Michelin 2007 Results for SF

[jackbr4]

the best thing that the guides, lists, ratings, etc., are good for is starting dialogue, because everyone is so passionate about the subject and their two or three favorite places that got left out (me included - A16 for exmaple). i agree with melkor that i hope this guide will help to up the ante a bit in the bay area and increase the overall quality of the food. but at best, like most other ratings or list, they are all subjective and controversial, but that's what makes them great and gets the blood rising.

[Busboy]

I have a question I haven't been able to find an answer to on-line.

In the French Guide, Michelin has categories called "Bib Gourmand" and "menu economique" which designate a restaurants serving very good food at a very good price. I believe Bib Gourmands offer 3-course menus of 25 euros in the provinces and 30 in Paris (or thereabouts) and menu ecconomiques are even less expensive. We eat at a lot of these in France; they tend to be "fine dining" establishments offering pretty serious cooking -- though they are less formal than the starred places -- and are generally true bargains.

No one really needs Michelin to know about Chez Panisse or The French Laundry, but a guide to the local Bib Gourmands would be extremely helpful. Does anybody know if the SF guide has included these?

[melkor]

No one really needs Michelin to know about Chez Panisse or The French Laundry, but a guide to the local Bib Gourmands would be extremely helpful.  Does anybody know if the SF guide has included these?

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Yeah - they gave out a number of Bib Gourmands.

[docsconz]

No one really needs Michelin to know about Chez Panisse or The French Laundry, but a guide to the local Bib Gourmands would be extremely helpful.  Does anybody know if the SF guide has included these?

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Yeah - they gave out a number of Bib Gourmands.

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Anything particularly notable there?

[kai-m]

Just as a sidenote (sort of): I can't understand why some here seem to be disappointed about there being "not so many" starred restaurants in SF...because: apart from paris, nyc and london I can't think of any other city in the world with as many 1*-restaurants (not even rome has as many, has it?!).

And even in france you will be hard pressed to find a city with as many 2*-places...Lyon? don't think so. Marseille? Nope.

So all in all this a pretty damn impressive result...

Can't wait to get back!

greetings from frankfurt with it's five 1*-restaurants...

kai

[robyn]

Oh, you misunderstand,  we've got the price point covered - you can easily spend big dollars for a meal in SF.  Gary Danko is a bargain if you ignore what they are charging for wine.  My point is that the quality of the food isn't at the same level as the prices, though much of that can be attributed to the higher labor costs.  There are a handful of places in the city that didn't get any stars where you can spend $500 for two going light on wine. 

I don't expect to see a huge number of three stars in the area, but in a few years I'd be surprised if one or two of the two stars don't move up. 

What I'm most curious about are the restaurants that didn't earn a star and have been coasting on out of date Chronicle reviews and Zagat scores.  Bauer has long had too much power in the bay area - how is it that La Toque has never been reviewed?  Maybe Michelin will send him a copy of the guide, they have the address listed.  How many more reviews do we need for the mediocre bistros that make the food section time and again?  What will he review this week?  Whatever it is, you can be sure they serve a beet salad.  The Michelin reviews will hopefully draw some chefs back into their kitchens and reinvigorate some of these stagnant menus.  We can hope anyway.

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My impression - having been to your neck of the woods twice in the last year - is that you need a new restaurant review person. Someone who doesn't think of him or herself as the center of the restaurant world. Someone younger. I am close to 60 - and although I like to think I am still "au courant" - I know that I was more on my game when I was 30-40 (especially in terms of being able to eat/drink to wretched excess without miserable side effects ).

I read the recent article about mistakes - and I don't know when Roland Passot's wife works at La Folie - but she personally took my reservation for La Folie (I know - because we talked at length - like 30 minutes - about family when I was making my reservation). The whole article was a case of "the lady doth protest too much".

FWIW - I thought all of our dinners - including those at places like Quince and La Folie - were priced quite reasonably. And lunch at Chez Panisse was a bargain. What are the big ticket places? Robyn

[melkor]

My impression - having been to your neck of the woods twice in the last year - is that you need a new restaurant review person.  Someone who doesn't think of him or herself as the center of the restaurant world.  Someone younger.  I am close to 60 - and although I like to think I am still "au courant" - I know that I was more on my game when I was 30-40 (especially in terms of being able to eat/drink to wretched excess without miserable side effects  ).

I read the recent article about mistakes - and I don't know when Roland Passot's wife works at La Folie - but she personally took my reservation for La Folie (I know - because we talked at length - like 30 minutes - about family when I was making my reservation).  The whole article was a case of "the lady doth protest  too much".

FWIW - I thought all of our dinners - including those at places like Quince and La Folie - were priced quite reasonably.  And lunch at Chez Panisse was a bargain.  What are the big ticket places?  Robyn

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I agree completely about the need for some new blood at the Chronicle - Bauer's reviews have more than their fare share of problems.

As far as big ticket places? You can easily spend $400+ on dinner for two by ordering the tasting menu and wine parings in the city itself at Jardiniere, The Fifth Floor, Michael Mina, The Diningroom, Campton Place, Fleur de Lys, Masa's, and others.

[Andy Lynes]

From Humble Pie, Gordon Ramsay's autobiography published in the UK 2 October 2006:

"Thomas Keller, the American chef, has two lots of three stars."

The Michelin Guide San Francisco: Bay Area and Wine Country 2007 was published 4 October 2006. A lucky guess by Ramsay?

[melkor]

From Humble Pie, Gordon Ramsay's autobiography published in the UK 2 October 2006:

"Thomas Keller, the American chef, has two lots of three stars."

The Michelin Guide San Francisco: Bay Area and Wine Country 2007 was published 4 October 2006. A lucky guess by Ramsay?

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I think everyone expected the French Laundry to get three, after Per Se did last year in the NY guide it became a sure thing.