Katianna Hong IN As Chef de Cuisine at Meadowood

After five years in the kitchen at The Restaurant at Meadowood, Katianna Hong has achieved a highly impressive honor: James Beard Award-winning executive chef Christopher Kostow just named her as the three-Michelin-starred restaurant's first ever chef de cuisine. As the Chron reports, the new title makes Hong the first and only woman to serve in that role at a three-Michelin-starred U.S. restaurant. (Things are slightly better at the two-star level in the Bay Area: Acquerello and Atelier Crenn boast female executive chefs, and Manresa has a female chef de cuisine.)

Hong, who trained as an Olympic-level gymnast before sustaining a career-ending injury as a teenager, has worked at every station in Meadowood's kitchen, rising from garde-manger to sous chef and even doing a stint in pastry. As Kostow's second-in-command, she'll be responsible for brainstorming dishes and coordinating the kitchen. "Kat has an intrinsic understanding of where the restaurant is going, and where it needs to go," Kostow told the Chron.