Eat like a lady this International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day on March 8th 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, Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald, Chef Margarita Manzke, Bar Director Brynn Smith, Chef Suzanne Goin, Chef Danielle Zecca, and Chef Mei Lin...here’s your love letter!

Also, be sure to scroll down to the bottom for details on the Regarding Her Food Festival happening now through Sunday, March 31st. The event features pop-ups and opportunities to mingle and experience even more female Chefs and restaurateurs that might not be mentioned by name in the piece. 

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 Max & Helen’s diner (her collaboration with TV Personality Phil Rosenthal, and the newest Korean-Italian restaurant restaurant to hit KTown, Lapaba. 

Danielle Zecca

Chef Danielle Zecca is at the heart of Amiga Amore in Highland Park. She draws inspiration from her Mexican heritage and infuses that with Italian-style cooking from her husband Alessandro Zecca. The rest is fusion that will have you falling in love with life.

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. Restaurant n/soto is another way to scratch the itch a little more easily. Both restaurants are located on the west side of Los Angeles. 

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, which has expanded to Pasadena and Studio City. 

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 despite her second restaurant, Cabra, closing in the summer of 2025. 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. The latest restaurant by the couple, Saffy’s, is Middle Eastern meets coffee shop and is named for their daughter. 

Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald

While not Chefs in the most classical of terms, these two fine females brought my most favorite cookie to Los Angeles. They are responsible for the creation of Levain Bakery, which originated in New York City after the duo made a dynamite cookie for post-marathon running. They’re currently taking the country by storm and have three locations and counting in Los Angeles. 

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-winner 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! You can also head to the cafe without a reservation for her creations. 

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. The restaurant best known for jams has also expanded to dinner service as of late. 

Brynn Smith

While not a Chef, Bar Director Brynn Smith has raised the ranks of Bar Next Door to global proportions and is the host of the brand, Bartending Pretty. Her cocktail creations have made this spot on Sunset Blvd #100 on the list of the World’s Best Bars in the World. 

Suzanne Goin

It seems that 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. In 2025, she brought us 88 Club in Beverly Hills, a modern tribute to classic dining and a reason to get all dressed up. 

Regarding Her Food Festival

Regarding Her (RE: Her) is in its 6th 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 Cheese Classes, Mixers, and so much more! Enjoy the full lineup here, and a snapshot of my faves below.

• A networking must: Female Founders Night at Benny Boy Brewing on March 4th, beginning at 6 p.m.
• Regarding Her at Smorgasburg – La Festa Della Donna, presented by San Pellegrino in partnership with Smorgasburg x Regarding Her on March 8th at ROW DTLA. Entry is FREE, but food is not. The event will feature pasta and sandwich legend Leah Ferrazzani, who is returning to the place where it all began for one day only.
• Also on March 8th, there’s an International Women’s Day Bike Ride that begins at Cafecita Coffee in Marina Del Rey at 8:30 a.m.
• Rossoblu’s 5th Annual Collaborative Dinner on March 10th at 6:30 p.m. Details coming soon.
• March 13th to 15th, is a Milkfarm Collab Pizza at Wallflour in Eagle Rock, beginning at Noon.
• Echo Park Bop, a food tour of women-owned restaurants in Echo Park, led by Lien Ta of All Day Baby on March 22nd.

 



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Who are the best female Chefs in Los Angeles?

The ones that have stood the test of time are 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 Margarita Manzke, Chef Suzanne Goin, Chef Danielle Zecca, and Chef Mei Lin