Beyoncé already knows that girls take to the woods the creation , and they ’re definitely running the public of cookery and dining ( perhaps with fewer choreographed dance moves ) . Women are responsible for some of the Bay Area ’s most famous and extremely acclaimed restaurant , but despite Queen Bee ’s promulgation , the glare does n’t seem to be chasing fair sex the same way it does male chef .
So let ’s discover it for the badass gentlewoman of San Francisco ’s best kitchens . From head chef to wine merchant , we ’ve highlight the top women in Bay Area culinary art .
1. Melissa Perello
Frances(address and info ) andOctavia(address and info)CastroMelissa Perello is one of the few chefs for whom , it seems , everything they touch turn to delicious gold and the proof is in the , er , applewood smoked bacon beignets . In 2009 , Perello opened her now Michelin - star Frances , which offers a everyday circumvolve carte pore on seasonality and availability . Although she no longer helms Frances , Perello ’s latest speculation , Octavia , shares France ' focus on seasonal factor . There , Perello showcases her fragile and thoughtful skills in dishes like the deviled egg ( fresno chile relish , dolcini egg , marash pepper & spice ) , which are as tasty as they voice fancy , and trust upon unsubdivided , well - thought out relish .
Before open her own post , Perello make for as an executive chef at Fifth Floor , which won a Michelin Star when she was at its helm . She ’s also been put up three disjoined time for the James Beard Foundation ’s Rising Star Chef of the Year award and was named Best New Chef in 2004 by Food & Wine .
2. Melissa King
Co+Lab(address and info)TravelingIf Melissa King attend familiar , you probably recollect her as a finalist on the 12th season ofTop Chef . Well , it ’s either that or you may have recently take in her face gracing the spicy bars of some NorCal Whole Foods stores , where she ’s developed eight different formula and dishes . Or perhaps you saw her as the famous person grand marshal of this year ’s San Francisco Pride .
If you know anything about King , it ’s that she ’s the queen of all things Bay Area culinary . A wander chef of variety , King has become a San Francisco regular , act as a private chef , consultant , and speaker , as well as leading her own experimental popping - up dinner series called Co+Lab ( where if you ’re golden , you ’ll also get to spot other Top Chef talent ) . top executive occasionally travel to SoCal to host events ( it pays to keep an center on herevents pageto see when you may catch her ) , but sometimes goes further for food : one of the chef ’s most recent projects is working and consulting with Elle Japan to open up a cafe in the heart of Tokyo ’s bustling fashion territory .
Before duking it out onTop Chef : Boston , King worked in several Michelin superstar kitchen alongside chefs Dominique Crenn ( more on her after ) , Craig Stoll , and Ron Siegel .
Melissa Perello|Aubrie Pick
3. Belinda Leong
B. Patisserie(address and info)Lower Pacific HeightsWhere there ’s a line for pastries , there ’s probably Belinda Leong . She made the pear-shaped , crusty kouign amann cake famous in the U.S. , and is responsible for creating a city - wide craving .
Leong is behind the vastly popular B. Patisserie – which has tourists and natives likewise spill out of the door , waiting to fulfil a craving for Leong ’s kouign capital of Jordan , croissants , and deep brown fleck cookies . The airy and casual pastry dough joint is a San Francisco - ized version of the more formal and urbane French bakehouse that Leong likely frequented while staging in France , honing her craft and grow her love for pastry .
Leong was previously named a finalist for outstanding pastry dough chef by the James Beard Foundation . She obtain her start in San Francisco work in savory at Gary Danko , but had also trend her teeth work out at some of the most pioneering establishment in the humans , including Noma , Manresa , and Pierre Herme .
melissa king|Albert Law
verify to denounce June 20 on your calendars for Kouign Amman Day – you have Leong to thank for that .
4. Melissa Perfit
Bar Crudo(address and info)Alamo SquareAs the head of Alamo Square seafood hotspot Bar Crudo , Melissa Perfit is creditworthy for many San Franciscans ’ addiction to lobster salad and chowder . in the beginning joining the kitchen directly out of culinary school day , Perfit left shortly only to render and vamp Bar Crudo ’s menu ( do n’t care , the lobster salad and chowder made the cut ) to much eclat .
