Announcing Michelin’s Bib Gourmands in SF and Beyond

Michelin season, previously a fall affair, is now a summer soiree as the guide expands to include restaurants from all regions of California. The first-ever Bib Gourmand list — which the guide says “highlights restaurants that serve high-quality meals which include two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less.”

Don’t forget: It’s also an indication of how the star rankings will play out. Restaurants who earn a Bib Gourmand are not eligible for a star in the same year. Notably absent from this list is Verjus, the runaway hit from the Quince team: Is there a star in its future? Tanya Holland’s Brown Sugar Kitchen, which now has a full-service restaurant in Uptown Oakland and kiosk in the Ferry Building, also did not get a nod, though it had earned a Bib in the past.

In total, 151 Bib Gourmands were awarded to California restaurants this year. 71 of them were from the Bay Area (SF, Marin, Wine Country, Peninsula, and South Bay), and Sacramento. A few restaurants from the region were shuffled off, including Chapeau!, SHED (closed), Two Birds/One Stone (closed), Hong Kong Lounge II (closed), and Yuzuki (closed).

Nine newcomers made the cut.

This year’s list includes three Sacramento restaurants: Canon, Frank Fat’s, and Mother. San Francisco’s two newbies are both Chinese restaurants: Harborview, the Embarcadero dim sum restaurant from the R&G Lounge team, and Z&Y Bistro, the spinoff of relentlessly popular Z&Y restaurant.

Monterey snagged a spot with Yafa, a Mediterranean restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Meanwhile up in Napa, Thomas Keller’s Mexican restaurant La Calenda nabbed a spot, with the guide describing it as “a casual walk-in-only restaurant that’s full of finesse.” The team behind Plaj in Hayes Valley also earned recognition for Stockhome, the casual Petaluma cafe with Swedish dishes; over in Corte Madera, Pig in a Pickle snapped up one of the only spots dedicated to barbecue.

Also of note: Coqueta remains on the list, despite a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against chef/owner Michael Chiarello that was settled out of court in 2016.

Check out the full list below, and head over to this handy map for more information.

A16
Anchor Oyster Bar
Backyard
Bistro Aix
Bravas
The Bywater
Canon
Chalkboard
China Village
Ciccio
Comal
Cook
Coqueta
Corso
Cotogna
Delfina
Del Popolo
Diavola
Dosa
Dyafa
El Molino Central
Farmhouse Kitchen Thai
Farmstead
Frank Fat’s (Sacramento, NEW)
Glen Ellen Star
Grace’s Table
Gran Electrica
Great China
Harborview (NEW)
Insalata’s
Ippuku
Izakaya Rintaro
Kokkari Estiatorio
La Calenda (Yountville, NEW)
Lai Hong Lounge
Luna Mexican Kitchen
Millennium
M.Y. China
Mother (Sacramento, NEW)
Nopalito
Nyum Bai
Oenotri
Okane
Orchard City Kitchen
Pausa
Pig in a Pickle (Marin, NEW)
Playa
Poggio
Ramen Gaijin
Redd Wood
Risibisi
Royal Feast
Sichuan Home
1601 Bar & Kitchen
Soba Ichi
Sociale
Starbelly
Stockhome (Petaluma, NEW)
Sushi Ran
Teni East Kitchen
Thai House
Trestle
Tsubasa
Vesta
Village Sake
Wonderful
Wood Tavern
YAFA (Monterey, NEW)
Yank Sing
Z&Y
Z&Y Bistro (SF, NEW)
Zero Zero