Gaby Maeda

Friends & Family Bar - Oakland, CA

Gaby Maeda grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii where she had exposure to several different types of cuisine. She spent two years cooking at Hiroshi’s Eurasian Tapas in Honolulu where she realized that cooking was what she wanted to pursue in life. The parallels in diversity between Hawaii and the Bay Area made San Francisco the obvious choice for her next destination. Added to that, the plethora of amazing farms, ranches, vineyards, and seafood makes San Francisco any young chef’s dream city to cook in.

Following her graduation from the California Culinary Academy in 2009 Maeda accepted an externship at Restaurant Gary Danko. Over the next five years of working on the line she established a foundation of culinary technique and skill.

In 2014 Maeda accepted a job as a line cook at State Bird Provisions and she has worked her way up through the ranks to Executive Chef. Under the guidance of chefs Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, she was taught how to taste food in ways that were new to her, create flavors that were a blend of what she knew from her upbringing and their evolved Californian cuisine, build strong relationships with local purveyors and, most importantly, to treat your staff with respect.

Gaby Maeda has been nominated as a James Beard Finalist for Rising Star Chef in 2020 and Semi-Finalist for Best Chef CA in 2025. In 2021 she was named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs.

In 2024, she accepted the position to run the kitchen as Head Chef at the acclaimed queer owned/operated bar, Friends and Family Bar in Oakland, CA. She works closely alongside Blake Cole, owner/proprietor, to create a beautiful dining experience and safe space for all.