Ceviche Acapulqueño from the Maria Isabel restaurant in San Francisco on March 10, 2026.

Two California chef-duos have gotten a major endorsement from one of the restaurant industry’s most prominent organizations.

The James Beard Foundation has named its class of 2026-2027 TasteTwenty chefs, recognizing its members as “ones to watch” from 20 different markets across the country. Among them are the chefs of two restaurants from California: San Francisco’s Maria Isabel and Los Angeles’ Little Fish. The TasteTwenty series, which will produce its signature Taste America events in each of the selected chefs’ hometowns, aims to “showcase the centrality of American food culture and celebrate diverse communities, leading the way to a future culinary industry where all can thrive,” according to the foundation.

Article continues below this ad

Chef Laura Ozyilmaz poses for a portrait at Maria Isabel in San Francisco on March 10, 2026.

Chefs Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz from Maria Isabel, who were named James Beard Award semifinalists in........

© SFGate