Zagat: Local Chef a Culinary 'Goddess'

Brooke Williamson, the owner of Redondo Beach's Hudson House bar, is one of the top 17 female chefs in the Los Angeles area, according to a blog post published on renowned restaurant rating company Zagat's website.

"Williamson … was a silent giant on Top Chef: Seattle, staying the course throughout the first half of the competition and then really shining—and winning quickfires—in the last half," wrote reporter Lesley Balla.

Williamson came in second in the reality television series, but she was making a name for herself long before. According to Zagat, she began cooking in professional kitchens as a teen, and she "gained local notoriety when she became the (executive) chef of Zax in the early 2000s."

Williamson and her husband and co-chef, Nick Roberts, also own the Tripel in Playa del Rey and are working on opening up a third restaurant in the area.

• Full story: 17 Top Women Chefs Around L.A. [Zagat]