Eat like a lady this International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day on March 8th, 2024, is a recognized day to be discriminatory all over the world. For the purpose of this story, I’ll be profiling the best female chefs in Los Angeles in a way I usually wouldn’t: by gender.

While there shouldn’t be a day of sexism, I’ll think of this as Valentine’s Day for a group I happen to be a part of. It’s certainly not hard to see the impact the best female chefs in Los Angeles have had on the culinary landscape of the city.

To Chef Nancy Silverton, Chef Niki Nakayama, Chef Stephanie Izard, Chef Genevieve Gergis, Chef Sarah Kramer, Chef Sarah Hymanson, Chef Jessica Koslow, Chef Alice Waters, Chef Teresa Montaño, Chef Margarita Manzke, Chef Suzanne Goin, and Chef Mei Lin...here’s your love letter!

Also, be sure to scroll down to the bottom, for details on the Re: Her Food Festival happening now through Sunday, March 12th. 

Nancy Silverton 

She’s the Chef that made carbs great again! From the humble beginnings of La Brea Bakery in 1989 to the Mozza empire in 2007, Silverton has maintained a level of popularity that’s brought her Nancy’s Chopped Salad to a national distribution level! Locals can still delight in new discoveries though, like Triple Beam Pizza in Highland Park and her upcoming collaboration with Phil Rosenthal at Max & Helen’s coming the summer of 2024. 

Niki Nakayama

When a menu reads like poetry, the reservation is worth the wait. A meal at Chef Niki Nakayama’s N/Naka transcends the simplicity of the dining room and makes you forget you’re in L.A. at all. It’s no wonder that over a decade later it’s still one of the hardest tables to secure. It also holds the highest amount of Michelin stars awarded for this city.

Sarah Kramer and Sarah Hymanson

Meet the two Chefs responsible for the Californian Middle Eastern fusion movement a few years back. Kismet remains a staple on the brunch scene, and they’ve expanded to a downtown location as well. 

Next, in 2020, they remade “fast-casual” with the kid-friendly Rotisserie chicken outpost: Kismet Rotisserie.

Stephanie Izard

After taking Chicago by storm with her popular restaurant, Girl & the Goat, she came to Los Angeles and did…the exact same thing! I guess lightning can strike twice. This restaurant in the DTLA Arts District is always packed, so if you’re having trouble snagging a rezzie you can try Cabra at The Hoxton Hotel instead (although I can’t make any promises). Chef Izard is known for being the first female Chef to win Top Chef during season four, and she’s also a James Beard winner for Best Chef in 2013. 

Genevieve Gergis

The Chocolate Budino Tart by Pastry Chef Genevieve Gergis of Bestia helped make Los Angeles a food city to watch back in 2017. The Bar au Chocolat Bittersweet Chocolate Budino Tart remains a menu staple today as is her Paglova walnut and apricot pastry at Bavel, the Middle-Eastern restaurant she opened with husband and partner Ori Menashe in 2018. 

Teresa Montaño

Chef Teresa Montaño has been recognized by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Discovery Series and earned California acclaim for her restaurant Ración in Pasadena. 

Listed as one of my favorite Summer Happy Hours, her 2018 restaurant Otoño put gin-centric cocktails on the map and got everyone craving tapas instead of tacos. 

Alice Waters

Chef Alice Waters is responsible for the farm-to-table movement and her work at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, in 1971 created what we still refer to as California Cuisine. Fifty years later, Chef Waters has opened her first restaurant in Los Angeles, Lulu, at the Hammer Museum, with a menu that changes daily based on what the market has fresh that day. 

Margarita Manzke

James Beard Nominated Pastry Chef Margarita Manzke is the co-owner of the famed République, The Sari Sari Store, and Bicyclette Bistro. While 2024 saw a surprising shuttering of several of the restaurants mentioned, the République still stands!

Jessica Koslow

California has been the butt of the Avocado Toast joke for some time now, and we can thank Chef Jessica Koslow for that. The veggie-centric menu changes daily at her Sqirl restaurant, but it’s hard not to go with standards like the Famed Ricotta or Avocado Toast. 

Suzanne Goin

It seems when James Beard award-winning Chef Suzanne Goin is involved, everything she touches turns to Goin Gold. She runs the popular restaurant A.O.C, which has two locations, as well as handling all the food at The Hollywood Bowl. Most recently, you can sample her California-European-style cuisine at the Downtown Los Angeles Proper Hotel, where she heads up both Caldo Verde and Cara Cara. 

It should also be noted that Chef Goin has partnered with the James Beard award-winning restauranteur Caroline Styne on all her ventures, and she also handles the wine program.

Mei Lin

Nightshade, in Downtown Los Angeles, was one of the most highly anticipated restaurant openings of 2019 and one of the saddest pandemic closures. Luckily for us, though, her fast-casual restaurant daybird, which opened in 2021, has filled the void with sweet Szechuan Chicken Sandos. 

Re: Her Food Festival

Regarding Her (RE: Her) is in its 4th year, and the RE: Her Festival is bigger than ever. What was once a 10-day celebration now spans the entire month of March. There are Chef Collabs and Special Dinners to get excited about, as well as Wine Tastings in Castles and so much more! Enjoy the full lineup here.

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