Vanilla Bean Bistro, Sacramento

Gonul Blum grew up in Turkey amid her family’s spice business and surrounded by delicious, fresh meals. When an injury cut her career as a cardiac-surgery nurse short, she took it as a sign to go back into the family business. After attending the Culinary Institute of America to hone her skills, she started a catering company and eventually opened her own restaurant. Though her establishment evolved and changed locations over the years, it eventually grew to become Vanilla Bean Bistro, where freshness still rules in her family’s tradition, and almost everything is made by hand.

At her current space, Gonul curates a menu that combines childhood Turkish favorites—such as moroccan lamb stew and moussaka—with local ingredients and recipes, such as butternut-squash ravioli and stuffed poblano chilis. She also chose the restaurant’s current venue for its open kitchen and bar; facets which allow her to hold cooking classes and food fights during off-hours.