Dalida Chefs Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz to Open Maria Isabel in Presidio Heights

Opening February 2026 in the former Ella's American Kitchen space, the 56-seat restaurant will showcase Guerrero and Sinaloa traditions through California-sourced ingredients and agave spirits beyond tequila.

Photography—Tracy Easton

Dalida Chef/Owners Sayat and Laura Ozyilmaz.

The husband-and-wife team behind Presidio's acclaimed Dalida are opening their second restaurant, and this time, it's deeply personal. Maria Isabel, opening February 2026 in the former Ella's American Kitchen space, will celebrate chef Laura Ozyilmaz's Mexican heritage through the coastal traditions of her native Guerrero and her father's Sinaloan roots.

The 56-seat restaurant bridges two Pacific coasts: Mexico's tropical abundance and California's seasonal rigor. Expect aguachile, chilorio, and machaca informed by childhood memory, then rebuilt with ingredients from the couple's own Presidio community garden plot and a roster of local purveyors: Toscano Farms for hot chiles, Zerate Farms for hoja santa and chayote, Front Porch Farm for hibiscus, Iacopi Farms for gigante beans and legumes, Fifth Crow Farm for heirloom corn and peppers. The kitchen will nixtamalize local corn in-house for fresh tortillas.

Wine Director Jerry McGie, who also helms the program at Dalida, will spotlight winemakers from California, including some with roots in Mexico, as well as producers from underrepresented wine regions like Baja California and Querétaro. Consulting Bar Director Evan Williams' program reaches past tequila into mezcal, sotol, bacanora, and raicilla, plus traditional drinks like chilate—a cold, horchata-like creation made from chocolate, cinnamon, rice, and roasted cacao.

Designer Jenne Wicht of JAK W split the dining room in two: one side bright and pink for Laura's sister Maria, the other grounded in wood and earth tones for her mother Isabel. Dinner service launches February 2026 with shared plates that invite guests to linger over the flavors of two coasts.

Maria Isabel
500 Presidio Avenue
@mariaisabelsf