Eat | Inside San Francisco’s Michelin-Starred Restaurants (Part Two)

Michelin Rated Restaurants in Bay Area

In this guide, we continue to cover the last of the Michelin three-star restaurants from the San Francisco Bay Area.

San Francisco

4. Coi | Seafood-Fusion-Molecular Cuisine

COI - 373 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA

(415) 393-9000

Coi has been famous for ambitious California fusion cooking. The concept focused on the best of the best Bay Area ingredients to produce seasonal local seafood dishes, pasture-raised regional farm eggs, and presentation through the lens of molecular gastronomy with carefully raised poultry, beef, and lamb. The outcome was a modern interpretation of California dining, as well as, one of the most closely monitored Michelin restaurants in the region.

With former executive chef Daniel Patterson taking a step back from Coi to dedicate more time to his family and focus on his other restaurant ventures, Coi was able to find a worthy successor in Matthew Kirkley, who had previous associations with Chicago’s L2O and the Robuchon restaurant in Las Vegas. Kirkley proved to be Leveraging hire.

According to the Michelin Guide's international director, Coi's promotion from two to three stars was due to the inventive seafood approach of Kirkley. After taking charge in 2016, he implemented Patterson's vegetable-centered format and established a more dominant menu focus on seafood. As such, previously used ingredients such as raw sea urchin, Meyer lemon, and radish were highlighted as new. During the transitional chef change, Coi maintained its status as a two-star restaurant, and subsequently, increased to three-star level.

The restaurant embodied the essence of an experimental kitchen. The frequently changing menu offered a unique experience with each visit to the restaurant, revealing unexpected elements of common ingredients with regards to different textures and appearances as well as structural variations.. Menus started at $250.

A formal dress code is implemented for both staff and guests at the restaurant, which has a fully modern designed contemporary atmosphere. Reservations: Available via phone or OpenTable. Wine Country 5. The French Laundry | An Award Winning Restaurant in America Reservations: Participants are able to make reservations via phone two months in advance on a pre-established calendar, and OpenTable is also a reservation option. The French Laundry is the first three-star Michelin restaurant located on the West Coast and has repeatedly been nominated as one of the best French restaurants in America. In Napa Wine Country, the restaurant has the character of an old rural structure but it is always looking to elevate its culinary pursuits. The restaurant's chefs are known for their daily menu discussions which keep the menu fresh and exciting. The restaurant has also been the starting point for many prominent chefs in the Western United States. If only one dining experience was to be had in the United States, it would be exceedingly difficult to argue for one other than The French Laundry. Reservations: Participants are able to make reservations via phone two months in advance on a pre-established calendar. Additionally, OpenTable is an option for reservations. 6. Restaurant at Meadowood | Where Creativity Meets Understated Luxury The Restaurant at Meadowood - 900 Meadowood Ln, St Helena, CA 94574, USA (707) 967-1205 The Restaurant at Meadowood offers its guests a luxury hotel, an elegant dining area and a garden from which their kitchen staff can source fresh ingredients. The restaurant is also the recipient of three Michelin stars and is noted for its contemporary Californian cuisine which is highly influential and innovative. The creativity and promptness with which Chef Christopher Kostow crafted his menu was both impressive and deserving of praise. Each dish was representative of a meticulously crafted artistic composition. Each component was reflective of the respective season, as well as the possibilities that local ingredients could provide.

Given their location and support for locally made products, the ambiance and service alongside the wine-country setting, offer a complete experience as it underscores the fusion of restrained luxury with inventive cooking. Quite simply, a great bottle of wine, and a generous appetite are not considered indulgences, they are essentially part of the experience.

OpenTable reservations are available, but calling for reservations is preferable.

Mid-Peninsula

7. Manresa | Reborn Through Adversity

Manresa - 320 Village Ln, Los Gatos, CA 95030, USA

(408) 354-4330

Manresa has certainly been \"reborn from the ashes\". Founded in 2002, the restaurant was forced to close for 6 months following a fire. Remarkably, Manresa was able to reestablish itself to quickly receive a 3 Michelin star recognition. This was the first time the South Bay area had any Michelin recognition which ended a long silence.

Here, vegetables took center stage and fish and meat were relegated to supporting roles. This was a radical break from the conventional dining hierarchy of Western fine dining. Thanks to dedicated farming, and controlled raising of beef, lamb, chicken, and duck, the primary ingredients came from their original location to maintain peak freshness.