Chronicle Top 100 2005

[eje]

This past Sunday, the San Francisco Chronicle published its annual round up of the "Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants".

Were any of the picks surprises to you? Any you thought should have been picked? Should not have been picked? What restaurants are on your wish list for the coming year?

Despite quite a few openings at the Ferry Building, and Ball Park area, I do note that the number of restaurants picked from the city of San Francisco is down for the third year in a row. 58 out of 100 this year (66 in 2003; 64 in 2004).

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c...03/CMTOP100.DTL

Erik

[Catherine Nash]

I was disappointed not to see Chapeau on there (maybe he felt Clementine was enough in the way of French bistros in the Richmond?)

Noticed that big omissions in SF were Masa's, the Ritz and Fifth Floor (maybe b/c Bauer has yet to review it under Perello?).

Was surprised by the two steak places: El Raigon and House of Prime Rib (no Harris? no C&L Steak?)

I appreciated the variety in terms of price and atmosphere; I think he did a good job offering a breadth of choices across the spectrum.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't care for Bacar or Aquerello. Have been both places and was thoroughly unimpressed.

Antica Trattoria was a surprise, but a nice one and well-deserved, in my opinion.

[hapacooking]

SF Chronicle list is written by a bunch of idiots.

They obviously did not visit all of these restaurants recently. So many missing and so many that should not be on the list.

Have they recently tried La Toque in Rutherford? It blows Terra away by a mile. Pleeeeeze!

[eje]

SF Chronicle list is written by a bunch of idiots.

←

I'm no Michael Bauer fan; but, that is pretty harsh.

A lot of time there does seem to be some sort of seniority thing and/or singular examples of a certain type of cuisine.

For example, Matterhorn is a fine restaurant; but, does it really need to be listed among the "best" restaurants of the bay area?

Also, this year, they have made their information gathering a little more transparent, with the included "Restaurant Review History". If a restaurant was last reviewed in 1997, should it really be included? Have they really been back? I'd be interested to know.

I'm sure the restaurants in Lafayette are fine, and I guess it is good for the Chronicle to cast a wider net and serve the larger Bay Area; but, the odds of me ever eating out there are close to nil.

My wish list of fancy restaurants for the coming year includes Campton Place, Quince, Manresa, Cortez and maybe the Farmhouse Inn. I will also continue to frequent Chow, Ton Kiang, Papalotte, Suriya, Charanga and other local restaurants. Hope to get to Firefly, Incanto, Bocadillo, Piperade, Clementine, and Blue Plate a couple times as budgets allow.

Erik

edited for usage

Edited April 5, 2005 by eje (log)

[dvs]

bauer visited bouchon at least 2 times in the last 3 months

[ohmyganache]

The list is so bogus and is every year. How can the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton not be on there? It wasn't there with Sylvan, and it's not there now with Ron? Something is amiss...

I'm also very surprised to see Hawthorne Lane was not on there?

Maybe when a restaurant gets too old and isn't 'new and trendy' enough for MB, they 86 it...

[MaxH]

I do note that the number of restaurants picked from the city of San Francisco is down for the third year in a row.

That may even understate the longer-term trend. I mean that 40 years ago -- before anyone had heard of the current SF Chron restaurant critic, or the three preceding him -- it was usual for people in the many surrounding towns (which SF serves as a "de-facto downtown" to quote a good observation) to go into the City for fine dining. That was changing in the 1960s, more rapidly after about 1970. (People in Palo Alto remarked publicly a few months ago that that town, until fairly recently, lacked restaurants of note, despite favorable demographics and in contrast to Berkeley; my response was that Berkeley lacked restaurants of note too, for most of its history.)

So the presence of prominent restaurants outside of SF proper is an important trend (even in longer historical terms).

-- M