Perfit ’s way of life to chef badassery was an unexpected one . She was always spell-bound with motion-picture photography , but found that solid food – just like a beautifully framed shot – is more like filmmaking than she expected . One can always expect a dish antenna to not only savour good , but have looks to tally , when Perfit is in the kitchen .
5. Brenda Buenviaje
Brenda ’s Gallic Soul Food(address and info)TenderloinBrenda Buenviaje ’s trio of restaurants – Brenda ’s Soul Food , Libby Jane , and Brenda ’s Meat & Three – are brunch institutions in San Francisco . From her beignets to her shrimp and grits , to her absolutely seasoned and flaky fried wimp , you ’ll be hard - squeeze to sneak a seat without a lengthy wait , especially on a weekend .
The New Orleans aborigine has been candid about the roadblocks that resulted from her gender and ethnic background , both inside the kitchen and out . Buenviaje was bully for her Creole and Filipino interracial heritage , and literally shut out of kitchens because she ’s a charwoman . fortunately for us , she did n’t give up , made her way to San Francisco , and now she and her married woman have impart the city three different restaurants to enjoy New Orleans fare without actually being there .
Like Perfit , Buenviaje , relish a life history in the artistry before transitioning her creative ( and very tasty ) juices to cooking .
Belinda Leong|Vanessa Yap-Einbund
6. Nicole Krasinski
State Bird(address and info ) & the Progress(address and info)Western AdditionThe achiever of uber - democratic State Bird , and more recently , the Progress , is due in no small part to partner and chef Nicole Krasinski . Krasinski leads the pastry dough programs at both restaurants , which have been lauded for their inventive menus . State Bird serves up their “ supply ” in the form of cast dim sum total pushcart , but you would be neglectful to not try the orchard apple tree mochi marzipan patty , with figs , rosemary , and umeboshi syrup , or the cookies n ’ cream mousse with roasted strawberry mark , plums , and tarragon . At the Progress , you ’ll be served up a rotating tasting menu of Californian - fusion dishes alongside desserts like the quince float island , where the Pyrus communis - like fruit sits atop pomegranate tree , apple - garlic clove gelatina , and spiced rum yogurt .
Alongside her married man and State Bird collaborator Stuart Brioza , Krasinski win the James Beard Foundation ’s better chef : west award in 2015 .
7. Gabriela Cámara
Cala(address and info)Civic Center / Hayes ValleyGabriela Camara has already build a miniskirt - empire of successful restaurants in her native Mexico – but if the honors and awards she ’s realize here in the States is any denotation , her empire shows no signs of slow down . Camara open up her first stateside eatery ( her tenth in sum ) , Cala , late last year and her first maraud is a formidable one . Cala landed on Bon Appetit ’s 50 Best New Restaurants inclination and Eater ’s 21 Best New Restaurants in America list .
The now very tough to get into Cala focuses on sustainability and seafood , which also has a grab - and - go wetback stand . What wo n’t be offered though are burritos , as Camara wants to make a conjunct effort to dispute and alter people ’s perception of what Mexican cuisine should try like .
After working with the legendary Mexican cookbook author Diane Kennedy , Camara ’s winner should n’t be surprising to anyone who know about her past . The wildly democratic Contramar ( which Camara open while meditate fine art history in college ) and Merotoro , both in Mexico City where Kennedy and Camara first foregather , are rave - suitable .
Melissa Perfit|Rebecca Goberstein/Menu Stories
8. Pim Techamuanvivit
Kin Khao(address and info)Union SquarePim Techamuanvivit has thrown herself into – and succeeded in – several different aspect of the food world . She pass a democratic web log calledChez Pim , lend recipes and photos to big name issue like the New York Times and Food & Wine , crafted honor - winning jams , and somehow found time to open up her own restaurant , Khin Khao , in 2014 .
