San Jose's Adega and Selby's in Atherton among Bay Area eateries to snag a new Michelin star

San Jose's Adega and Selby's in Atherton among Bay Area eateries to snag a new Michelin star(Source: Guide.michelin.com)
Laila Weir
Published on September 28, 2021

The 2021 Michelin Guide for California is out, and it includes nine new additions in the Bay Area — including three restaurants in the South Bay. 

Portuguese eatery Adega in San Jose is back on the list of restaurants to earn a coveted Michelin star, after having previously held a star in 2016. Selby's in Atherton, the farm-to-table American spot from the Spruce/Village Pub team, also earned a star for the first time this year, as did Sushi Shin of Redwood City. 


Duck rice Photo: Adega / Instagram


There were also 18 Bay Area additions to Michelin's Bib Gourmand list, with a full 11 of them located in the East and South Bay. The list, while less prestigious than receiving one (or more) stars, recognizes more affordable eateries where you can get a quality meal at a great value. 

Two Northern California eateries (Birdsong in San Francisco and Harbor House in Mendocino County) also moved up the ranks to earn two stars this year.

Below you'll find our rundown of the latest Bay Area spots where you can sample cuisine that's earned recognition from the revered (if perhaps mildly disorganized this year, as SFist reports) French dining guide. Then scroll down for the list of new additions to the Bib Gourmand list, plus a full list of all the Michelin-starred eateries in the area. (Visit the Michelin site for more details on each and to see the new additions for all of California.) 


Chef Jason Zhan of Sushi Shin Photo: Sushi Shin / Facebook

 

Adega (One Star — San Jose)

Chefs Jessica Carreira and David Costa were recognized for their seafood-heavy Portuguese cooking, which the guide called "home-style punched up with a contemporary edge ethos."  The guide particularly called out the signature dish of butter-poached Arctic char with with watercress crust, sauce vin jaune, and mushrooms, as well as the seven-course tasting menu. 

1614 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose

Selby's (One Star — Atherton)

This eatery made the list for the first time for its American cuisine that draws on produce from the group's organic farm. The guide recognized the restaurant for elevating "familiar steakhouse fare" and for its "old-world charm" and "throwback glamor."

3001 El Camino Real, Atherton

Sushi Shin (One Star — Redwood City)

The guide recognizes Chef Jason Zhan as "charming, engaging, and a bona fide tome of information on product sourcing, aging, and marinating." It calls out specialties like sea water eel braised in a delicate dashi and topped with a sweet-tart plum sauce, and nigiri of medium fatty tuna or Golden "horse mackerel" topped with ginger and scallion.

312 Arguello St., Redwood City

Avery (One Star — San Francisco)

Avery makes the list for the "contemporary/creative" cuisine of chef/owner Rodney Wages, who the guide observes, "marches to the beat of his own drums." The guide also highlights the eatery's "lovingly curated champagne and sake list." 

1552 Fillmore St., San Francisco

O' by Claude Le Tohic (One Star — San Francisco)

ONE65's O' is called out for Chef Claude Le Tohic's "outstanding" 10-course prix-fixe menu that brings together "classic French techniques with pristine Californian ingredients."

165 O'Farrell St., San Francisco

The Shota (One Star — San Francisco)

Japanese counter eatery The Shota offers "a breathtaking experience" in the Financial District with local produce plus ingredients imported from Japan. Not to mention "effortless, unobtrusive, and engaging" service, according to the guide. 

115 Sansome St., San Francisco

Marlena (One Star — San Francisco)

The guide recognizes this "pretty-as-a-picture location" in a classic Victorian and husband-and-wife team David Fisher and Serena Chow Fisher for "deftly marrying simplicity with sophistication" in their contemporary California cuisine. 

300 Precita Ave., San Francisco

Niku Steakhouse (One Star — San Francisco)

This "ultraluxe" Design District steakhouse and its kitchen helmed by under Executive Chef Dustin Falcon earn a star for their "pristine cuts of top shelf Japanese beef" and "hearty American cuts" with "mouthwatering char."

61 Division St., San Francisco

Barndiva (One Star — Healdsburg)

Chef Jordan Rosas and Barndiva catapult to Michelin recognition after being ignored by the guide since 2005, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. The guide praises its Californian fare for "finesse" and "creativity," as well as its focus on local produce and sustainability. Foodies trying to eat their way through the full list will appreciate that Barndiva also offers a slightly more affordable option among new Michelin honorees.

231 Center St., Healdsburg

New Bay Area additions to the two-star list:

Birdsong (Two Stars — San Francisco)

Previously one-starred restaurant Birdsong was bumped up to two stars in the latest guide in recognition of Chef Christopher Bleidorn's contemporary American live-fire cooking.

1085 Mission St., San Francisco

Harbor House (Two Stars — Elk)

Up the coast in Mendocino County, Harbor House (also noteworthy for its historic oceanfront property) went from one to two stars for the "creative" California cuisine of Chef Matthew Kammerer and his devotion "hyper-local and foraged ingredients."

5600 CA-1, Elk

New Bay Area additions to the Bib Gourmand list:

Dumpling Home (San Francisco)

FOB Kitchen (Oakland)

Horn Barbecue (Oakland)

Los Carnalitos (Hayward)

iTalico (Palo Alto)

FolkTable (Sonoma)

Khom Loi (Sebastopol)

Valley (Sonoma)

New Dumpling (El Cerrito)

Range Life (Livermore)

Routier (San Francisco)

Spinning Bones (Alameda)

Tacos Oscar (Oakland)

Taqueria El Paisa (Oakland)

Tony's Seafood (Marin)

Top Hatters (San Leandro)

Um.ma (San Francisco)

ASA South (Los Gatos)

Below is the full list of Bay Area restaurants to receive stars in this year's guide:

Three stars

Atelier Crenn, San Francisco

Benu, San Francisco

The French Laundry, Yountville

Manresa, Los Gatos

Quince, San Francisco

SingleThread, Healdsburg

Two stars

Acquerello, San Francisco

Birdsong, San Francisco (NEW)

Californios, San Francisco

Campton Place, San Francisco

Coi, San Francisco

Commis, Oakland

Harbor House Inn, Elk (Mendocino County) (NEW)

Lazy Bear, San Francisco

Saison, San Francisco

One star

Adega, San Jose (NEW)

AL’s Place, San Francisco

Angler, San Francisco

Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford

Aubergine, Carmel-by-the-Sea (Monterey County)

Avery, San Francisco (NEW)

Bar Crenn, San Francisco

Barndiva, Healdsburg (NEW)

Chez TJ, Mountain View

Gary Danko, San Francisco

Ju-Ni, San Francisco

Kenzo, Napa

Kin Khao, San Francisco

The Kitchen, Sacramento

La Toque, Napa

Madcap, San Anselmo

Madera, Menlo Park

Marlena, San Francisco (NEW)

Mister Jiu’s, San Francisco

Mourad, San Francisco

Niku Steakhouse, San Francisco (NEW)

O’ by Claude Le Tohic, San Francisco (NEW)

Omakase, San Francisco

Plumed Horse, Saratoga

The Progress, San Francisco

Protégé, Palo Alto

Rasa, Burlingame

Selby’s, Atherton (NEW)

The Shota, San Francisco (NEW)

Sons & Daughters, San Francisco

Sorrel, San Francisco

SPQR, San Francisco

Spruce, San Francisco

State Bird Provisions, San Francisco

Sushi Shin, Redwood City (NEW)

Sushi Yoshizumi, San Mateo

The Village Pub, Woodside

Waku, San Francisco

Wakuriya, San Mateo