21 Kickass Female Chefs Who Are Changing the Food Industry

Known for acclaimed NYC restaurants The Spotted Pig, The Breslin, and The John Dory Oyster Bar, April Bloomfield takes a signature nose-to-tail approach to carnivorous cooking. Her 2012 cookbook, A Girl and Her Pig, clearly speaks to the same culinary philosophy — this chick definitely knows her way around an animal. Additionally, April published a follow-up cookbook called A Girl and Her Greens, proving she's just as much of a pro at seasonal, produce-driven cuisine. She is one of few female chefs in the world to have earned a Michelin star at The Spotted Pig, a star she maintained for 10 years.

A 2006, 2008, 2014, and 2016 James Beard Award finalist for best chef — mid-Atlantic, Cindy Wolf has played a huge role in putting Baltimore on the culinary map. First at restaurant Savannah and now at Charleston, she’s helped earn Baltimore some serious food street cred.

Consistently recognized as one of the best pastry chefs in the country and touted a "badass" by local news, Michelle Gayer isn't your stereotypical pastry chef. She may know her way around sugar, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a bit of spice in her too — inside and outside of her Minnesota bakeshop, Salty Tart. In 2016, she received a James Beard nomination for outstanding baker.

Unlike many of the chefs on this list, Joanne Chang didn't always know the culinary world would become her home; she graduated from Harvard with a degree in applied mathematics and economics and forayed into the world of management consulting before opening her own bakery and cafe, Flour, in Boston. But she hasn't left her math and science training behind — she's nestled into the precise science of baking and is a regular presenter at Harvard's annual Science & Cooking public lecture series. Here, Joanne snapped a photo with her "baking idol," Dorie Greenspan, another icon who has transformed the landscape of female chefs.

Oregon native and Portland resident Naomi Pomeroy has turned her love for family cooking and intimate dining settings into a successful culinary career. Her 24-seat acclaimed Portland restaurant, Beast, is a no-nonsense experience: two seatings four days a week for a six-course prix fixe menu and a four-course brunch on Sundays. But it's worth putting your trust in Pomeroy — after all, there's no need to order for yourself when you have this powerhouse in the kitchen. Even Ruth Reichl, who dines at Beast when visiting Portland, admits this chef is "ballsy." Naomi is also the author of the cookbook Taste & Technique: Recipes to Elevate Your Home Cooking, published in September 2016.

Cathy Whims's restaurant, Nostrana, says it all in its bio of the chef: "It's the quest to offer historically based, authentic dishes" that brings her to the kitchen. She's such a pizza pro that she also opened Oven and Shaker in Portland with bartender Ryan Magarian. With the perfect melding of traditional Italian cuisine and local Northwest ingredients, Whims focuses on the wood-fired flavors created by her kitchen's wood oven and wood grill, which, in turn, leaves the patrons to focus on the flavors on the plate in front of them.

It’s no surprise that Nicole Krasinski brings such a high level of artistry to her cuisine — after all, she started off as a photographer. Since trading a darkroom for a kitchen, Krasinski quickly gained recognition first as an all-star pastry chef and then as one half of the killer husband-wife duo behind San Francisco’s State Bird Provisions. The chef even took home the James Beard award for best chef in the West in 2015.

Trained at legendary Restaurant Gary Danko in San Francisco and restaurants and patisseries across Europe, Belinda Leong brings both years and continents of experience to b.Patisserie — and it shows in the stunning (and delicious-smelling pastries). Next time you’re in San Francisco, don’t miss the kouign amann.

Christina Tosi is one half of the incredible team behind the groundbreaking NYC-based bakery Momofuku Milk Bar. Known for signature desserts like "crack pie" and "b'day truffles," its sweet treats are famous among sweet tooths and food-lovers alike. As the founder of the dessert program at Momofuku, Tosi is to thank for some of our favorite indulgences, and she rightfully claims she has the best chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Just after winning the 2015 James Beard rising star chef of the year award, Jessica Largey left her post as chef de cuisine at Los Gatos, CA's Manresa to become chef in residence at Intro Chicago. Now, Largey owns seasonal restaurant Simone in LA's Arts District. Largey is considered one of the most talented chefs under 30 or, for that matter, of any age. But it's no surprise she's gotten so much recognition so young, considering she fell in love with cooking at the age of 5 after a (truly) life-altering experience cooking scrambled eggs.

