1. Isaiah Martinez, Yardy Caribbean Restaurant & Rum Bar, 837 Lincoln St., 458-240-7564, YardyRumBar.com.

2. Ibrahim Hamide, Cafe Soriah, 384 W. 13th Ave., 541-342-4410, Soriah.com.

3. Nelson Lopez: Nelson’s in the Whit, 400 Blair Blvd., 541-844-8404, NelsonsintheWhit.com.

Isaiah Martinez, chef and owner of Yardy Rum Bar, is a third-generation American. He was raised in New York and moved to Eugene in 2019 where he worked at Marché, a French-inspired restaurant.

Martinez has been in the hospitality and culinary industry for 16 years. Over the years, he’s worked at multiple restaurants to gain challenging experiences. 

Martinez says his goal as a chef is to find talent and “hone them into being great workers and great chefs.” 

“I’ve learned in the kitchen, my job is to scare people out of a job,” he says. “And once they get the job, my job is to train them and teach them how to keep the job. I don’t have a firing policy at the restaurant. If you somehow convince me… my goal is to have you set for the next restaurant you work at.”