The nail-biting is over for Bay Area chefs who’ve spent the last several weeks waiting for the call from the reviewers at Michelin. This afternoon, the 2015 Michelin Guide San Francisco, bay Area & Wine Country announced this year’s “starred” restaurants for the Bay Area.
The biggest surprise leaked even before the results were officially released: SF’s Benu and Saison both received a coveted three stars, moving up from their two-star positions last year. The restaurants join The French Laundry and The Restaurant at Meadowood in the three-star category, making for an unprecedented FOUR three-star restos in the Bay Area.
None of the restaurants from 2014 lost a star, making for a pretty static list. Two restaurants earned their first star, Kusakabe and Maruya in SF.
Long considered among the most prestigious accolades in chefdom, the European dining guides began giving their hard-won stars to restaurants around San Francisco nine years ago based on the input of “famously anonymous” reviewers.
Three Stars
The French Laundry, Yountville
The Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena
Benu
Saison
Two Stars
Acquerello
Atelier Crenn
Baume
Coi
Manresa
Quince
One Star
All Spice
Ame
Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford
Aziza
Bouchon, Yountville
Boulevard
Campton Place
Chez TJ
Commis
Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant, Forestville
Gary Danko
Keiko à Nob Hill
Kusakabe
La Folie
La Toque, Napa
Luce
Madera
Madrona Manor, Healdsburg
Maruya
Michael Mina
Plumed Horse
Solbar
Sons & Daughters
SPQR
Spruce
State Bird Provisions
Terra, St. Helena
Terrapin Creek, Bodega Bay.
The Village Pub
Wakuriya
The announcement comes on the heels of the Michelin “Bib Gourmand” restaurants in the Bay Area — value-priced restaurants worth checking out.