Michelin to publish restaurant guide to Bay Area

[Gifted Gourmet]

CNN Travel

Michelin introduced its first American guide -- New York City -- in November, giving four restaurants out of 507 reviews its coveted and rare three-star ratings. ... The San Francisco area has some of America's best-known restaurants including Chez Panisse in Berkeley ... Thomas Keller, the owner of another renowned Bay Area restaurant, French Laundry in Yountville in wine country, was the only American chef to gain three stars in the New York guide for Per Se...."It's wonderful for us in San Francisco," he told Reuters from the kitchen of French Laundry. One American and four European inspectors have already started to dine anonymously across the San Francisco area, and the new guide is expected to be published in October.

Interesting?

What is your thinking on this new guide?

[Pan]

No comment from me, but in case some of you are interested in how the Michelin Guide was received in New York, check out this thread. And this was the discussion we had before the New York guide was published.

[gruyere]

No comment from me, but in case some of you are interested in how the Michelin Guide was received in New York, check out this thread. And this was the discussion we had before the New York guide was published.

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I sincerely hope Michelin goes ahead with the Bay area project. The very idea that they are contemplating such a guide may serve to dispel the naysayers who would have us believe that there is no place for them on this side of the Atlantic.

Michelin is likely to provide a better information source for non-Americans. Zagat, for me, is little more than a phone book, but I think it serves the American public reasonably well. I would place my confidence in Michelin, but I don’t consider Zagat as much more than a self fulfilling prophecy of the latest cheerleaders, as knowledgeable or inept as they may be.

When last in Paris, I was discussing restaurant choices with my hotel concierge. Mistakenly assuming my Canadian manner of speech to be American, he held his hand over the Zagat guide and said something like “Do you want a restaurant that would appeal to Americans?” and moving his hand to the Michelin guide said “Or do you want a good French restaurant?” This may come across as the quintessential French snub but I can assure you he was simply trying to be helpful, seeking out my desires and trying to match them with an establishment that would meet with my approval.

It is difficult to compare one to the other. They are so different as to make comparison a bit of an ‘apples to oranges’ exercise. They are both guides with a common subject under review but their approaches are so different that they may as well be considered entirely different products.

[Gifted Gourmet]

They are both guides with a common subject under review but their approaches are so different that they may as well be considered entirely different products.

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I am in complete agreement with you on your analysis of this, gruyere ... and I find it quite exciting that Michelin will be "covering" the Bay Area with their truly critical eye (and tongue!) and will be offering insight and a culinary comprehension missing from Zagat ...

[canucklehead]

It will be interesting to see what sacred cows are sacrificed or new gems unearthed during this process. I lived in the Bay Area for a number years and though there are tremendous restaurants - I don't think there was a good critical guide (or critic) to seperate hype from substance.

It will be interesting to see how the birthplace of California cuisine shapes up under closer inspection. Is L.A. next? Chicago?

[S_tran]

In my opinion, michelin should stay within Europe, im not trying to sound exclusive but its because they rate using the european mentality. So many chef in Europe spend theyre lives trying to attain those three stars but in North America we should be using our own ratings system for reestaurants in North America. Don't get me wrong I have the utmost respect for the guide. I'm not really sure how to verbalize my thoughts exactly without sounding ignorant. So it might not be fair to a restaurant who "deserves" say a michlelin star but not qualifies because it does not fit their mold? You know what I mean? please don't flame me lol

[Shalmanese]

How many 3 star restaurants are in the Bay Area? French Laundry is obviously a shoe in. Chez Panisse, probably. What others are there? Is Gary Danko a 3 star?

[silentryan]

How many 3 star restaurants are in the Bay Area? French Laundry is obviously a shoe in. Chez Panisse, probably. What others are there? Is Gary Danko a 3 star?

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I love Chez Panisse, but if it recieves any more than 1 Michelin star, that rating system will have lost whatever significance it had left.