The stars will be coming out before year’s end.
We’re talking about the Michelin Guide honors, aka the Oscars of the fine-dining world. The California list is bound to be one of the most interesting announcements in a long time, what with top-tier restaurants facing post-pandemic challenges when it comes to staffing, the supply chain and inflation. Have the Michelin inspectors been “grading easy” when it comes to any service miscues or ingredient substitutions?
We already know that the Bay Area list will see some changes. AL’s Place in San Francisco has closed permanently, and Ajay Walia’s Michelin-starred Rasa in Burlingame is now the distinctly more casual Saffron. Will David Kinch’s highly regarded Manresa in Los Gatos — the only three-star restaurant south of San Francisco — earn a swan-song rating, even though Kinch is stepping away after Dec. 31?
Michelin’s early release of “new discoveries” in California adds to our curiosity. Just one of the 10 “new discoveries” last year — Marlena in San Francisco — made it onto the 2021 star list, so what does that mean for the 17 Bay Area restaurants vis a vis the 2022 star list?
And then there’s our perennial question: In 2022, did more Michelin inspectors make it out to the East Bay, particularly Oakland, where the culinary scene is so exciting? For years, the only Michelin star honoree there has been chef James Syhabout’s two-starred Commis.
We shall see. Meantime, here are the 2021 star winners if you’d like to make some reservations.
THREE STARS (Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey)
Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
Benu, San Francisco
The French Laundry, Yountville
Manresa, Los Gatos
Quince, San Francisco
SingleThread, Healdsburg
TWO STARS (Excellent cuisine, worth a detour)
Acquerello, San Francisco
Birdsong, San Francisco
Californios, San Francisco
Campton Place, San Francisco
Coi, San Francisco
Commis, Oakland
Lazy Bear, San Francisco
Saison, San Francisco
ONE STAR (A very good restaurant in its category)
Adega, San Jose
AL’s Place, San Francisco (now closed)
Angler, San Francisco
Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford
Avery, San Francisco
Bar Crenn, San Francisco
Chez TJ, Mountain View
Gary Danko, San Francisco
Ju-Ni, San Francisco
Kenzo, Napa
Kin Khao, San Francisco
La Toque, Napa
Madcap, San Anselmo
Madera, Menlo Park
Marlena, San Francisco
Mister Jiu’s, San Francisco
Mourad, San Francisco
Niku Steakhouse, San Francisco
O’ by Claude Le Tohic, San Francisco
Omakase, San Francisco
Plumed Horse, Saratoga
The Progress, San Francisco
Protégé, Palo Alto
Rasa, Burlingame (now Saffron restaurant)
Selby’s, Atherton/Redwood City
The Shota, San Francisco
Sons & Daughters, San Francisco
Sorrel, San Francisco
SPQR, San Francisco
Spruce, San Francisco
State Bird Provisions, San Francisco
Sushi Shin, Redwood City
Sushi Yoshizumi, San Mateo
Village Pub, Woodside
Wako, San Francisco
Wakuriya, San Mateo
