Yoanne Magris

Since Chef Yoanne Magris helped her grandmother meld French and Mediterranean cuisines in the kitchen as a child, her skill and passion for sharing with others built a career that cruxed on one of the most deeply-felt honors in the industry today: cooking for then-President Barack Obama. She soon after opened her first restaurant, Yo In Yo Out, on the Upper East Side, buffered by experience at top-rated New York eateries like Russian Tea Room and I’Tremerl. “The most rewarding aspect of my work is that feeling of giving back,” she says. “From a cheffing perspective to a restaurateur perspective, we are given the opportunity of bringing joy in people’s lives. I have always truly believed and mentored my staff to appreciate the fact that any customer walking through the doors of my establishment are gifting us with two hours of their life.” Magris, who came out in GO back in 2009, says revealing her authentic self changed her whole life for the better. “Taking confidence in myself and finding the courage to face the consequences was the most important aspect of it all,” she says. “I then started pushing my limits in my cuisine. And became proud to take a stand for who I wanted to be as a chef. I never accepted no for an answer, kept my chin up, hid my tears in this mostly male-dominated industry, dodged a few punches, and got right back up when my world crumbled at times.” — LK