D.C.'s Isabel Coss is a Food & Wine "Best New Chef in America"

Catch up quick: If you don't know Coss — and you should — she's a Mexico City-born pastry and masa whiz who got her start at famed Pujol. She then rose through the ranks of NYC Michelin-starred Mexican spots, Empellón and Cosme.

• Coss is married to fellow Empellón alum and Lutèce co-chef Matt Conroy. The duo moved here to join The Popal Group with an eye toward creating a wood-fired Mexican restaurant, Pascual. It'll open next month on Capitol Hill.

Zoom out: Past F&W winners from D.C. include Oyster Oyster chef Rob Rubba ('22) and Paola Velez ('21) along with culinary greats like Daniel Boulud ('88).

What they're saying: "This visionary pastry chef's culture-blurring creations are more than meets the eye," writes Food & Wine's Khushbu Shah. Think whimsical cheese plates with 18-month-aged Comté and honeycomb semifreddo.

What's next: At Pascual, Coss will create a modern Mexican dessert program that highlights technique and local, seasonal ingredients (she's also developing the savory side).

• Volcán, a daytime Mexican coffee and pastry shop, will open inside the space.

What she's saying: "It's an incredible award — it's for my country, for D.C.," Coss tells Axios. "This place has given me so much opportunity. Everything I have is from being a cook and an immigrant in this industry. It doesn't discriminate — if you want to work, there's always space."