Chef Allison Settle has always been a person who wanted it all. She was not going to accept less: As a sous chef making $13 an hour, she still managed to buy a house, have a child and balance work and family life.
"I'm just an extremely obstinate human being. But that's not sustainable," she said. "We shouldn't have to choose between having a career and a family. I couldn't have made this work without support from my son's father's family and my family. We still have a long way to go in the restaurant industry."
Now, Settle is a single mother and executive chef at Barn 8 Restaurant, a farm-to-table restaurant at Hermitage Farms, 10500 US-42 in Goshen. She's found a way to "have it all" when it comes to balancing a career and a family.
Settle said in the past, she's been the only woman in a restaurant kitchen before. It's not unusual: Though women are traditionally expected to cook at home, professional kitchens are heavily dominated by men, who are paid significantly more than women.
But between the recent "Me Too" movement and the pandemic impact on the restaurant industry, that status quo is changing, and a groundswell of female-owned and female chef-run restaurants could be on the way.
Fighting your way through the obstacles is not an option for every woman who dreams of becoming a professional chef orleading her own restaurant. Long, late hours, lack of maternity leave and benefits and a culture that has historically allowed harassmentmake it difficult for women to break into restaurant leadership.
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In the hospitality industry, just 22% of the 427,000 chefs and head cooks in the U.S. are women, according to data fromthe Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2018. Those chefs and cooks makejust under $48,500 a year, while cooksin lower-rankingpositions made around $25,000 a year.
So instead of trying to beat the odds, women are trying to changing the game.
It's a "fertile ground for rethinking," said Ronnie Lundy, authorand previous Courier Journal food critic.
"The larger issue is not just to have more women in the kitchen, but to have women who can transform the presumptive male kitchen into a different paradigm and rethink how restaurants have classically operated," Lundy said. "In the past, the choice was 'if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.' But now we're in a moment of disruption. What can you do going ahead with that?"
Women have a unique perspective on how they think things should be run, Settle said, and bring a lot to the table in restaurant leadership. It's scientifically proven women have more nuanced, discerning taste palates than men. Many female chefs "come with more empathy and compassion," she said, and prioritize making staff feel welcome and cared for.
All these things, she said, are vital for a restaurant to succeed.
Dozens of women in Louisville opted to open their own restaurants and cafes rather than work for someone else.
Dawn Urrutia, who runs Georgia's Sweet Potato Pie Company, 1559 Bardstown Road, said she sees plenty of female entrepreneurs in the farmer's market circuit, where she got her start. Now, she owns her own business, and the best partof it is she can set her own hours and off days.
"Being able to control my own hours is the best thing," she said. "We have the flexibility to schedule around family events. My family is a huge part of Georgia's, and we have a nice lounge area in the back, so they can spend time with us as we try to build a brand and business."
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The push for gender parity in restaurants is not without allies, either. In 2018, chef Edward Lee and managing director Lindsay Ofcacek began The Lee Initiative's Women Culinary and Spirits Program, a mentorship program for young women to address the gender gap in restaurants.
Though Lee said there's a lot of work to be done in Louisville, female chefs leading kitchens are out there. A lot of Black-owned restaurants are led by women in Louisville, like Big Momma's Soul Food Kitchen, whichLee describes as"some of the best food in the city."
"Louisville is a bit behind, but I see that wave coming," he said. "You'll see a golden age of female chefs in Louisville, and it's going to be amazing, but it has to be intentional. We have to do things to make it happen."
There's a few more woman-owned cafes on the way to Louisville this year, like a second location of bubble tea shop Sharetea coming to 13210 Shelbyville Road and a cafe and children's play center, Glow Worm Play Cafe, opening this summer.
"This is not just about allowing women in the kitchen but rethinking how restaurantshave classically operated," Lundy said. "And it requires the investment and cooperation of men like Ed (Lee)who are willing to say, 'here's how I think this should happen, but what do you think?' And then try that."
Though we know this is not a fully comprehensive list, take a look below at many of the Louisville restaurants owned or led by female chefs. Know one we missed? Send a note to dghabour@courier-journal.com.
Louisville restaurants led by female chefs
1. Barcelona Bistro Bar— 10415 Taylorsville Road. A true Spanish restaurant run by Maria Clementson, who goes by "Alba" and moved to Louisville in 2018 from Barcelona, Spain.
2. Barn 8 — 10510 W. Hwy 42. A true farm-to-table restaurant at Hermitage Farm, run by Chef Allison Settle.
3. Bae's Bakery— 1164 S. Brook St.A bakery led by Chef Abigail Mattingly, who quit her job at a law firm to run the business full-time.
4. Big Momma’s Soul Food Kitchen — 4532 W. Broadway. A soul food restaurant run by Jessie Green.
5. Blue Dog Bakery and Cafe — 2868 Frankfort Ave.A bakery and cafeserving artisan bread, pastries and brunch fare,owned by Kit Garrett.
