Visit michiganhillel.org/dining for 
their full monthly menu. 
Stacy Carroll is director of advance-
ment for U-M Hillel.

STACY CARROLL SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Cedric Smith

Dine at 
Steve and Rocky’s

STEVE & ROCKY’
S 

43150 Grand River Avenue 
Novi, MI 48375 
248.374.0688
steveandrockys.com

MICHIGAN HILLEL

Thursday, March 12 
Fisher Theater
$110

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