Val M. Cantú, Chef

Val M. Cantú grew up in Central Texas, where his father owned a Mexican restaurant and tortilleria. After stints cooking at Uchi in Austin, Texas, then Saison and Sons & Daughters in San Francisco, Cantú moved to Mexico City to immerse himself in the country's cuisine while working at Pujol. He and his wife, Carolyn Cantú, opened Californios in San Francisco in 2015, with a Mexican Californian tasting menu that was the first of its kind in the city. The 24-seat restaurant received its first Michelin star soon after and later became the first Mexican restaurant in the country to receive a second star. After closing the original location in 2020, the couple reopened Californios in a larger space in the SoMa neighborhood.