SAN FRANCISCO IS AMERICA’S FINE DINING CAPITAL

By: Christian Stan | 29 May, 2019

The 2019 Michelin Guide for the San Francisco Bay Area confirms the city as the fine dining capital in the United States. The eight three-star restaurants total more than any other American city (including New York).

San Francisco and the region has a total of 80 stars among the 58 venues listed in the 2019 Michelin Guide.  The area’s Bib Gourmands, “restaurants that offer high-quality food at pocket-friendly prices,” increased by one this year to 68.

Two restaurants were given three-star rankings for the first time: Atelier Crenn (San Francisco) and Single Thread (Healdsburg).  They join Benu, Quince and Saison in San Francisco and The French Laundry (Yountville), Manresa (Los Gatos), The Restaurant at Meadowood (St. Helena) in locations surrounding the city.

Dominique Crenn at Atelier Crenn is now the first female chef in the U.S. to achieve three Michelin stars.  Her newer restaurant, Bar Crenn, also received its first Michelin star and was named one of the best new restaurants in the U.S. by EsquireMagazine (see below).  The San Francisco Travel Association features Crenn in a video about what makes San Francisco a distinctive dining destination, available at www.sftravel.com/article/5-places-chef-dominique-crenn-loves-within-walking-distance-atelier-crenn.

San Francisco is also home to one of the least expensive Michelin-starred restaurants in the U.S. – the vegetable-centric Al’s Place, where an individual meal costs about $18 USD.  Other affordable restaurants with stars in the region include Kin Khao, Commonwealth, State Bird Provisions and Terrapin Creek.

San Francisco also took the top spot on Esquire’s list of “Best New Restaurants in America.” Angler, on the Embarcadero, was named #1 and described as “an Avalon of pleasure and ease.”  Other San Franciscans on the list:  Bar Crenn (#12) and Che Fico (#17).  What are the restaurants to watch for 2019?  For the complete mouth-watering list of suggestions, see www.sftravel.com/article/13-san-francisco-restaurants-you-need-eat-2019.   San Francisco Travel also offers a Culinary Guide at www.sftravel.com/article/download-san-francisco-culinary-guide.