New Mexican Restaurant to Open in San Francisco
Chefs Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz are set to open their second restaurant, Maria Isabel, in San Francisco's Presidio Heights next week. The new establishment will feature New Mexican cuisine. This follows the success of their first restaurant, Dalida.
The husband-and-wife team behind Maria Isabel, Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz, are known for their acclaimed Eastern Mediterranean restaurant, Dalida, located in the Presidio. Dalida opened in 2023 and quickly gained recognition, earning a spot in Esquire's "Best New Restaurants in America" and being named Eater SF's "Restaurant of The Year." Maria Isabel represents a deeply personal project for Chef Laura Ozyilmaz, celebrating her Mexican heritage. The restaurant is named after her sister, Maria, and her mother, Isabel, and the menu will draw from the coastal culinary traditions of her mother's home state of Guerrero and her father's roots in Sinaloa. The 56-seat restaurant will be located in the former Ella's American Kitchen space in Presidio Heights. The menu will aim to fill a gap between taquerias and fine dining in San Francisco, offering both an à la carte selection and a $90 tasting menu. Diners can expect dishes that showcase California's seasonal ingredients, with the kitchen nixtamalizing local corn in-house for fresh tortillas. Specific menu items will include pulpo enamorado (octopus salad) tostadas, lamb ribs barbacoa, and enchiladas with Iberico pork. The beverage program, curated by Consulting Bar Director Evan Williams and Wine Director Jerry McGie, will also reflect the restaurant's Mexican focus. The bar will highlight a range of agave spirits beyond tequila, including mezcal, sotol, bacanora, and raicilla. The wine list will feature producers from California and underrepresented regions in Mexico, such as Baja California and Querétaro.
