New Michelin Guide for San Francisco Is Out

Michelin announced its selection for the third edition of the MICHELIN guide San Francisco, Bay Area and Wine Country. The MICHELIN guide contains more than 55 new establishments, and features 448 establishments in all — a number that includes 383 restaurants representing 35 types of cuisine, and 65 area hotels.

Among the Michelin stars awarded this year:
— The French Laundry remains the sole Michelin three-star selection
— Coi joins the ranks of Michelin two-star restaurants
— Murray Circle, Plumed Horse, Trevese and The Village Pub join the
Michelin one-star selections

 

The Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area and Wine Country 2009 features the Bib Gourmand category, which indicates Michelin inspectors' favorites for good value. This year's Bib Gourmands include 55 restaurants that serve a menu with two dishes and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less. The restaurants awarded this distinction can be identified by a red pictogram depicting the head of Bibendum(R), the Michelin Man.

The MICHELIN guide San Francisco, Bay Area and Wine Country 2009 also includes 56 restaurants serving a meal (two dishes and a glass of wine or dessert) for $25 or less. In the selection, these establishments are indicated by the coins pictogram.

As a result, almost a third of the MICHELIN guide San Francisco, Bay Area and Wine Country 2009 selection comprises highly affordable restaurants. While the MICHELIN guide is known around the world for its famous stars, these restaurants account for just ten percent of the selection. With more than 1.2 million copies sold in approximately 100 countries, the MICHELIN guide has always built its success on the diversity of its selection and especially on small establishments offering a high-quality dining experience at an affordable price, of which the best are included in the "Our inspectors' favorites for good value" category. Moreover, inclusion in the MICHELIN guide is, in itself, synonymous with quality, since only the best establishments in each comfort and price category are selected.

Also new for 2009, consumers will have the option to access the North American MICHELIN guide selections on their mobile phones through a licensing agreement with mobile content provider UBI UBI. The content for all four U.S. MICHELIN guides, which include New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, will be available by subscription beginning in October 2008. For more information, please visit www.ubiubi.mobi .

The MICHELIN guide San Francisco, Bay Area and Wine Country 2009 includes a total of 32 "starred" restaurants, of which one — The French Laundry — has received three stars, six two stars and 25 one star. To ensure a consistent selection, the same five criteria are used for awarding stars in all countries: product quality, preparation and flavors, the cuisine's personality, value for money and consistency.

One star * means a very good restaurant in its category.
Two stars ** mean excellent cooking, worth a detour.
Three stars *** mean exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.

 

The presentation of each hotel and restaurant in the MICHELIN guide San Francisco, Bay Area and Wine Country 2009 includes a description of the atmosphere, interior decoration, chef's background, etc. These descriptions are intended solely to provide readers with additional information about the establishment.

Present in North America since late 2005, the MICHELIN guide has four city editions: The MICHELIN guide New York City, now in its fourth edition, the third edition MICHELIN guide San Francisco, Bay Area & the Wine Country, and the second editions of the MICHELIN guide Los Angeles 2009 and the MICHELIN guide Las Vegas 2009, which will be announced on Oct. 20.

In Europe, the collection currently comprises 21 MICHELIN guides, including English-language versions of the Michelin Guide France and the MICHELIN guide Paris. The MICHELIN guide's Asian editions include the MICHELIN guide Tokyo, and the MICHELIN guide Hong Kong & Macao debuting in December 2008.

Thanks to a rigorous selection process that is applied independently and consistently around the world, the MICHELIN guide has become an international benchmark in gourmet dining. The selection is made by anonymous, professional inspectors who are Michelin employees and is based on the same working methods in all countries.

The MICHELIN guide San Francisco, Bay Area and Wine Country 2008 goes on sale Tues., Oct. 14 for $16.95. Langenscheidt Publishing Group, premier publisher of map, travel, and language brands, is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Michelin Maps and Guides. For more information, please visit www.langenscheidt.com/michelin .

For more than a century, MICHELIN guides have helped travelers enjoy better mobility by offering qualified restaurant and hotel recommendations throughout Europe. Now representing 22 countries and three continents, the collection of 26 MICHELIN guides includes more than 45,000 addresses. Its team of highly trained inspectors visits establishments anonymously, applying Michelin's international standards for quality across many categories. In North America, the company has introduced MICHELIN guides for New York City and San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Michelin has also announced that it will introduce the MICHELIN guide to Hong Kong and Macao in December. For more information, visit www.michelinguide.com .

