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To hear Michelin and James Beard reps talk, it often seems like the Bay Area consists solely of San Francisco, with the occasional daring foray into Oakland — or anywhere David Kinch hangs out. We suspect tunnel fear — or Highway 101-ophobia.
But the East and South Bay restaurant scene offers hundreds of incredible dining experiences, and our restaurant critics and food writers have sampled them all, from swanky spots to holes-in-the-wall. Now we’re ready to proclaim the Bay Area’s top 50 non-SF spots, a list topped by — OK, Manresa. (We, too, are Kinch fans.) Consider it not so much a ranking, as a list for all occasions and cravings.
Today, we’re diving into the top 10, which is Oakland, Kinch and Michelin-heavy — but the rest is not. You’ll find those here: Bay Area Best: No. 11-20 // No. 21-30 // No. 31-40 // Nos. 41-50. (Send your nominations for No. 51 to us at features@bayareanewsgroup.com.)
Now let’s get started, because when you’re craving over-the-top culinary creativity — or Arab street food, Cambodian fare or farm-to-fork lushness — you don’t want to wait.
Manresa, Los Gatos: When you want not a 1-star or 2-star but a 3-star Michelin experience
Three Michelin stars is as good as it gets, and chef-owner David Kinch has achieved that rarefied status in the South Bay. He’s legendary for brilliant transformations of California produce and coastal seafood; his signature “Into the Garden” course is always a stunning seasonal presentation. Despite the recognition, Kinch has never been one to rest on his laurels. He’s cultivated new ideas — and new talent — by opening his paean to New Orleans, The Bywater, as well as the Manresa Bread cafe and bakeries. Next up? An Italian-French concept in Aptos called Mentone.
Order: Prepare for surprises. It’s a prix-fixe tasting menu.
Details: 320 Village Lane, Los Gatos; www.manresarestaurant.com. $$$$
Nyum Bai, Oakland: When you long for the Golden Age of Cambodia — and Phnom Penh street food
You don’t go to Nyum Bai if you happen to be in Fruitvale. You get in your car wherever you are, drive to Fruitvale and appear in James Beard-nominated chef-owner Nite Yun’s poppy, pastel-hued restaurant because the craving for lemongrass-glazed pork chops, jasmine rice cooked in chicken fat and fermented fish paste-everything is just too fierce. Wash down the stir-fried pea tendrils and salted beans with a crisp local brew, like Ale Industries’ Golden State of Mind, an herbal tea beer. Like pho? You’ll love Kuy Teav, a rice noodle soup in pork broth with sliced brisket, minced pork, shrimp, crispy garlic, lime and herbs.
Order: Kuy teav phnom penh, Lok lac, fried chicken, cha mee sor glass noodles
Details: 3340 E. 12th St.; www.nyumbai.com; $
Chez TJ, Mountain View: When you’d like a side of Victoriana with your dinner
For 37 years, George Aviet’s Michelin-starred restaurant, housed in a charming 1890s Victorian, has offered a soothing respite from Silicon Valley’s increasingly fast-paced world. It’s a menu-free experience, “leaving you free to enjoy the wonder of your meal without any prior notion or expectations.” That said, some recent dishes from executive chef Jarad Gallagher — who likes to “keep one foot in the past, one in the future” — have included Antelope Tartare, Sous Vide Eggplant with Kaluga Caviar, A-5 Wagyu Beef — and a modern cobbler that pays tribute to the Valley of Heart’s Delight with local Andy’s Orchard peaches.
What to order: Although each course is presented as a surprise, you’ll receive a commemorative copy of the tasting menu at the end of your dinner.
Details: 938 Villa St., Mountain View; www.cheztj.com; $$$$
Commis, Oakland: When you want homegrown talent — and a tasting menu you’ll never forget
There’s something magical — and deeply delicious — about sitting at Commis chef-owner James Syhabout’s counter or at one of the narrow, elegant dining room’s tables and remembering, course after titillating course, this Oakland native’s journey from California Culinary Academy to Manresa, The Fat Duck, Coi and finally, his own two-Michelin starred restaurant. Syhabout’s dishes, culled from thoughtfully-sourced ingredients and precise techniques, will enchant and cling to your memory, whether dinner reveals the signature slow poached egg yolk with smoked dates, alliums and malt, or carrot tartare with lime, shaved young coconut and mint. You’ll have the food giggles all night.
Order: An eight-course menu that begins with that famous slow-poached egg.
Details: 3859 Piedmont Ave., Oakland; https://commisrestaurant.com; $$$$
Protégé, Palo Alto: When an upscale meal at the bar is just the thing
How many places offer a Michelin-caliber meal at the bar — with wine advice from a master sommelier? That’s Protégé, a chic restaurant from alumni of the French Laundry. Wine expert Dennis Kelly and executive chef Anthony Secviar created a two-tier approach — a tasting menu in the dining room, an a la carte menu in the lounge — with the casual diner the clear beneficiary. Even the dessert course is the most upscale one you’ll find in a lounge: A pastry cart will roll around for your perusal. Heads up: Think reservations a month in advance.
