It has always seemed a little undemocratic to us that a single restaurant critic can wield so much power. But after nearly 30 years at the Chronicle, Michael Bauer is the city's top food writer, and when he posts a review, it can make or break a restaurant.
Bauer recently returned to Maven, and today revealed his assessment.
In his first review of Maven a year ago, Bauer gave the restaurant a 3-star, or "excellent," rating. Since then, chef David Kurtz left the restaurant and was replaced by Isaac Miller. Bauer says that Miller "has carried on admirably, paring the menu further." He also gives props for the service, "which is always on point. Dishes are well paced, plates and utensils are routinely changed out, and the staff understands the menu." And of course there's Kate Bolton's menu of cocktails, which, "like the food, are well balanced." Overall, Bauer reaffirms his original rating. "It's a menu that both delights and surprises -- a startling juxtaposition to the casual interior. Miller and his crew pull it off, leaving diners and drinkers wanting to come back for more." For some context, 3-star ratings are pretty rare. Of more than 1,500 Bay Area restaurants with star ratings from the Chronicle, fewer than 10% received 3 stars or above. The other 3-star restaurants in our area are Nopa, Nopalito, and Ragazza.
While we're talking about accolades for local businesses, SFWeekly released its quirky Best of 2013 roundup this week. Some familiar winners include: Alamo Square Park: "Best Place to Stare at the City's Beauty While Smoking a Joint" Club Waziema: "Best Place to Experience the Old Divisadero" The Divisadero Corridor: "Best Happy Hour Bar Crawl" Idle Hand Tattoo: One of the "Best Tattoo Shops to turn you into a Painted Lady (Or Man)" Rickybobby: "Best Clown Car Restaurant" In the Readers Poll, winners included: Duboce Park: "Best Dog Park" The Independent: "Best Live Music Venue" Laundry Locker: "Best Dry Cleaner" Nopa: "Best Late Night Bite" Toronado: "Best Beer Selection" The Wiggle: "Best Bike Path" Congrats to Maven on the strong review, and to everyone named as SFWeekly's best. And for those local businesses that didn't get shoutouts this week, remember that you're all still winners in our book. Well, most of you.
In his first review of Maven a year ago, Bauer gave the restaurant a 3-star, or "excellent," rating. Since then, chef David Kurtz left the restaurant and was replaced by Isaac Miller. Bauer says that Miller "has carried on admirably, paring the menu further." He also gives props for the service, "which is always on point. Dishes are well paced, plates and utensils are routinely changed out, and the staff understands the menu." And of course there's Kate Bolton's menu of cocktails, which, "like the food, are well balanced." Overall, Bauer reaffirms his original rating. "It's a menu that both delights and surprises -- a startling juxtaposition to the casual interior. Miller and his crew pull it off, leaving diners and drinkers wanting to come back for more." For some context, 3-star ratings are pretty rare. Of more than 1,500 Bay Area restaurants with star ratings from the Chronicle, fewer than 10% received 3 stars or above. The other 3-star restaurants in our area are Nopa, Nopalito, and Ragazza.
While we're talking about accolades for local businesses, SFWeekly released its quirky Best of 2013 roundup this week. Some familiar winners include: Alamo Square Park: "Best Place to Stare at the City's Beauty While Smoking a Joint" Club Waziema: "Best Place to Experience the Old Divisadero" The Divisadero Corridor: "Best Happy Hour Bar Crawl" Idle Hand Tattoo: One of the "Best Tattoo Shops to turn you into a Painted Lady (Or Man)" Rickybobby: "Best Clown Car Restaurant" In the Readers Poll, winners included: Duboce Park: "Best Dog Park" The Independent: "Best Live Music Venue" Laundry Locker: "Best Dry Cleaner" Nopa: "Best Late Night Bite" Toronado: "Best Beer Selection" The Wiggle: "Best Bike Path" Congrats to Maven on the strong review, and to everyone named as SFWeekly's best. And for those local businesses that didn't get shoutouts this week, remember that you're all still winners in our book. Well, most of you.
