David Kinch's Manresa wins three Michelin stars in California
Michelin has released its 2016 guide to San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country and has promoted Manresa to three stars.
The new guide, which celebrates Michelin's 10th anniversary in Northern California, now includes a total of five three-star restaurants, including the French Laundry and the Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley, and Benu and Saison in San Francisco.
Manresa, which is owned by chef David Kinch, is located in Los Gatos, about 60 miles south of San Francisco in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It reopened at the beginning of this year following a six-month closure after a devastating fire, which ripped through and destroyed the entire back of house and resulted in extensive smoke and water damage to the dining room. Following the reopening Kinch and team implemented a number of improvements and changes, including the appointment of former Grace and Saison sous chef Mitch Lienhard as chef de cuisine. The food at Manresa is defined as contemporary California cuisine, fiercely seasonal and local, with Kinch and team sourcing the vast majority of produce from nearby Love Apple Farms.
Meanwhile Michelin also promoted two restaurants to two stars: Campton Place and Commis, bringing the total of two-star restaurants to seven. At Campton Place, chef Srijith Gopinathan serves a menu inspired by Indian and South Asian flavours, while chef James Syhabout's contemporary establishment Commis is the first two-star restaurant in the East Bay and was praised by Michelin for its ‘impressive flavours and technique'.
The guide includes a total of 38 one-star restaurants, with a wide range of establishments celebrating their first star. These include Mourad Lahlou's eponymous Moroccan eatery Mourad, Melissa Perello's Octavia, former pop-up The Lazy Bear and Kin Khao, a Thai Bib Gourmand that has been promoted to one star. Other newcomers include All-Spice, Al's Place, Aster, Californios, Commonwealth, Lord Stanley, Nico, Omakase, Rasa, Sushi Yoshizumi and Wako.
The full list of Michelin stars in San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country
Three stars
Benu, San Francisco
The French Laundry, Wine Country
Manresa, South Bay
The Restaurant at Meadowood, Wine Country
Saison, San Francisco
Two stars
Acquerello, San Francisco
Atelier Crenn, San Francisco
Baumé, South Bay
Campton Place, San Francisco
Coi, San Francisco
Commis, East Bay
Quince, San Francisco
One star
All Spice, San Francisco
Al's Place, San Francisco
Ame, San Francisco
Aster, San Francisco
Auberge du Soleil, Wine Country
Aziza, San Francisco
Bouchon, Wine Country
Californios, San Francisco
Chez TJ, South Bay
Commonwealth, San Francisco
Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant, Wine Country
Gary Danko, San Francisco
Keiko à Nob Hill, San Francisco
Kin Khao, San Francisco
Kusakabe, San Francisco
La Toque, Wine Country
Lazy Bear, San Francisco
Lord Stanley, San Francisco
Luce, San Francisco
Madrona Manor, Wine Country
Michael Mina, San Francisco
Mourad, San Francisco
Nico, San Francisco
Octavia, San Francisco
Omakase, San Francisco
Plumed Horse, South Bay
Rasa, Peninsula
Solbar Wine, Napa Valley
Sons & Daughters, San Francisco
SPQR, San Francisco
Spruce, San Francisco
State Bird Provisions, San Francisco
Sushi Yoshizumi, Peninsula
Terra, Wine Country
Terrapin Creek, Wine Country
The Village Pub, Peninsula
Wako, San Francisco
Wakuriya, Peninsula
