His Holiness Michael Bauer bestowed an extra half star upon Christopher Kostow's Restaurant at Meadowood, making it the ninth Bay Area restaurant to earn four stars.

From the moment Bauer popped a crunch, gushy goat cheese bonbon into his gullet, he had nothing but high praise for the two-star Michelin spoon that boasts such items as lobster roasted in lime salt, a baked potato parfait ("a custard cup layered with smooth potato puree, custard, herbed gelee, crispy potatoes and whole oysters), strips of vivid red Wagyu beef cured in pine, sweetbreads with creamed spinach puree, and most crucially, waiters bringing food to you atop velvet pillows.

This brings Meadowood, located in St. Helena, into the company of Chez Panisse, Coi, Cyrus, the Ritz, the French Laundry, La Folie, Manresa, and Michael Mina.

[via Eater]