From Instagram to food blogs, food has become a fixture in millennial culture.
Instead of looking for food inspiration on cooking shows or online recipes, some millennials are taking food back into their own hands by learning how it's made and where it comes from.
With this newfound interest in food comes an eager crop of young, entrepreneurial female restaurant owners who are getting to the core of the movement.
Carving out niches for specialty dishes like goat's milk yogurt and veggie-fueled cuisines, these innovative female-founded restaurants are in leagues all their own.
We highlighted seven women who have turned their serious passion for food into places to wine and dine.
Check out the list below.
1. Sabrina DeSousa and Alissa Wagner, Dimes
Owners, best friends, and New Jersey natives, Sabrina DeSousa and Alissa Wagner exploded onto the "micro-eateries" scene with their New York City Chinatown hot spot restaurant, Dimes.
"We're New Yorkers, we're young, and we're really smart with what we put into our bodies," explained co-owner DeSousa.
The menu boasts flavors from Morocco, Cuba, Italy, and India, with staples including breakfast sandwiches and refreshing cocktails.
The best part?
"It's affordable and it's not complicated. You can come in and have an egg sandwich or have a chia pudding that's super healthy and nutrient packed," says Desousa.
2. Sophia Brittan, Victory Garden
Ice cream made from goat's milk? Sophia Brittan, founder of Victory Garden, swears by it.
Nestled in the heart of New York City's bustling West Village neighborhood, the primarily soft-serve shop specializes in soft-serve goat's milk ice cream. After completing her studies at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Brittan founded Victory Garden to fill the void of quality goat yogurt available in the city.
She sources her ingredients from a farm that uses sustainable farming practices free of hormones or antibiotics. Brittan strives for the finest tasting quality for her soft serve.
"Healthy doesn't necessarily mean fewer calories. A lot of people make that assumption."
3. Chloe Coscarelli, By Chloe
Los Angeles native Chloe Coscarelli opened her "fast" vegan eatery "By Chloe" this past July, and has already amassed a loyal following of foodies. Chloe takes core vegan eats and adds a comfort food twist, hoping to show that eating vegan doesn't necessarily have to be repetitive, unexciting or restrictive. The chef saw a need for casual vegan dining in New York City and made her vision a reality. The menu pulls recipes from her best-selling cookbooks.
"What I'm really trying to do is show people that vegan food is something you can eat every day," Coscarelli adds, "And you can get it at an affordable price point, and it can taste just as good [as non-vegan food]," Chloe told health site Well + Good.
According to Coscarelli's Facebook page, Katie Couric recently stopped by the popular spot.
4. Jessica Koslow, Squirl
Jessica Koslow, 33, is the proprietor of Squirl, Los Angeles' go-to for California comfort foods with quality and local ingredients. It's been described as "bacon loving but vegan friendly." You may have seen photos of the restaurant's famous burnt brioche ricotta toast topped with a specially-made jam on your Instagram feed.
Critically-acclaimed chef Alice Waters also lists Squirl as a must-eat spot when in LA. Koslow is currently working on her second installation of Squirl Away, for foodies on the go.
5. Nesanet Abegaze of Azla Vegan
Co-founder Nesanet Abegaze and her mother run LA Ethiopian restaurant, Azla Vegan. The pair opened the restaurant less than two years ago. It offers a wide selection of fresh cuisine with an Ethiopian twist.
Described as "artisan ethopian food," the restaurant caters to those who are gluten-free, raw, and vegan. Most importantly, Nesanet and her mother Azla remain committed to sourcing organic and locally grown produce as much as possible.
Nesanet has always been dedicated to food and wellness communities stating, "I've always had a real passion for using food as a vehicle to do three things: promote health in innovative/culturally relevant ways; shift the popular narrative around Ethiopia; and provide access to vibrant, beautiful cuisine to communities that lack access. My mother has always expressed her love through food and is a true artist in the kitchen."
6. Miki Agrawal of WILD
Serial entrepreneur Miki Agrawal founded farm-to-table alternative pizza restaurant WILD to cater to the rapidly growing gluten-free foodies of the world. The New York City-based restaurant is one of few farm-to-table pizzeria's in the city that focuses on providing seasonal ingredients for all meals.
WILD was a project built out of necessity for Agrawal, who is a pizza-lover, but who is also lactose intolerant.
"The business came from a stomach ache. I didn't know I was lactose intolerant and like all New Yorkers, I loved pizza but I'd suffer every time I ate it. One thing led to another, and my gluten-free, dairy-free farm-to-table pizzeria was born. It's such an insane business to enter as a first time entrepreneur. Every imaginable and unimaginable thing you can think of happens," she explained.
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Photo Credit: Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, Flickr, AZLA.com, mikiagrawal.com