Dominique Crenn - Yes, chef.

In 2017, I sat down for a meal at Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, and something inside me fundamentally shifted. I didn’t just leave with a full stomach, I left with a new understanding of food, artistry, queerness, and what it meant to be a lesbian in a world that often pretends we don’t exist.

At that point in my life, I had seen successful queer athletes, but they rarely made real money, and their careers felt fleeting. A few LGBTQ+ celebrities had visibility, but they were distant beacons. In my everyday life, I had no examples of queer women owning spaces of power, especially not in male-dominated industries.

That is, until I experienced the greatness of Dominique Crenn.

Here she was, the first female chef in the U.S. to earn three Michelin stars, helming one of the best kitchens in one of the most competitive food cities in the world. And not just existing in it, commanding it. If you know fine dining in America, you know the hierarchy: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and then everything else. San Francisco, though, is special. It’s a cultural and culinary bridge between East and West, a place where French technique dances with Asian precision and California’s hyper-seasonal, local abundance. It's bordered by wine country and steeped in immigrant traditions. It’s not just a food city, it’s a culinary Mecca.

And in the center of that world was Dominique.

At Atelier Crenn, Dominique doesn’t just cook, she creates art. Her menu reads like poetry. Literally. Before you taste anything, you're immersed in lyrical language that draws you into a sensory exploration. Then the food begins: a quail egg nestled in an edible branch. A forest scene rendered entirely from edible components—river rocks, flowers, grass, trees—all composed for your eyes and then your mouth. It’s whimsical. It’s surreal. It’s technically brilliant. It’s delicious. And it’s a masterclass in what happens when creativity and discipline collide in the hands of someone extraordinary.

This isn’t “good for a woman.” This isn’t “impressive for a queer person.” Dominique Crenn is simply one of the best chefs in the world. Period.

And then, something I’ll never forget happened, she walked into the dining room and made a beeline for our table. She stopped, smiled, and chatted with us for two or three minutes. I was stunned. Trying to play it cool while absolutely fan-girling inside. She had that energy, the aura you only see in true visionaries. In that moment, something clicked inside me. As a young queer woman, I felt a charge of electricity move through me. For the first time, I could see success not just as a distant dream, but as something tangible. Possible. Dominique wasn’t just a chef. She was a mirror. A beacon. A reminder that queerness isn’t a barrier to greatness, it can be the very thing that fuels it. That meal didn't just change my perspective on food, it reframed my perspective on myself.

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As the first female chef in the United States to earn three Michelin stars, her journey has been anything but ordinary. Born in France and raised in Brittany, she was introduced to the beauty of food early on by her parents, who exposed her to fine dining and diverse cultures. Despite growing up in the heart of French cuisine, Crenn faced a culinary world that didn’t easily welcome women into the kitchen. In the early stages of her career, she chose to leave France, seeking opportunities in places where she felt she could grow on her own terms. She moved half way around the world to San Francisco in the 90s, a city known for its open-mindedness and vibrant food scene. There, she began crafting her unique style, one that blends art, poetry, and food into a deeply personal sensory experience.

Her restaurant, Atelier Crenn, opened in 2011 and quickly captured attention for its inventive dishes and poetic menus. Crenn doesn’t just serve food, she tells stories. Every plate is inspired by memories, nature, and emotion, often drawing from her childhood in France and her life as a global citizen.

Crenn came out publicly as queer well into her career, later revealing her engagement to actress and activist Maria Bello in 2019. Their relationship brought LGBTQ+ representation into spaces where it’s rarely visible, especially at Crenn’s level of global acclaim. Beyond her personal life, Crenn has consistently used her platform to advocate for inclusivity and equity. At Atelier Crenn, her flagship San Francisco restaurant, she fosters a diverse and inclusive kitchen culture, actively building teams that reflect a variety of backgrounds, genders, and orientations. Her leadership focuses on breaking away from the toxic kitchen hierarchies that have long plagued fine dining.

Her visibility as a queer woman was central in her 2021 appearance on "Chef’s Table: BBQ", where she not only discussed her culinary philosophy but also her battles with breast cancer and her views on identity. Rather than separating the personal from the professional, Crenn embraces both. In the episode, she reflects: “You have to bring your whole self to the plate. Your life, your love, your pain—it’s all part of the story you tell through food.”

In 2019, Crenn made headlines when she removed meat entirely from her menus, citing the environmental impact of factory farming and the ethical responsibility chefs have to the planet. This move was bold in an industry still largely driven by meat-centric fine dining, and it reflects a broader theme in her work: challenging traditions that no longer serve the future.

Her presence as a queer icon in the culinary world isn’t just symbolic, it’s active. She shows up, speaks out, and invites others to do the same. Whether mentoring young queer chefs, standing up for gender parity in kitchens, or simply being visible in spaces where queer identities have long been invisible.

Crenn’s influence extends beyond the kitchen. She’s a vocal advocate for sustainability, inclusivity, and social justice in the culinary world. As a breast cancer survivor and openly gay woman in a male-dominated industry, she’s used her platform to speak out for underrepresented voices and inspire future generations of chefs to be bold, authentic, and compassionate. Dominique Crenn’s legacy is still in the making, but she’s already proven that food can be a medium for change, expression, and love. Whether through her innovative cuisine, her activism, or her refusal to be boxed in by tradition, she continues to reshape the future of fine dining with courage and heart.