Katie Button has officially put Asheville, NC, on the culinary map with her Spanish tapas restaurant and cookbook of the same name, Cúrate, and new-American restaurant, Night Bell. After training at El Bulli, she had high standards to live up to — but with James Beard nominations and being a Food & Wine best new chef of 2015, it seems she's not only risen to the occasion, but has helped to change the landscape of Southeastern cuisine.

Dominique Crenn's Bay Area restaurants Atelier Crenn, Petit Crenn, and more recently opened Antoinette are truly visions like no other. Her flagship restaurant, which dons two Michelin stars, serves a "Poetic Culinaria," where diners experience a multicourse tasting menu inspired by the season and interpreted uniquely by Crenn. The menu is in fact a poem, and each line refers to a course. It's a vision (and a dining experience) like no other. Most impressively, Dominique was crowned the world's best female chef in 2016. In an interview with POPSUGAR, she said of the accomplishment, "Perhaps in a few years, I hope it will just be 'chef' and not 'woman chef.'"

When you think "badass female chef," it's likely that an image of Kristen Kish might come immediately to mind. Top Chef season 10 winner and chef de cuisine at Boston's Menton restaurant, Kish can hold her own in any kitchen. We are in love with her Travel Channel show, 36 Hours, and are counting down the days for her first cookbook to be published in Oct. 2017.

James Beard award winner Nancy Oakes is undeniably one of San Francisco’s top chefs. She’s known for restaurants Prospect and Boulevard, but the self-taught chef spent early days cooking in a much more casual setting: a commune. Today, she’s known for being a guru of flavor-driven cuisine.

With a doctorate in medieval Spanish history, Maricel Presilla brings a unique sense of culture to her cuisine. She specializes in Latin American, Cuban, and, of course, Spanish flavors and has an enviable knowledge about chocolate. A local to Hoboken, NJ, she was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy — but has bounced back like the true warrior she is.

When it comes to northern Italian cuisine, Holly Smith is truly the belle of the ball. She’s run her acclaimed restaurant, Cafe Juanita, out of a homey, eclectic space in Kirkland, WA, since 2000. Her dedication to capturing the flavors of Northern Italy have earned her a slew of accolades, including a win on Iron Chef America, James Beard Award for best chef — Northwest, and James Beard Award nominations for outstanding chef.

Ana Sortun was drawn to Mediterranean cuisine from the beginning of her culinary career, but it was during a period studying in Turkey that she truly began to hone the fine art of spice. Since returning to the US, she has brought a unique balance of authenticity and innovation to her Boston restaurants, Oleana and Sofra. She melds her love for top-quality ingredients with her understanding of spices, and the result is nothing short of incredible.

Few Chicago chefs have résumés that can rival that of pastry chef Amanda Rockman — past gigs include The Bistrol, Balena, and L20, and she’s currently whipping up sweet treats at Austin, Texas's South Congress Hotel. Here, she’s settled into a delectable balance of traditional American dishes (steak, eggs, and chips) and innovative twists (potato bread French toast with whipped ricotta and fruit jam).

If Jen Yee’s dessert plates seem to have a particular style, that’s because they do — an affinity for what she calls a “clean plate” is just one remnant of her background in architecture. It’s this artistry that has helped her gain notoriety as the pastry chef at NYC’s Lafayette . . . along with the fact that although her desserts look amazing, they somehow taste even better.

If you don’t know the name Zoe Nathan, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of her restaurants: Los Angeles darlings Huckleberry Cafe, Rustic Canyon Wine Bar, Milo + Olive, and Sweet Rose Creamery. She runs the restaurant group alongside husband Josh Loeb, and their love is evident in the food they make at each and every establishment they open. When it comes to the LA culinary scene, the Nathan-Loebs (and their incredibly adorable kids) are our version of a royal family.

With prior experience at Chateau Marmont and Bar Marmont, Carolynn Spence undoubtedly helped earn these iconic establishments a place among Los Angeles’s top restaurants. She's now the chef at Shaker + Spear in Seattle. Her no-holds-barred approach to cooking is mirrored in her tattoos — she has a lot of them, including one that doubles as a measuring spoon (cue swoon here). This chick oozes cool.