Today, Michelin released their list of Bib Gourmand establishments in the very first Michelin Guide California. Made up of 151 restaurants from all over California, the list covers 36 different types of cuisine, and the restaurants are all affordable (depending on your budget). Michelin’s Bib Gourmand restaurants are all “restaurants that serve high-quality meals which include two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less”.
A few Check, Please! Bay Area restaurants—featured in the past or coming up this season—made it onto the list, like Pausa, Z & Y Restaurant and more. Diners might not be too surprised to see other much talked about names picked out like Thomas Keller’s La Calenda (an inspector praised it saying “The chef’s Oaxacan upbringing shines through in regional Mexican cuisine”) and Nyum Bai (owner Nite Yun was nominated for a James Beard Award, was a 2018 Eater Young Gun and her restaurant made it onto Bon Appetit’s Hot Ten list).
See the full list of Bay Area restaurants who made the cut below (the new additions are bolded). You can read the inspectors’ notes from their visit on Michelin’s website, but you can also rewatch our guests’ reviews for some of these restaurants on Check, Please! Bay Area. If they appeared on the show, we linked to the respective episode or written review.
NOTE: Restaurants who earn a Bib Gourmand are not eligible for a star in the same year, so any of the restaurants you see below will not be getting any Michelin stars in 2019.
Anchor Oyster Bar // San Francisco, Castro (Watch the CPBA review) A16 // San Francisco, Marina Backyard // Sonoma County, Forestville Bistro Aix // San Francisco, Marina Bravas // Sonoma County, Healdsburg Bywater (The) // South Bay, Los Gatos Canon // Sacramento Chalkboard // Sonoma County, Healdsburg China Village // East Bay, Albany (Watch the CPBA review) Ciccio // Napa Valley, Yountville Comal // East Bay, Berkeley Cook St. Helena // Napa Valley, St. Helena Coqueta // San Francisco, Financial District Corso // East Bay, Berkeley Cotogna // San Francisco, North Beach Delfina // San Francisco, Mission Del Popolo // San Francisco, Financial District Diavola // Sonoma County, Geyserville Dosa // San Francisco, Marina Dyafa // East Bay, Oakland El Molino Central // Sonoma (Watch the CPBA review) Farmhouse Kitchen Thai // San Francisco, Mission (Watch the CPBA review) Farmstead // Napa Valley, St. Helena (Watch the CPBA review) Frank Fat’s // Sacramento Glen Ellen Star // Sonoma County, Glen Ellen (Watch the CPBA review) Grace’s Table // Napa Valley, Napa Gran Electrica // Napa Valley, Napa Great China // East Bay, Berkeley Harborview // San Francisco, Financial District Insalata’s // Marin, San Anselmo (Read the CPBA review) Ippuku // East Bay, Berkeley Izakaya Rintaro // San Francisco, Mission Kokkari Estiatorio // San Francisco, North Beach La Calenda // Napa Valley Lai Hong Lounge // San Francisco, North Beach Luna Mexican Kitchen // South Bay, San Jose Millennium // East Bay, Oakland Mother // Sacramento M.Y. China // San Francisco, SoMa (Watch the CPBA review) Nopalito // San Francisco, Civic Center Nyum Bai // East Bay, Oakland Oenotri // Napa Valley, Napa Okane // San Francisco, SoMa Orchard City Kitchen // South Bay, Campbell Pausa // Peninsula, San Mateo (Watch the CPBA review) Pig in a Pickle // Marin, Corte Madera Playa // Marin, Mill Valley Poggio // Marin, Sausalito (Watch the CPBA review) Ramen Gaijin // Sonoma County, Sebastopol (Watch the CPBA review) Redd Wood // Napa Valley, Yountville Risibisi // Sonoma County, Petaluma (Watch the CPBA review) Royal Feast // Peninsula, Millbrae Sichuan Home // San Francisco, Richmond & Sunset 1601 Bar & Kitchen // San Francisco, SoMa (Watch the CPBA review) Soba Ichi // East Bay, Oakland Sociale // San Francisco, Marina Starbelly // San Francisco, Castro Stockhome // Sonoma County Sushi Ran // Marin, Sausalito Teni East Kitchen // East Bay, Oakland Thai House // East Bay, Danville Trestle // San Francisco, Financial District Tsubasa // San Francisco, Civic Center Vesta // Peninsula, Redwood City Village Sake // Marin, Fairfax wonderful // Peninsula, Millbrae Wood Tavern // East Bay, Oakland (Watch the CPBA review) YAFA // Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea Yank Sing // San Francisco, SoMa Z & Y Bistro // San Francisco, Nob Hill Z & Y // San Francisco, Nob Hill (Watch the CPBA review) Zero Zero // San Francisco, SoMa
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