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6. Butchertown Grocery Bakery — 743 E. Main St.An offshoot from Bobby Benjamin's Butchertown Grocery, this bakery is run bya team of several women.
7. Brew & SipCoffee Bar— 3800 Shepherdsville Road. A Black-owned micro coffee shop owned and operated by LaToya Cook-Bradley.
8. Brooke andBilly —751 Vine St. An American restaurant led byhead chef Christine Williams.
10. Bluegrass Supper Club — Location varies. An exclusive monthly supper club led by Chefs Damaris Phillips and Coby Ming.
11. Come Back Inn— 909 Swan St. An Italian-American pub led by owner/chefCathy Zachari.
12. Chateau Bourbon— 10630 Meeting St. A bed and breakfast operated by Missy Hillock.
13. Chick'n & Mi — 1765 Mellwood Ave.A chicken and noodles restaurant led by husband-and-wife duo Jason McCollum and Aenith McCollum.
14. Cultured— 1007 E. Main St. A wine bar and urban cheese shop run by Jessica Mattingly.
15. Dasha Barbour's Southern Bistro— 2217 Steier Ln. ASouthern restaurant run by husband-and-wife duo Tumeka Bethel and Aaron Barbour.
16. Dragon King’s Daughter— 1126 Bardstown Road, 129 W. Market St., New Albany, Indiana; Two locations of a tacos and sushi fusion restaurant run by Toki Masubuchi. She also owns an offshoot bar, Kaiju, 1004 E. Oak St.
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17.— 3912 Bardstown Road.An Afro-Caribbean restaurant run by Kissi Gnamba and her son.
18. Fleur de Tea — 10704 Meeting St.A Black-owned tea shop and bakery run by 29-year-old Jasmine Gatti.
19. Flora’s Kitchenette— 1004 Barret Ave.Jeremy "Wize" Brown and Nancy "Sultra" Smithreopened this vegan cafe after its original owner closed it.
20. Funmi’s Cafe — 3028 Bardstown Road. A Nigerian restaurant led byYomi & Funmi Aderinokun.
21. Fun Tea— 1613 Bardstown Road. A boba tea shop led by husband-and-wife team Mike and Amy Hamburg.
22. Gasthaus German Restaurant — 4812 Brownsboro Center.An authentic German restaurant owned and run by Annemarie and Michael Greipel.
23. Georgia’s Sweet Potato Pie Company — 1559 Bardstown Road.This shop serves homemade sweet potato pies in a variety of flavors, like sweet potato pecan, caramel crunch and Kentucky bourbon sweet potato pie from chefDawn Urrutia.
24. Harvey's Cheese— 1001 Logan St., inside the Logan Street Market. A specialty cheese and charcuterie shop run by husband-and-wife teamBrent Mills and Ashley Urjil-Mill.
25. Havana Bakery Cafe— 5510 Fern Valley Road, Suite 101.This women-led, local and family-owned Cuban restaurant, bakery and event venue is run by Eliset Barrios and her family.
26. Half Peach Bakery & Cafe— 170 Sears Ave. The bakeryand cafe in St. Matthews, run bySue Zhao,serves a unique menu of baked goods and savory meals that combinesinternational fare with the down-home style of comfort food.
27. Heart & Soy— 1216 Bardstown Road. This modern, casual eatery serving vegetarian andvegan Asian-fusion dishes, plus a wide selection of teas, is headed by Huong "CoCo" tran.
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28. Hi-Five Doughnuts — 1011 E. Main St. This small local shop offering custom donuts with unique glazes andtoppings, including fried chicken, is run by partners Annie Harlow andLeslie Wilson.
29. Holy Grale & Gralehaus — 1034 Bardstown Road / 1001 Baxter Ave. This offbeat gastropub featuring a rotating beer list andlocavore fare in a 1905 former church and its sister concept, an eclectic cafe serving seasonal breakfast and lunch, plus craft beer and coffee, are run byLori Beck and Tyler Trotter.
30. Hyderabad House—12412 Shelbyville Road.This Indian restaurant run by husband-and-wife team Janakiram “Ram” Vangoor, and Swapna Vangoor offers about 250 menu items, including biryani, pulav, curry, masala, naan, dessert, shakes, and more.
31. Kizito Cookies — 1398 Bardstown Road. Elizabeth Kizito is the namesake behind the wildly popular bakery, which serves upfreshly bakedcookies, brownies, muffins and biscotti.
32. Lucretia’s Kitchen — 1812 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd.Run by Lucretia Thompson,Lucretia’s Kitchen is the epitome of comfort food. From fried chicken to collard greens and strawberry cake, it's soul food how your grandma made it.
