Michelin Selects Best Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area!
October 02, 2006

"San Francisco's cultural diversity distinguishes it from many other cities, and restaurateurs have shown great determination and ingenuity in developing high standards of gastronomy and service," said Jean-Luc Naret, director of the Michelin Guides. "The abundance of local, fresh ingredients combined with the innovative spirit that this area thrives on provides chefs the unique ability to produce consistently superior cuisine. The introduction of Michelin's international standards of quality confirms the high level of dining in San Francisco, the Bay Area and the Wine Country."

Overall, 356 restaurants and 60 hotels in every category of cuisine and comfort and at prices to suit all budgets were selected for inclusion in the guide, which is considered a distinction in itself. One restaurant, French Laundry, received a three-star rating for providing "an exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey." Four restaurants received a two-star rating providing "excellent cooking, worth a detour"; 23 restaurants received a one-star rating for being "a very good restaurant in its category," and 328 additional restaurants were selected in the guide as they provide a quality experience. Restaurants and hotels from around the Bay Area were considered for the Guide, including those in San Francisco, Sausalito, Oakland, San Jose and Berkeley, as well as the Wine Country, including Napa and Sonoma. (For a complete list of the star winners, please turn to page 7).

"The Bay Area attracts tourists from all over the world for its exceptional cuisine. The guide will be a useful tool for navigating the best restaurants and hotels this area has to offer," said Jim Micali, chairman and president of Michelin North America. "As we continue our growth in the United States, Michelin will remain committed to the time-proven standards and rating system for which the guides are famous."

To evaluate the culinary and service aspects of each restaurant and hotel, highly trained Michelin inspectors anonymously visited each establishment and provided objective evaluations. Stars are awarded by the Michelin inspectors to restaurants offering the finest cooking, regardless of the style of cuisine or level of comfort. The stars judge only the quality of the cuisine. Five criteria are used in determining a star rating: the quality of products used, the mastering of flavors and cooking, the "personality" of the cuisine, the value for money and the consistency.

A general listing in the guide indicates "a quality restaurant that stands out from others" in the same category of comfort.

The star ratings are as follows:

• One star () indicates "a very good restaurant in its category," a place offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard.
• Two stars () denote "excellent cuisine, worth a detour," skillfully and carefully crafted dishes of outstanding quality.
• Three stars reward () "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey." One always eats extremely well here, often superbly. Distinctive dishes are precisely executed, using superlative ingredients.

The decision to award a star is a collective one, based on the consensus of all inspectors who have visited a particular establishment. A written description of each establishment and a variety of other symbols will give readers further insight into an establishment's ambience, cuisine type, specialties and wine lists. These descriptions are customized to American tastes and needs.

Although the Michelin Guide is known and recognized for its "star" system, these restaurants represent a small percent of the whole selection, the rest of which is comprised of consistently good establishments. The Bib Gourmand pictogram indicates a restaurant offering good food at moderate prices, "our inspectors' favorites for good value." This symbol indicates a restaurant where you can get a meal, including two dishes and a glass of wine or dessert, for less than $35. The Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country 2007 includes 38 Bib Gourmand restaurants.

In addition to the stars that "are in the plate and only in the plate," establishments in the Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country 2007 are rated according to comfort based on criteria such as amenities, type of services, general upkeep of the establishment, cleanliness, comfort, atmosphere, price and value for money. The comfort rating is expressed in two ways:

• For restaurants: one to five forks and spoons ( to )
• For hotels: one to five pavilions ( to )

There are also special distinctions for certain establishments. In addition to stars for the best restaurants, Michelin awards red forks and spoons (restaurants) or pavilions (hotels) for especially pleasant establishments.

The Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country 2007 features a reader-friendly format, created specifically for a North American audience. All starred restaurants (whether one, two or three) feature a two-page spread in the guide with images of the establishment, a comprehensive description, and a sample menu. Hotels that garner a pavilion rating ( to ) receive a full-page entry in the guide with a photo and ample description. Introduced first in the Michelin Guide New York City 2006, this format will be a model for the 2007 Michelin Guides to Paris and London.

Restaurants and hotels selected for inclusion in the Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country 2007 are listed by neighborhood within San Francisco and by geographical area outside the city; they are also cross-referenced in the front of the guide by alphabetical listing and by cuisine type. Many Bay Area cities are included in the guide, with San Francisco further divided into neighborhoods. Each restaurant listed has the following information: address, category of cuisine, comfort category, star-rating, phone, fax, e-mail, website address, price range, and hours of operation. For more information about the Michelin Guide, please visit www.michelinguide.com.

As the undisputed leader in the tire industry, Michelin (www.michelin.com) designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America employs 22,270 and operates 19 major manufacturing plants in 17 locations.

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The MICHELIN Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country 2007

MICHELIN RESTAURANT RATINGS

ONE STAR () (by neighborhood)
ESTABLISHMENT	CITY	NEIGHBORHOOD
Fleur de Lys	San Francisco	Financial District
Rubicon	San Francisco	Financial District
Bushi-Tei	San Francisco	Marina District
Quince	San Francisco	Marina District
Range	San Francisco	Mission District
Acquerello	San Francisco	Nob Hill
La Folie	San Francisco	Nob Hill
Masa's	San Francisco	Nob Hill
Ritz-Carlton Dining Room	San Francisco	Nob Hill
Gary Danko	San Francisco	North Beach
Boulevard	San Francisco	South of Market
Fifth Floor	San Francisco	South of Market
Chez Panisse	Berkeley	East of San Francisco
Sushi-Ran	Sausalito	North of San Francisco
Chez TJ	Mountain View	South of San Francisco
Auberge du Soleil	Rutherford	Napa Valley
Bistro Jeanty	Yountville	Napa Valley
Bouchon	Yountville	Napa Valley
La Toque	Rutherford	Napa Valley
Terra	St. Helena	Napa Valley
Dry Creek Kitchen	Healdsburg	Russian River Valley
Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant	Forestville	Russian River Valley
K & L Bistro	Sebastopol	Russian River Valley
TWO STARS () (by neighborhood)
ESTABLISHMENT	CITY	NEIGHBORHOOD
Aqua	San Francisco	Financial District
Michael Mina	San Francisco	Financial District
Manresa	Los Gatos	South of San Francisco
Cyrus	Healdsburg	Russian River Valley
THREE STARS ()
ESTABLISHMENT	CITY	NEIGHBORHOOD
The French Laundry	Yountville	Napa Valley