It’s Michelin season! As a preview to the big stars that will be announced next week, the restaurant rating guide has announced their 2016 Bay Area Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Awards.
In total 17 Wine Country Restaurants were tapped, with newcomers Diavola (finally), La Perla (wow–meaning we have TWO Peruvian restaurants in Santa Rosa that are winners) and Ramen Gaijin (yay!).
Falling off the list: Hotbox Grill, which shuttered, C Casa, La Salette, The Girl and the Fig and Willi’s Wine Bar.
It’s a huge feather in the caps of moderately-priced restaurants (ie: the ones most of us can actually afford) and a definite pathway to the stars. Bib Gourmands are NOT eligible for stars.
“Moishe and I are just honored to be in such great company and want to thank our crew, present and past for all the hard work this past year. The real challenge now is improving and staying on this list for the years to come,” said Chef Matthew Williams of Ramen Gaijin.
This year’s 2016 Bib Gourmand winners for Wine Country include:
Backyard (Forestville)
Bistro Jeanty (Yountville)
Bistro 29 (Santa Rosa)
Chalkboard (Healdsburg)
Cook (St. Helena)
Glen Ellen Star (Glen Ellen)
Grace’s Table (Napa)
La Perla, Santa Rosa (new)
Monti’s Rotisserie (Santa Rosa)
Oenotri (Napa)
Ramen Gaijin, Sebastopol (NEW!)
Redd Wood (Yountville)
Risibisi (Petaluma)
Sazon (Santa Rosa)
Scopa (Healdsburg)
The Farmer & The Fox (St. Helena)
Excited to see the new ramen place on the board…..but have to say IT IS NEVER OPEN. Everytime we have gone over there. Not open, chairs on the tables. Why they are not open during the Farmers market is beyond me, seems like they could make a killing.
Bite Club has recommended so many of these local gems that you should take a bow!
And, thank you for posting about Gaijin. That is some serious goodness that is easy to get to and happy on the wallet.
While this is a very fine list of restaurants it is not, as the PD claims, a list of the “best value eats” in Sonoma County….or the headline writer is blessed to be paid far more than most of us.
I didn’t write that headline…btw
Michelin’s “affordable” is relative. They’re far more affordable than many of the starred restaurants, and Michelin doesn’t frequent taquerias, so you have to take it as a list for “gourmands”, rather than people who are just looking for cheap eats.
I would say that you can get an affordable meal at most of these spots if you look for local night specials, prix fixe, or even just call and ask if they are going to be having any upcoming special events. Most of the menus also have some very affordable appetizers and small plates.
If person wants 1 appetizer. Like the places on this list with which I’m familiar, but not value dining. Note also the photo which shows pizzas being made. Not only is the headline misleading, so is the photo.
The photo I have is ramen….presumably from Ramen Gaijin, one of the new honorees.
Congratulations to all the honorees!
I also see ramen, but to be fair, Diavola is very well-known for their pizzas, so that would make sense.
I get their sausage at the farmers market, and make little balls of it dance in the pan, crisping up, as the start of a killer paella.
Their other food is great too, and they should be smiling really big.