33. Leaven Bakery— 1515 E. Market St., New Albany, Indiana. Run by husband-and-wife teamZechariahand Kimberly Maxey, this bakery serves upbread, rolls, pies, cakes and more.
34. Mamas Kitchen —603 N 26th St.This comfort, soul-food restaurant on Louisville's west end is run by chef Linda Herald.
35.Naive Kitchen + Bar — 1001 E. Washington St. This chic, sustainable restaurant, run by Catherine MacDowall, highlights vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, keto and paleo options.
36. Naila's Caribbean Cuisine—1370 Veterans Parkway, Clarksville, Indiana. Naila’s Caribbean Cuisine, run byNaila Seow,is an island escape where you can experience bold sauces, delicious entrees and spot-on sides
37. Najla's Cookies—8007 Vine Crest Ave., Suite 3.Najla’s is a specialty food company focusing on hand-crafted pastries, cookies, muffins,savory protein bowls, breakfast wraps and more, run by Najla Aswad.
38. Grind Burger Kitchen, Oskar’s Slider Bar, Smor Nordic Bakeri— 829 E. Market St., 3799 Poplar Level Road, 3797 Poplar Level Road. Huband-and-wife team Liz and Jesse Huot are the masterminds behind these three popular fast-casual concepts in Louisville.
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39. Payne Street Bakehouse — 225 S. Spring St. This breakfast spot is Louisville's go-to spot for authentic bagels, coffee, various breakfast fare and more. Run by Nancy Grantz and Anne Fuller.
40.Pho Ba Luu — 1019 E. Main St. This Bustling restaurant serving Vietnamese fare like pho and banh mi from team Jessica Mach and Stewart Davis.
41.Rawnaissance Desserts— 1759 Bardstown Road. Thisvegan dessert shop, which serves cakes, pastries, gelato and more, is run by Barbora Shneydman.
42. Riot Cafe/ The Limbo — 574 S.4th St., 411 W. Chestnut St. This downtown cafe and bar —two separate entities —are both run by Olivia Griffin.
43. Seafood Lady — 3201 Fern Valley Road, 601 E. Jefferson St.A Cajun seafood restaurant with two locations, run by chef-ownerNichelle Thurston.
44. Shirly Mae’s Cafe — 802 S. Clay St. A Southern-style diner serving items like Southern fried chicken wings, barbecue ribs and chitterlings, owned by Shirley Beard.
45. Silly Axe Cafe — 2216 Dundee Road. A 100% gluten-free and allergen-friendly cafe owned by Angela Pike.
46. Sis Got Tea— A tea shop owned by Arielle Clark, a Black, queer woman, is trying to raise money for a physical location for a sober, relaxing LGBT-friendly space.
47. Shahar Cafe— 1511 Bardstown Road. A plant-based cafe with items like an Impossible burger, veggie burgers and more, run by siblings Vick and SuzanaMultani.
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48. Sharetea— 3333 Bardstown Road. A bubble tea shop with more than 50 kinds of tea, run by sisters Kelsey and Van Luong.
49. Sweet Peaches— 1800 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. A "sandwiches, soups and specialties" caferun by Pam Haines and her family.
50. Sweet Surrender Dessert Cafe— 1804 Frankfort Ave.A from-scratch dessert cafe serving a variety of cakes, pies, cookies and trifles, owned by Jessica Haskell.
51. The Bayou — 434 W. Market St. A new New Orleans-style soul food restaurant in downtown Louisville serving classic Bayou recipes like jambalaya, red beans and rice and gumbo. Run by Lisa Rainey and Paul Nelson.
52. The Black Italian — 2009 Highland Ave. An authentic Italian and Soul food fusion restaurant run by husband-and-wife team Anthony Hunter and Paula Belleza Hunter.
53. The Cheddar Box Cafe — 12121 Shelbyville Road.A lunch cafe offering sandwiches, salads and desserts, run by Michelle Bartholomew.
54. Toast on Market — 620 E. Market St. A breakfast and lunch cafe in NuLu offering American classics, run byAmy Wepf and George Morris.
55.Trouble Bar — 1149 S. Shelby St. An inclusive Shelby Park bar recently named one of the best in America by Esquire Magazine, owned byKaitlyn Soligan-Owensand Nicole Stipp.
56.V-Grits — 1025 Barret Ave.A vegan comfort food restaurant owned by Kristina J. Addington.
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57. Vietnam Kitchen — 5339 Mitscher Ave. An authentic Vietnamese restaurant serving dumplings, soups and noodles, rice dishes, vermicelli noodles and more, owned by Alex and Kim Lam.
58.Wiltshire Pantry — 1310 E. Breckenridge St.A premium catering company and bakery owned by Susan Hershberg.
Dahlia Ghabour:dghabour@gannett.com; Twitter: @dghabour.