Order: Ricotta Dumplings and Brick Chicken in the bar, prix fixe menu in the dining room
Details: 250 S. California Ave., Palo Alto; www.protegepaloalto.com; lounge $$, dining room $$$$
Reem’s California, Oakland: When you need to prove that Oakland’s food scene is better than San Francisco’s
Cross the bridge, friends, and fall in love with sumac-braised chicken, chocolate halawa and Damascus lemonade at this one-of-a-kind Arabic street food bakery and cafe. Tucked under the BART platform at the Fruitvale Transit Village, Reem’s California specializes in fresh, affordable, flavorful oven-baked flatbreads, wraps, salads and unique sweets beyond baklava — think ghraybe, orange blossom shortbread cookies, and fatayer jibneh, an akkawi cheese turnover with nigella seeds — in a warm, bright, colorful shop lined with Middle Eastern cookbooks. Prepare to become obsessed.
Order: Za’atar man’oushe, muhamarra, pali cali wrap, fattoush salad, every pastry
Details: 3301 E. 12th St., Oakland; www.reemscalifornia.com; $
The Plumed Horse, Saratoga: When you’re a vegetarian but want the full Michelin experience
Michelin-star dining can be a challenge for vegetarians, what with many restaurants requiring advance notice of dietary needs. Not so at the Plumed Horse. Chef Peter Armellino has created a full Vegetarian Tasting Menu and it’s brimming with elegant versions of peak-of season produce: Brentwood Corn Pudding with house-made ricotta, purslane and fava beans; Summer Melon with shishito peppers and finger lime vinaigrette, the restaurant’s popular Parmesan-Black Pepper Souffle; and five other courses.
Order: Meat- and seafood-eaters will find upscale presentations of local lamb loin, dayboat scallops, California sturgeon and more on the Chef’s Tasting Menu.
Details: 14555 Big Basin Way, Saratoga; www.plumedhorse.com; $$-$$$$
Ramen Shop, Oakland: When you’re willing to pay $18 for ramen
We don’t like paying close to $20 for noodle soup any more than you do. But we’re helpless in the hands of Rockridge’s Ramen House and their artfully-crafted bowls. We sit at the bar, the best seat in the house, forking over Andrews as we watch bandana-ed cooks simmering pork bones and sauteing corn (for the butter corn shio ramen, our fave). To make matters worse, the appetizers are equally fresh and artfully prepared with the best ingredients possible. So it’s not a case of “Hey guys, wanna grab some ramen tonight?” It’s “I’m craving a bowl of elegant, organic noodle soup with non-greasy pork chashu, the perfect salt-cured egg and Jimmy Nardello peppers. Wanna?”
Order: Veggie meyer lemon shoyu ramen, butter corn shio ramen, chicken karaage
Details: 5822 College Ave., Oakland; www.ramenshop.com; $-$$
Taverna, Palo Alto: When you long for the best crispy chicken salad in what feels like Mykonos
Show us a Bay Area restaurant that has a memorable chicken salad on its lunch menu and we’ll be your best friend, especially when it’s as unique and habit-forming as Taverna’s. Here, chicken breast is breaded and fried in shredded phyllo dough and black sesame (yielding an audible crunch) and served atop a salad of gem lettuces, lightly pickled beets and cubes of feta that have been tossed in honey mustard dressing. Kokkari and Evvia alums are behind this chic, beautiful farm-to-table spot, where Greek pop music plays and the wine list has a Hellenic focus.
Order: Crispy chicken salad, grilled octopus, whole Pacific kampachi
Details: 800 Emerson St., https://tavernarestaurant.squarespace.com; $$-$$$
Juanita and Maude, Albany: When you want neighborhood feel with flawless food
Sure, sometimes you want swanky surroundings. But our ideal restaurant is an upscale neighborhood spot, all muted colors and effortless feel, craft cocktails and utterly sensational food — served without an ounce of pretension. This farm-to-fork restaurant gets its name from chef Scott Eastman’s grandmother and mother, and its sublime pastas thanks to the near-decade the chef spent at Berkeley’s Corso. The rest of the New American menu is all kinds of delicious cross-cultural fun, from grilled swordfish with green papaya to grilled portobellos with goat cheese and herb salsa.
Order: Ricotta gnudi with basil pesto and mint, seared New York steak with chimichurri
Details: 825 San Pablo Ave., www.juanitaandmaude.com; $$
But wait, there’s more!
These are Nos. 1-10 on our best 50 list. Find the Best 50: Restaurants 11-20,
Restaurants 21-30, Restaurants 31-40 and Restaurants 41-50 here.
