The garden at San Francisco's Del Popolo, one of the restaurants named to this year's Michelin Bib Gourmand list. - Eric Wolfinger / Del Popolo The garden at San Francisco's Del Popolo, one of the restaurants named to this year's Michelin Bib Gourmand list. - Eric Wolfinger / Del Popolo
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San Francisco Is Losing Its Great, Inexpensive Restaurants

On Thursday, the Michelin Guide announced its 2018 Bib Gourmand winners for San Francisco with only 67 restaurants on the list this year, a decrease from the 74 restaurants in 2017. Twelve restaurants in total dropped off, once you factor in some new additions. In 2016, there were 73 restaurants, and in 2015, 76 were on the list.

Restaurants that rate a spot on the Bib Gourmand list are defined as places that offer notable food at a reasonable price. Michelin specifically defines that as two courses plus dessert or wine for $40, not including tax or tip. A group of anonymous inspectors choose the restaurants. Bib Gourmand restaurants are not eligible to receive Michelin stars.

Of the four newcomers to this year’s Bib Gourmand list, none is in San Francisco proper. They are the soul food-inspired Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland; Playa, a Mexican restaurant in Mill Valley; and two Peninsula spots, Pausa in San Mateo, which specializes in authentic Italian food, and the Sichuan-focused Royal Feast in Millbrae.

Some of the attrition on the 2018 list is due to places that simply fell off (or maybe even got promoted to the star list, proper), like Bistro Jeanty in Yountville, Bistro 29 in Santa Rosa, and Le Garage in Sausalito. But the alarming rate of restaurant closures in the Bay Area also accounts for the dip on the list, with spots like Bar Tartine and Mason Pacific in San Francisco and Scopa in Healdsburg wine country shutting their doors.

Changing Economics

Factors like skyrocketing rents, minimum wage and health care have certainly taken a toll on Bib Gourmand-style restaurants around the Bay Area. More than 60 restaurants closed between Sept. 2016 and Jan. 2017, according to the East Bay Times. “We’re at this precipice where the model of the full-service restaurant is being pushed to the brink,” said Gwyneth Borden, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.

Although ecstatic by the news of her Bib Gourmand, Brown Sugar Kitchen’s chef/owner Tanya Holland echoed the sentiment during a phone interview: “It’s so challenging to operate this kind of restaurant in the Bay Area right now” especially when it comes to staffing, she said. “The issue is that the tech companies have million-dollar kitchens and budgets, they’re taking all the great talent and offering benefits and 9-to-5 hours. Meanwhile, the restaurant business is a grind, and the cost of doing business is insane in the Bay Area. Independent operators are getting pushed out. I cook accessible food, and you have to charge accessible prices for that.”

“My business model in this current facility doesn’t even work,” she continues. “It’s too small. I’m opening a 100-seat restaurant with a liquor license, and I’m launching a counter at Ferry Plaza building. Those are the kinds of models that work right now.”

On the other hand, San Francisco’s appetite—and budget—for high-priced fine dining spots is solid. Restaurants like Saison, where a dinner can cost $1,000, and Benu, where a tasting menu starts at $285, continue to be packed. In fact, the list might be expanding: We’ll find out on Oct. 12, when Michelin announces their San Francisco star list.

The full list of Bib Gourmand winners is below.

San Francisco

‘āina, Mission
Anchor Oyster Bar, Castro
A16, Marina
Bistro Aix, Marina
Chapeau!, Richmond & Sunset
Coqueta, Financial District
Cotogna, North Beach
Del Popolo, San Francisco
Delfina, Mission
Dosa, Marina
Farmhouse Kitchen Thai, Mission
Hong Kong Lounge II, Marina
Izakaya Rintaro, Mission
Kappou Gomi, Richmond & Sunset
Kokkari Estiatorio, North Beach
Lai Hong Lounge, North Beach

M.Y. China, SoMa
Nopalito, Civic Center
Okane, SoMa
Sichuan Home, Richmond & Sunset
1601 Bar & Kitchen, SoMa
Sociale, Marina
Starbelly, Castro
Trestle, Financial District
Tsubasa, Civic Center
Yank Sing, SoMa
Yuzuki, Mission
Z & Y, Nob Hill
Zero Zero, SoMa

Sonoma County

Backyard, Forestville
Bravas, Healdsburg
Chalkboard, Healdsburg
Diavola, Geyserville
Glen Ellen Star, Glen Ellen
Monti’s Rotisserie, Santa Rosa
Ramen Gaijin, Sebastopol
Risibisi, Petaluma
Shed Cafe, Healdsburg

Napa

Cook St. Helena, St. Helena
Farmstead, St. Helena
Grace’s Table, Napa
Oenotri, Napa
Redd Wood, Yountville
Two Birds/One Stone, St. Helena

Marin

Insalata’s, San Anselmo
Playa, Mill Valley * NEW *
Poggio, Sausalito
Sir and Star, Olema
Sushi Ran, Sausalito
Village Sake

East Bay

Brown Sugar Kitchen, Oakland * NEW *
China Village, Albany
Comal, Berkeley
Corso, Berkeley
Great China, Berkeley
Ippuku, Berkeley
Michel Bistro, Oakland
Millennium, Oakland
Tacos Sinaloa, Berkeley
Thai House, Danville
Wood Tavern, Oakland

South Bay

The Bywater, Los Gatos
Orchard City Kitchen, Campbell

Peninsula

Pausa, San Mateo * NEW *
Royal Feast, Millbrae * NEW *
Vesta, Redwood City
Wonderful, Millbrae

©2017 Bloomberg L.P.

This article was written by Kate Krader from Bloomberg and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].

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