San Francisco Top 100 Restaurants 2019

A16
Acquerello
Akiko’s
Al’s Place
Angler
Atelier Crenn
August 1 Five
Balompie
Beit Rima
Benu
Bini’s Kitchen
Bix
Boulettes Larder
Brenda’s French Soul
Cafe Jacqueline
Cafe Ohlone
Cala
Californios
Cellarmaker HOP
Charter Oak
Chibog
Commis
Commonwealth
Cotogna
Del Popolo
El Buen Comer
El Farolito
El Molino Central
El Pipila
Fish
FOB Kitchen
Foreign Cinema
Francisca’s
The French Laundry
Gialina
Great China
Heirloom
HoDaLa
House of Prime Rib
In Situ
Isla Vida
Ju-ni
Kin Khao
Koi Palace
Kyain Kyain
La Ciccia
Lazy Bear
Liholiho Yacht Club
Lord Stanley
Madcap
Maum
The Restaurant at Meadowood
Mensho Tokyo
Mestiza
Minnie Bell’s
Miss Ollie’s
Mister Jiu’s
Montesacro
The Morris
Mourad
Nightbird
Nopa
Nyum Bai
Okkon
Old Mandarin Islamic
Original Joe’s Westlake
Outerlands
Pearl 6101
Pinoy Heritage
Piperade
Plaj
Ramen Shop
Red’s Java House
Reem’s
Rich Table
Rico Rico Taco
Rintaro
Rooh
San Jalisco
Saul’s Restaurant & Deli
The Sentinel
Single Thread
Soba Ichi
SPQR
Standard Fare
State Bird Provisions
Swan Oyster Depot
Taqueria El Castillito
Tartine Manufactory
Terra Cotta Warrior
Tommy’s Joynt
True Laurel
Verjus
Vientian Cafe
Vik’s Chaat
Wojia Hunan Cuisine
Yamo
Yuanbao Jiaozi
Z&Y Restaurant
Zuni Cafe

1 Like

Yoshizumi didn’t make the cut?!

Neither did Saison, Quince, or Manresa

At a bare minimum, a top restaurant has to have great food. But it’s also a restaurant that must have some shimmering, extra quality to it that makes it memorable, the stuff that makes restaurants neighborhood centerpieces and anchors for people. A Top 100 restaurant may be a place that’s worth making a special trip out via train, car or plane, or it may be one that folks would want to walk to with their families every week. It has that magnetic ‘something else’ — star power and charisma. …

The Top 100 should be a list that recognizes great experiences not just for diners but for staff as well, so restaurants with thoughtful leadership, above-and-beyond worker benefits and wage parity were specifically sought out.

So Tommy’s Joynt and Red’s Java House, but not Chez Panisse? No amount of blather can rationalize that cut.

Cotogna and Verjus but not Quince, I like that. Overall an excellent course correction after the long and shameful run of MB.

According to Ho, she and the Chron’s food and wine team pitted the $200 and up tasting menus against one another and chose the best out of the group.

Soleil is totally unqualified to tell me what Bay area’s 100 best restaurants are. Shes only been living in this area for 6 months, so even if she’s done 2 meals a day all at different restaurants, thats 350 restaurants. How can you visit 350 restaurants and then say you’ve found the Bay’s top 100? I’m very skeptical she even visited many of these places.

Also, I thought she was morally opposed to ranking restaurants and saying one was superior to the other. Why the list then?

I will agree that of the tasting menus, Benu/TFL/Meadowood/SingleThread are better than Saison/Quince/Manresa. But outside of that this list a complete disaster. Akiko’s is better than all the other sushi places? Some of the Chinese selections are also really odd. These lists don’t really work with ethnic cuisine–how can I possibly compare Ethiopian and Chinese food?

But unlike years past, this edition is a group effort. Since I’ve only been here since January, I enlisted the help of The Chronicle’s brilliant food journalists and we fiercely debated what belonged, what had to go and how to compare restaurants.

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Just noticed Miss Ollie’s. About fucking time Sarah Kirnon got on there. That useless twit Bauer wrote an over-the-top rave review but gave her only two stars.

They’re not really saying superior, just listing their top recommendations. it’s nothing like the narrow-minded, racist star rankings from Bauer and Michelin. It’s more like the Eater 38: a diverse cross-section of places they think are worth trying for various reasons.

We figured it is more valuable to readers to be able to identify our favorite fine dining restaurants rather than all the fine dining restaurants … did this menu surprise me? Did I walk away wondering about the nature of food, the universe, of life itself? At that price point, most people will only go to such a restaurant once in their lives. Thus, I’d argue that the food should be an experience akin to seeing great theater or reading a masterpiece: something that transcends the mundane experience of putting food in one’s mouth and chewing, that confuses you and makes you think newer, brighter thoughts. The ones that made it onto the list did just that.