The Most Delicious City—San Francisco

In the United States, which city is the one with the most Michelin restaurants? The 2019 Michelin Guide for the San Francisco Bay Area confirms San Francisco as the fine dining capital in the United States. The city has eight three-star restaurants, which brings its total to more than any other American city (including New York). San Francisco and the region have a total of 80 stars among the 58 venues listed in the 2019 Michelin Guide. The area’s Bib Gourmands, “restaurants that offer high-quality food at pocket-friendly prices,” increased by one this year to 68.

Two restaurants were given three-star rankings for the first time: Atelier Crenn (San Francisco) and Single Thread (Healdsburg). Dominique Crenn at Atelier Crenn is now the first female chef in the U.S. to achieve three Michelin stars. Her newer restaurant, Bar Crenn, also received its first Michelin star and was named one of the best new restaurants in the U.S. by Esquire Magazine.

San Francisco is also home to the least expensive Michelin-starred restaurant in the U.S. – the vegetable-centric Al’s Place, where an individual meal costs about $18 USD. Other affordable restaurants with stars in the region include Kin Khao, Commonwealth, State Bird Provisions and Terrapin Creek. San Francisco also took the top spot on Esquire’s list of “Best New Restaurants in America.” Angler, on the Embarcadero, was named #1 and described as “an Avalon of pleasure and ease.”

San Francisco attracts millions of visitors every year. The scenery, sports, music and cultural attractions undoubtedly show its charm, and the food here has long been famous. Delicious food and wine have been deeply integrated into its history and tradition of the area, making the Bay Area a unique food destination.

Recently, Mafengwo’s featured traveler Nikki has also come to San Francisco, and let us follow her steps to look for the locations where delicious food is served! Video link: https://m.mafengwo.cn/mweng/videodetail/?id=827270

What makes San Francisco a dining paradise?

Innovative Cooking

Michelin-starred chef Stuart Brioza said that the concept and foundation of innovative cooking has been rooted in the Bay Area.

For decades, San Francisco's restaurants and chefs have been the mainstay of culinary innovation in the world, and countless local restaurants are at the forefront of the times in terms of non-stop experimentation, progress and the pursuit of excellence.

For example, Corey Lee, the chef at In Situ of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), has curated a menu of dishes, which are all from the Michelin restaurants of the world.

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Chef Michael Mina teamed up with TV host and cookbook author Ayesha Curry to develop an exciting new taste experience. The taste of the “International Smoke” restaurant draws on culinary traditions from around the world to create smoked and grilled specialties.

San Francisco is also the birthplace of the famous vegetarian meat "Impossible Burger" and also the first city to accept the "farm-to-table" concept in a large scale.

Diverse Dining Culture

San Francisco has always been known for its inclusive culture, and local residents are fairly open and inclusive in every aspect of their daily lives. This open mindset and the willingness to embrace other cultures and lifestyles have made San Francisco’s culinary diversity possible. On a trip to San Francisco, you can enjoy the traditional cuisines from dozens of countries and its mixed dishes derived from it.

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

From Cantonese snacks to Mexican Tacos and Japanese sushi, along with a wide variety of coffees and wines, you can enjoy so many kinds of delicious foods in a city. It’s unbelievable, but that's the truth. No matter what flavor you like, San Francisco won't let you down.

Pursuit of Excellence

San Francisco people are always sharp and picky about food, which means that chefs must constantly improve their skills. In the city, Michelin-starred restaurants (some of which are also award-winning) can be found everywhere, and there are also other quality restaurants around them. The cuisine here is not limited to one type or genre. For example, San Francisco features a number of excellent vegetarian restaurants that can even satisfy the most determined carnivores. The wine list and menus of many restaurants are just as amazing, not to mention the fact that there are also some restaurants, where the only thing that can compete with the dishes in the plates is the beautiful scenery outside the window.

Of course, one of the best ways to discover San Francisco cuisine is to hang out with your friends. Visit the ideal places for parties, join a tempting food tour, and learn a bit of expertise at San Francisco’s wine schools.

Local and Sustainable Resources

The well-developed agriculture resources in Northern California provide San Francisco chefs with high quality ingredients throughout the year. As a result, the Bay Area cuisine has become a leader in fresh taste.

For example, the famous Waterfront Restaurant has become a favorite of celebrities and local residents with its “farm-to-table” concept and a wide variety of “sustainable seafood”. The ingredients that The STEM Kitchen & Garden uses are harvested from the restaurant's own vegetable garden.

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

The World-Famous Wine Culture

It's hard to imagine what the San Francisco Bay Area would look like without wine. From Chardonnay to Zinfandel, this area is the top producer of all kinds of wines. Without a trip to the wine country, your trip to San Francisco is not complete. Starting from San Francisco, you can reach the rolling hills of Napa Valley and Sonoma County with only more than an hour's drive. After visiting the vineyards in the beautiful countryside, you will find that there are many delicious places in both areas after drinking a few cups of wine.

