Michelin Guide San Francisco: the Red Guide is coming to town

What's all clad in red and is coming to town? No, Christmas isn't coming to the City early this year, though if you asked a few chefs in town they might say that's exactly what has just happened to them.

I'm talking about the Michelin Guide, that venerable and oh-so-French institution that's been anointing its stars to generations of illustrious chefs, and which has just arrived in our fair city.

The Press Release came out today, and here's the list

THREE STARS
The French Laundry

TWO STARS
Aqua
Cyrus
Manresa (Yay!)
Michael Mina

I don't have much to say about this today. We're heading off to the Michelin release party soon. Check back here tomorrow for my take on what's on and what's off the guide!

(The list of restaurants with one star after the jump.)

ONE STAR
Fleur de Lys
Rubicon
Bushi-Tei
Quince
Range
Acquerello
La Folie
Masa's
Ritz-Carlton Dining Room
Gary Danko
Boulevard
Fifth Floor
Chez Panisse
Sushi-Ran
Chez TJ
Auberge du Soleil
Bistro Jeanty
Bouchon
La Toque
Terra
Dry Creek Kitchen
Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant
K & L Bistro

Comments

[Owen]

Have fun at the party Pim! Congrats to David. From everything I've heard, well deserved.

It's nice that they are paying attention to this area at last but at the same time I not only cannot agree with their rankings (Manresa and FL excepted of course!) but I can't really agree with the premise either. All my favorite spots will never even be visited and in most cases I wouldn't expect them to be - and in a few cases I wouldn't want them to be. To me a restaurant is a perfect blend of special treat, home from home and something within my scope - and my scope isn't very grand.

At the same time, I think it is safe to say that (to pick one of many examples) no barbecue joint will ever be reviewed in the little red book. And that is the little red book and its followers' loss.

Of course it has its place and I am particularly glad that you have something special to celebrate. Hope the party is a blast...

[Anita]

Congratulations to David, you must be really proud! Hope you have a fab time at the party!

[conor]

The chronicle has a front page expose up of how SF pales in comparison to NY's Michelin count. SF: 28 total stars, NY: 39 (with four 3 star spots).

[Jean-Louis]

And Santa went down too many chimneys, it looks like. This is yet another case of grade inflation. Let us leave Manresa aside, and look at the rest of the field with solid French restaurants as standards of comparison. Is the French Laudry in the class of la Cote d'Or, Taillevent, L'Ambroisie etc.? I think NOT. Maybe two stars on a good day. Cyrus would deserve two stars ANY day, and Mina and Aqua some of the time. And Ame (not mentioned) and Terra and certainly Quince and Gary Danko should be upgraded. Redd's was overlooked in the two stars category as well. Finally, giving a one star to La Folie is madness, and that is before you add Roland Passot's attitude to the recipe. As long as straight from the gut cuisine counts for something(ref. Jeanty), A16 should be in there, almost for the quality of the wines and wine service alone.

[alb]

Maybe Michelin uses US inspectors different from the ones in France that's why there may be a disparity with the standards of comparison between US and French restauants covered by the Guide?

[sam]

If the award was for cutest chef then I think your David would have 4 stars, or more!
Congratulations!

As soon as we have a free Saturday (my diary gets clogged weeks in advance), we will be down to enjoy a meal. But will it be harder to get in now, considering the new status?

[Richard Chan]

Yeah, I am also extremely disaapointed at the results and I share the same thoughts with Jean-Louis. Except that I still believe French Laundry deserves its 3 star status despite a recent slump since last fall (been there at least once a year since its opening in 1994) Mina and Aqua deserves one star at best. Of course these are just opinion among our foodie group which we place food quality significantly over everything else. I am a big fan of Ame, Redd and Gary Danko and it is sad to see both Ame and Redd being overlooked and Gary Danko with only 1 star?

[David]

Kudos to David!

Now he has two things to be proud of!

[jack]

Here's a good article that gives some perspective... http://www.slate.com/id/2129306/. I think that the measured response for the Bay Area's restaurants probably fits the more "traditional" m.o. of the Michelin guide. I don't think we're supposed to expect that our favorite restaurants make a huge three-star splash right away. even one star is a big honor. the bigger debate probably is more about how the restaurants relate to one another.

[dirtyjoe]

i got 6 stars! i'm so excited. i wonder if any other farmers are adding up their stars right now. i think star route and maraquita kicked ass. actually frog hollow might be number one. who else? what farms does the french laundry buy from? maybe bob canard cleaned up. did i do better than annabel? party on garth, party on wayne.

[Lucy Vanel]

Thats a lot of stars!

[Veron]

I cannot believe Gary Danko's got 1 star , it is a fabulous restaurant. I also like Fifth Floor.... oh well...

[ulterior epicure]

i second all the cheer for chef kinch! congrats david!!

u.e.

[The bean guy]

Dirtyjoe! How can you be so superficial? Oh, by the way, I'm at seven, but who's counting?!!?
Congrats to everyone although I do wish Michelin would do a taco truck version.

[Gluten Free By The Bay]

Hm... 1 star for Chez Panisse? I was underwhelmed by my meal there, but 1 star seems a little wrong.

[Rachael]

Its all sorta silly in the end. Nobody has yet to write a list of resturants everyone can agree with...

then again, EVERYONE can agree that congrats are in order to your fine chef. Kudos!

I hope it brings many good things...

[shelly]

Congrats to you and David!

[nika]

Many millions o conga-rats! Have a wonderful celebration, get tipsy, enjoy! Back to work all too soon.

[Sara, The wine Makers Wife]

I enjoyed reading the review of this in S.F. Chronicle. I belive Aqua got 2 stars as well, so I bought my dad a gift card for Christmas over the phone. He like sexperiences and tasting menus. Have you been to Aqua? Has anyone been to Aqua and has had a worthwhile experience there? I know so little about it. Thanks!

[Mgmax]

"At the same time, I think it is safe to say that (to pick one of many examples) no barbecue joint will ever be reviewed in the little red book."

Uh... are there really any barbecue joints in either SF or NY worthy of being reviewed in the little red book?

Maybe by the time they get to Austin they'll do Cooper's and Black's.

[ratiopronation]

In response to:
"Hm... 1 star for Chez Panisse? I was underwhelmed by my meal there, but 1 star seems a little wrong."

I never ate at Chez Panisse during what were ostensibly the glory days, but I have never found the food to be anything but bland and uninspired. Sure, the ingredients are of fantastic quality and the preparation is meticulous, but the food is still somewhat boring. I think Chez Panisse barely deserves its one star at this point. It is mainly coasting on reputation.

My submission for top overlooked restaurant is Oliveto in Rockridge.