Michelin Recommends 17 Bay Area Restaurants

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Michelin has named 17 Bay Area restaurants as “new discoveries.” That isn’t quite a Michelin star yet, but it’s an important first step. Winners of Michelin stars will be announced sometime in late autumn.

The new discoveries, a category Michelin only started announcing in 2021, include 11 restaurants in San Francisco, two in Wine Country, one in Oakland, one in Silicon Valley, one in Sacramento, and one in Monterey.

“By revealing some of the new additions made by our inspectors throughout the year, we enhance our digital tools to further strengthen the ties that bind us to food lovers,” Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the MICHELIN Guides, said in a statement. “We hope that these regular revelations and updates to the selection throughout the year will provide opportunities to highlight the profession and invite everyone to discover and support the restaurants around them.”

Here is a list grouped by region, along with notes from the inspector:

San Francisco

Abacá: “Chef Francis Ang, together with wife and co-owner Dian, have produced this ode to Filipino cooking in the lush Kimpton Alton Hotel.”

Birch & Rye: “At this cozy nook, Chef Anya El-Wattar combines her upbringing and restaurant chops to offer a unique, ingredient-focused interpretation of Russian cuisine that is in equal measure indulgent and fresh.”

Donaji: “Chef Isai Cuevas, who earned a reputation selling his excellent tamales at farmers markets across the city, now has a cheerful, neighborhood brick-and-mortar.”

Ernest: “Chef Brandon Rice’s hip, irreverent cooking style sets the vibe, exemplified in fancy-meets-comforting combos like Kaluga caviar with crème fraîche and tater tots.”

Good Good Culture Club: “The vibrantly flavorful cooking here highlights Southeast Asian flavors and unique Californian expressions in dishes like a signature adobo-glazed fried chicken wing stuffed with garlic rice.”

Le Fantastique: “Creativity and finesse are part and parcel of the cooking, and the too-cool vibe and vinyl soundtrack are matched by gracious hospitality.”

Miller & Lux: “Fine dining may seem an unlikely find in the shadow of the hulking Chase Center arena, but this stunning harborage from Chef Tyler Florence is worth a splurge.”

Nisei: ” ‘Nisei’ refers to the American-born children of Japanese immigrants, which Chef David Yoshimura is; the synthesis of that heritage forms the basis of his cuisine.”

San Ho Won: “Combining the talents of Chefs Corey Lee and protégé Jeong-In Hwang, here it’s safe to expect the exceptional. The kitchen’s refined technique deftly combines traditional Korean tastes with a sense of novelty.”

Sato Omakase: “This stylish counter offers an ambience of restful tranquility, but more importantly, it serves up an indulgent tasting that highlights painstakingly sourced ingredients.”

Sorella: “The spirited younger sister to grande dame Acquerello; the family resemblance is nonetheless apparent in the thoughtful cuisine, which runs Californian by way of Northern Italy.”

East Bay

Dela Curo, Oakland: “Located in Swan’s Market in downtown Oakland, this order-at-the-counter spot is brought to diners by Chikara Ono.”

Silicon Valley

Be.Stéak.Ă, Campbell: “An elegant ambience complements an elevated menu of exceptional steaks and an array of dishes at Chef Jeffrey Stout’s newest restaurant.”

North Bay

Lane 33 Café, Napa: “In the category of bowling alley eats, mole and quesadillas aren’t likely to spring to mind, but Chef Alex Soto’s skillful, flavor-packed Mexican cooking served Wednesday-Sunday will change your outlook.”

The Matheson, Healdsburg: “Chef Dustin Valette’s latest venture is in a soaring complex, but that never takes the focus away from the menu that weaves seasonal products with California flair and Mediterranean elements.”

Monterey

Stokes Adobe, Monterey: “The small, ingredient-driven menu draws upon French and Italian elements, seen in hearty, satisfying dishes like the maltagliati pasta in prosciutto-parmesan broth.”

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