Many a misogynist has snapped that “a woman’s place is in the kitchen.” Not only does this comment dismiss women’s impact in spaces beyond the kitchen, it also fails to recognize the incredible power they have wielded within that very room.

Kitchens are where women like Leah Chase pushed for meaningful change. Not only did Chase become the “Queen of Creole Cuisine,” but she transformed her New Orleans restaurant into a hub for the civil rights movement.

Though she died in 2019, Chase’s legacy of culinary activism continues at her restaurant, now run by her family, and women around the world continue to empower themselves and their communities through food. From fundraising for feminism to preserving culinary heritage, here are 12 women-run restaurants that remind us how no one should underestimate a woman in the kitchen.