Michelin Releases 2014 Edition of Its Famed Guide to the Bay Area's Great Restaurants

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Michelin today announced its highly regarded star selections for the eighth edition of the MICHELIN Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country. The book goes on sale tomorrow. 

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In this 2014 edition, the restaurant Quince is being elevated from one to two stars. Run by the culinary couple of Lindsay and Michael Tusk, the restaurant, which has been a long-standing one star in the MICHELIN Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country, offers a cuisine with Italian inspiration in a warm and welcoming environment. With Quince, the 2014 guide now counts seven two star establishments, including Atelier Crenn, Baume, Benu, Coi, Manresa and Saison, who all maintained their standing from 2013.

In the one star category, State Bird Provisions has been awarded its first Michelin star. In this unique restaurant, the husband-and-wife duo of Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski serve a truly creative California cuisine presented in dim sum style that is unlike any other.

San Francisco's perennial three star restaurants—The French Laundry and The Restaurant at Meadwood—maintained their status in the 2014 guide. A Michelin three star rating is considered the ultimate international recognition in the culinary world, with just over 100 restaurants currently holding this prized distinction.

"The 2014 selection confirms the quality of San Francisco's culinary scene, which continues at a remarkably high level of creativity, based on local Northern California ingredients used in a contemporary way," said Michael Ellis, international director of the MICHELIN Guides.

This year, 38 restaurants spread throughout the city, Bay Area and Wine Country received a coveted Michelin star rating. The 2014 edition further highlights the increased offering of good value for the money with Michelin inspectors selecting 83 Bib Gourmand restaurants, a record number for this guide that was first published in 2006. In fact, 20 percent of the total 518 restaurants listed in the MICHELIN Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country are in the guide's "under $25" category.

With three new food styles included in this year's guide— Caribbean, Sri Lankan and Argentinian—Michelin inspectors recognized a total of 46 cuisines, reflecting San Francisco's rich diversity of cultures.

San Francisco is one of three cities in the U.S. where Michelin publishes an annual guide. Earlier this year the Michelin Guide New York City 2014 went on sale. Next month the MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2014 will also go on sale November 13.

About the MICHELIN Guide

Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN Guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently around 23 countries, the MICHELIN Guide has become an international benchmark in fine dining.  The selections of all restaurants in the guide are made by Michelin's famously anonymous inspectors who dine in the San Francisco area regularly.  These local inspectors are trained to scrupulously apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin inspectors for many decades throughout the world. 

This ensures a uniform, international standard of excellence. As a further guarantee of complete objectivity, Michelin inspectors pay all their bills in full, and only the quality of the cuisine is evaluated. To assess the quality of a restaurant, the inspectors apply five criteria defined by Michelin: product quality, preparation and flavors, the chef's personality as revealed through his or her cuisine, value for money, and consistency over time and across the entire menu. These objective criteria are respected by all Michelin Guide inspectors, whether in Japan, the United States, China or Europe. They guarantee a consistent selection so that a star restaurant is the same value regardless of whether it is located in Paris, San Francisco, New York or Tokyo.

Michelin has been a pioneering force in advancing mobility through innovation and excellence in manufacturing quality.  The company patented the pneumatic, or air-filled, tire in the late 1800s.  This was a milestone moment in mobility, permitting automobile owners to travel at great length in a single journey.  Then, in an effort to prompt travelers to enjoy their newfound mobility, the company created guides and detailed maps to steer travelers on their way.  The most famous publication that developed from this is the internationally recognized MICHELIN guide.

To find out more about the MICHELIN Guide, the MICHELIN Guide inspectors and the history of the MICHELIN Guide, visit www.michelintravel.com.

Here is a full list of the MICHELIN Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country stars:

San Francisco MICHELIN Guide 2014
Starred establishments

Three Stars
Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey

Two Stars
Excellent cuisine, worth a detour

One Star
A very good restaurant in its category

SOURCE Michelin