Next week will mark the release of the 2015 Michelin Guide to the Bay Area, and as per the usual routine, the Michelin folks have released this year's picks for the "Bib Gourmand" list a week early. The Bib Gourmand honor goes to restaurants that don't quite make the cut for receiving a Michelin star an honor both coveted and despised by chefs worldwide, and one that is especially entrenched in Michelin's home country of France but which are nonetheless of high quality and offer especially good food for the price.
The criteria are that the restaurant needs to a) serve consistently high-quality cuisine and wine, and b) make it possible for the diner to have two courses and a glass of wine for under $40. Those criteria, oddly, have not changed over the last five years of the guide despite the fact that menu prices have been on the rise over that period of time and I'd challenge you to get out of Cotogna or Rich Table for under $40 a person with the above requirements, but I digress.
What this list also means is that Rich Table, once again, did not earn a Michelin star, which is sad to me. But then again, chefs Evan and Sarah Rich have said Michelin stars were never their goal.
The restaurants that fell off the list include Guerneville's Boon Eat + Drink, Burma Superstar, Slanted Door, and Marlowe.
Among the new additions this year are longtime Castro mainstay Anchor Oyster Bar, new downtown Thai spot Kin Khao, Michael Chiarello's Coqueta, and new Tacolicious pan-Asian spinoff Chino.
Below, the full list. The new star-level picks will be revealed on Tuesday, October 21.
Anchor Oyster Bar, San Francisco
A16, San Francisco
Backyard, Wine Country
Bar Tartine, San Francisco
Bellanico, East Bay
Bistro Aix, San Francisco
Bistro Jeanty, Wine Country
Bistro 29, Wine Country
Brick & Bottle, Marin
C Casa, Wine Country
Chalkboard, Wine Country
Chapeau! San Francisco
Chevalier, East Bay
China Village, East Bay
Chino, San Francisco
Comal, East Bay
Contigo, San Francisco
Cook, St. Helena Wine Country
Coqueta, San Francisco
Corso, East Bay
Cotogna, San Francisco
Delfina, San Francisco
Domo, San Francisco
Donato Enoteca, Peninsula
Dosa, San Francisco
Evvia ,South Bay
Fey, Peninsula
FIVE, East Bay
flour + water, San Francisco
Fringale, San Francisco
Gajalee, San Francisco
Gather, East Bay
Glen Ellen Star, Wine Country
Grace’s Table, Wine Country
Great China, East Bay
Hong Kong Lounge II, San Francisco
Hot Box Grill, Wine Country
Insalata’s, Marin
Ippuku, East Bay
Iyasare, East Bay
Kappou Gomi, San Francisco
Kin Khao, San Francisco
Kokkari Estiatorio, San Francisco
La Costanera, Peninsula
LaSalette, Wine Country
Le Garage, Marin
Mamacita, San Francisco
Marinitas, Marin
Mason Pacific, San Francisco
Michel Bistro, East Bay
Monti’s Rotisserie, Wine Country
M. Y. China, San Francisco
Oenotri, Wine Country
Perbacco, San Francisco
Ramen Shop, East Bay
Redd Wood, Wine Country
Rich Table, San Francisco
Risibisi, Wine Country
Rivoli, East Bay
Sazón, Wine Country
Scopa, Wine Country
Sichuan Home, San Francisco
Sir and Star, Marin
1601 Bar & Kitchen, San Francisco
Sociale, San Francisco
Starbelly, San Francisco
Sushi Ran, Marin
Thai House, East Bay
The Farmer & The Fox, Wine Country
the girl & the fig, Wine Country
Troya, San Francisco
Vesta, Peninsula
Willi’s Wine Bar, Wine Country
Wood Tavern, East Bay
Yank Sing, San Francisco
Yuzuki, San Francisco
Zero Zero, San Francisco
Z & Y, San Francisco
Previously: Michelin Announces 2014 Bib Gourmands