The MICHELIN guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country 2009

MICHELIN STARS

Total number One star (*) Two stars Three stars
of (**) (***)
restaurants
383 25 6 1

DINING: 383 Restaurants
56 Establishments offering a simple menu
at less than $25

55 Our inspectors' favorites," establishments offering a
menu with two dishes and a glass of wine or a dessert at
less than $40

Cuisines included in Guide: 35
American Chinese Japanese Seafood
Asian Contemporary Latin American Southwestern
Australian French Mediterranean Spanish
Barbeque Fusion Mexican Steakhouse
Basque Gastropub Moroccan Thai
Brazilian Greek Persian Vegan
Burmese Indian Peruvian Vegetarian
Californian International Pizza Vietnamese
Caribbean Italian Portuguese

MICHELIN RESTAURANT RATINGS

ONE STAR (*) (by neighborhood)
ESTABLISHMENT CITY NEIGHBORHOOD
Acquerello San Francisco Nob Hill
Ame San Francisco SoMa
Auberge du Soleil Rutherford Napa Valley
Bistro Jeanty Yountville Napa Valley
Bouchon Yountville Napa Valley
Boulevard San Francisco SoMa
Chez Panisse Berkeley East of San Francisco
Chez TJ Mountain View South of San Francisco
Dining Room at the San Francisco Nob Hill
Ritz-Carlton (The)
Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant Forestville Sonoma County
Fifth Floor San Francisco SoMa
Fleur de Lys San Francisco Financial District
Gary Danko San Francisco North Beach
La Folie San Francisco Nob Hill
Madrona Manor Healdsburg Sonoma County
Martini House St. Helena Napa Valley
Masa's San Francisco Nob Hill
Murray Circle (new) Sausalito North of San Francisco
One Market San Francisco SoMa
Plumed Horse (new) Saratoga South of San Francisco
Range San Francisco Mission District
Redd Yountville Napa Valley
Terra St. Helena Napa Valley
Trevese (new) Los Gatos South of San Francisco
Village Pub (The) (new) Woodside South of San Francisco

TWO STARS (**) (by neighborhood)
ESTABLISHMENT CITY NEIGHBORHOOD
Aqua San Francisco Financial District
Coi San Francisco North Beach Area
Cyrus Healdsburg Sonoma County
Manresa Los Gatos South of San Francisco
Meadowood, The Restaurant St. Helena Napa Valley
Michael Mina San Francisco Financial District

THREE STARS (***)
ESTABLISHMENT CITY NEIGHBORHOOD
The French Laundry Yountville Napa Valley
BIB GOURMAND (Under $40)

ESTABLISHMENT CITY NEIGHBORHOOD
Aperto San Francisco Mission District
A 16 San Francisco Marina District
BarBersQ Napa Napa Valley
Bar Tartine San Francisco Mission District
Bay Wolf Oakland East of San Francisco
Bellanico Oakland East of San Francisco
Betelnut Pejiu Wu San Francisco Marina District
Burma Superstar San Francisco Richmond & Sunset
Cafe Gibraltar El Granada South of San Francisco
Cena Luna Healdsburg Sonoma County
Colibri San Francisco Financial District
Cook St. Helena St. Helena Napa Valley
Cucina Paradiso Petaluma Sonoma County
Delfina San Francisco Mission District
Espetus Churrascaria San Francisco Civic Center
Farina San Francisco Mission District
Fork San Anselmo North of San Francisco
Hong Kong Flower Lounge Millbrae South of San Francisco
Incanto San Francisco Castro District
Insalata's San Anselmo North of San Francisco
Jojo Oakland East of San Francisco
Junnoon Palo Alto South of San Francisco
K&L Bistro Sebastopol Sonoma County
Kokkari Estiatorio San Francisco North Beach Area
Le Charm San Francisco SoMa
Mamacita San Francisco Marina District
Market St. Helena Napa Valley
Maykadeh San Francisco North Beach Area
Mirepoix Windsor Sonoma County
Namu San Francisco Richmond and Sunset
Nopa San Francisco Civic Center
Oliveto Oakland East of San Francisco
Osake Santa Rosa Sonoma County
Perbacco San Francisco Financial District
Poleng San Francisco Civic Center
Risibisi Petaluma Sonoma County
rnm San Francisco Civic Center
Sakae Burlingame South of San Francisco
Sauce San Francisco Civic Center
Slanted Door (The) San Francisco Financial District
Slow Club San Francisco Mission District
Sociale San Francisco Marina District
South Park Cafe San Francisco SoMa
Tamarindo Oakland East of San Francisco
Tokyo Go Go San Francisco Mission District
Tommaso's San Francisco North Beach Area
TWO San Francisco SoMa
Universal Cafe San Francisco Mission District
Vanessa's Bistro Berkeley East of San Francisco
Venticello San Francisco Nob Hill
Willi's Seafood & Raw Bar Healdsburg Sonoma County
Willi's Wine Bar Santa Rosa Sonoma County
Xanh Mountain View South of San Francisco
Yank Sing San Francisco SoMa
zazu Santa Rosa Sonoma County