Napa and Sonoma are not the only places in the Bay Area where wine can be found. From the city center to the outskirts of the city, numerous vineyards, tasting rooms, bars and restaurants can provide visitors with a way to experience the region’s famous grape species.

The Scoma’s of Sausalito at the other end of the Golden Gate Bridge combines the delicious seafood, the stunning scenery and a well-matched wine list. If you prefer modern decor, you might as well visit the ALX Gastropub in SoMa for the warm-hearted food and local wines.

13 Restaurants You Need to Eat at in 2019

In a culinary scene that somehow keeps getting better every year, narrowing down your list of must-eats can be tougher than escaping from Alcatraz. To help, here are our picks for 13 restaurants not to miss in 2019, helmed by some of our most touted and talented chefs.

ALX Gastropub (680 Folsom St., SoMa)

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

If you’ve become bored by bar food, the super-­sleek ALX Gastropub in SoMa might just make you a believer again. Pop in for lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch to see how chef Jessie Lugo amps up standard pub fare.

Angler (132 Embarcadero)

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

It was named Esquire Magazine's Best New Restaurant in America of 2018. Chef Joshua Skenes serves up an unbelievably wide variety of food. Where else could you choose between antelope tartare, rabbit, and sea urchin?

Barbara Pinseria (431 Columbus Ave., North Beach)

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Helmed by Francesco Covucci and Peter Fazio, this North Beach newcomer has a mural of Audrey Hepburn in "Roman Holiday", with Italian cocktails, antipasti and pasta dishes rounding out the menu.

Besharam (1275 Minnesota St., Dogpatch)

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

A new addition to the Minnesota Street Project creative incubator in the Dogpatch district, chef Heena Patel’s Besharam is a bold, cheeky reimagining of western Indian Gujarati cuisine.

China Live Market Restaurant (644 Broadway, Chinatown)

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

China Live Market Restaurant lets adventurous (or indecisive) diners try a huge variety of dishes. Located on the first floor of the immersive China Live marketplace in Chinatown, the food hall-style restaurant features a large central dining room flanked by eight specialty stations.

Kantine (1906 Market St., Central Market)

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Chef Nichole Accettola has built a brick-and-mortar monument to Scandinavian cuisine with Kantine, a pleasingly minimalist café and bakery in Central Market. In addition to those beloved sandwiches and breads, Kantine serves savory porridges, scrumptious Danish pastries and buildy-our-own brunch.

Kaya (1420 Market St., Central Market)

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Jamaican-born chef Nigel Jones is bringing the party to Central Market with Kaya, where the reggae is always bumping and the rummy cocktails—some lit on fire, others served in coconuts—will make you feel like you’re on vacation during your vacation.

Pearl (6101 California St., Richmond)

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Pearl’s Mediterranean-leaning menu features wood-fired entrées, decadent desserts, standout starters like berbere-spiced carrot soup and a lick-the-plate white bolognese you’ll be dreaming about for weeks.

Petit Crenn (609 Hayes St., Hayes Valley)

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

When a three-Michelin-starred chef opens a new restaurant, it’s always a good idea to go. Especially if it’s Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn, who introduces a simpler (but no less creative) take on French cuisine with her new Hayes Valley bistro. NorCal meets Crenn’s native Brittany with exquisite, ever-changing seafood dishes like escargots in mushroom broth and grilled whole fish. You can order à la carte, but the tasting menu is mind-blowing.

Piri Pica (590 Valencia St., Mission District)

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Piri Pica is a new fast-casual spot in the Mission focusing on flame-grilled piri piri chicken. It’s a simple system: choose your protein, spice it up with house-made sauce, then add on soulful sides like braised greens and cabbage-herb slaw.

Radhaus (2 Marina Blvd., Landmark Bldg. A, Fort Mason)

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Forget Texas—everything’s bigger at Radhaus, a German biergarten that debuted this past summer at Fort Mason. The massive menu features schnitzel and wurst galore (plus some lighter options that won’t bust the lederhosen).

Robin (620 Gough St., Fillmore)

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Each course of Robin’s omakase menu is an avant-­garde masterpiece of flavors and textures, expertly composed by chef Adam Tortosa. Like king salmon nigiri dolloped with tomato confit and whipped tofu. Or A5 wagyu beef blanketed with a Mount Fuji­esque “snow” of frozen foie gras. Diners can choose from a range of price points to customize their omakase for their budget and appetite.

Sorrel (3228 Sacramento St., Pacific Heights)

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Source: San Francisco Travel Association

Before opening in early 2018, Sorrel had been selling out pop-­up dinners around town for three years, which means chef Alex Hong has had some time to get things just right. That experience shows in the sophisticated service, atmosphere and menu of hyper­-seasonal Californian-­Italian cuisine.