Techamuanvivit dole out unadulterated Thai cuisine – you ’ll be hard pressed to rule Pad Thai or Pad See Ew – at this gem inside the the Parc 55 hotel . Instead , she serves dish such as Khao Kan Jin , a pissed off rice with pork and pedigree sausage balloon , wrapped in banana folio , and Plah Pla Muek , a charred calamary with a tangy sauce Locals , Thai natives , and world category chefs like Rene Redzepi of Noma have all paid their compliments to Techamuanvivit .
Since chess opening , Kin Khao has ranked among the good plaza to eat byGQ , theSan Francisco Chronicle , and win its first Michelin star this yr .
Brenda Buenviaje|Rebecca Goberstein/Menu Stories
9. Dominique Crenn
Atelier Crenn(address and info ) & Petit Crenn(address and info)Marina / Hayes ValleyIt seems almost silly to prove and enclose Dominique Crenn , because she continuously seems to be thrust into the spotlight for her culinary achievement . Crenn was recently list creation ’s in effect female chef by San Pellegrino ’s World ’s 50 Best Restaurants list , was nominated for best chef : west by the James Beard Foundation , win well chef of the class by Eater , and was featured in the most late time of year of Netflix ’s culinary odyssey , “ Chef ’s Table . ”
Originally from Versaille , France , Crenn is responsible for the two - Michelin starred Atelier Crenn and more recently , Petit Crenn in Hayes Valley . A meal at either of the upscale Crenn eatery is an intimate experience , with Crenn ’s own poems do as menus . The dishes shift on a regular basis and each course corresponds to dissimilar lines of Crenn ’s poetry .
Crenn ’s fib is not only telling here in the States– she made story in Jakarta , Indonesia as the first female executive chef in the country , leading the kitchen at the Intercontinental Hotel .
Nicole Krasinski|Ed Anderson
10. The women of La Cocina
La Cocina(address and info)MissionIt ’s difficult ( and candidly jolly unfair ) to pick out just one womanhood to foreground from La Cocina . Since its founding in 2005 , La Cocina has helped to produce more than 30 businesses , ply by hundreds of woman who used its rentable kitchen outer space to grow their operations . The organization also has an brooder programme to change by reversal once illegitimate household restaurants and businesses into a stable rootage of income and a static career path .
Although anyone is welcome to apply to its brooder , La Cocina focalise heavily on female communities of color , inspire by the neighborhood in which it was institute : the Mission . Many success stories have La Cocina to give thanks , includingAzalina’s , El Huarache Loco , andKika ’s delicacy .
In fact , without even knowing it , many San Franciscans have probably stumbled upon the restaurants that La Cocina has helped launch , or buy a slew of the products that were once part of the La Cocina incubator .
Gabriela Camara|Marcus Nilsson
11. Jennifer Puccio
Marlowe(address and info),Park Tavern(address and info),The Cavalier(address and information ) , andLeo ’s Oyster Bar(address and info)Soma / North Beach / Soma / Financial DistrictResistance is futile : Chef Jennifer Puccio will eventually run all of the cool restaurants in San Francisco . But for now the executive chef for each of Anna Weinberg ’s Big Night Group restaurants has to be content with merely helming four ( well , five if you number freshly open to the publicMarianne ’s ) .
Known for taking classic peach and lift them to laughably delicious levels ( her baked oyster , various deviled egg creations , hamburger , and poulet “ vert ” are all so , so glorious ) , Puccio earned her star both back on the East Coast working under Cambridge legend Ana Sortun at Oleana . She then moved west to work under Daniel Patterson , and refine her vegetable plot at Napa ’s far-famed vegetarian Ubuntu . Currently , she ’s mostly found in the kitchen at Leo ’s Oyster Bar , complement the most esthetically pleasing eatery in SF with evenly bighearted peach like their gorgeous New England lobster pluck with cultured uni butter , and a “ potato tot ” with brandade and tapenade that is only speak about in awestricken / hushed tint .
Sign up herefor our daily San Francisco email and be the first to get all the food / drink / play SF has to extend .
Pim Techamuanvivit|Eric Wolfinger
Dominique Crenn|Stephanie Hua
La Cocina|Rebecca Goberstein/Menu Stories
Jennifer Puccio|Jennifer Puccio/Marlowe
