Posts Tagged ‘Sonoma.’
Wednesday, October 24th, 2012
Here it is, below.
If you want any more info you’re going to have to buy it from le source or from le Amazon.
(And let me tell you, the raison detre for this whole Michelin Guide operation is to sell you tires for your car. And let me tell you, the Japanese-made Michelins on my Land Cruiser performed admirably for dix foutues annees, ten freaking years. Anyway. So count me as a fan. And the Zagat people and Michael Bauer are just going to have to deal with le competition nouveau, hopefully with a little better attitude in the future. Sorry.)
“Michelin Releases Its Famed Guide to San Francisco’s Best Restaurants – Atelier Crenn is Awarded Two Michelin Stars in the Guide’s Seventh Edition
SAN FRANCISCO, OCT. 23, 201 — In the latest edition of the highly anticipated MICHELIN Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country 2013, 42 restaurants have been awarded Michelin stars. Both restaurants that achieved three Michelin stars in 2012–The French Laundry and The Restaurant at Meadowood–maintained this honor. Three Michelin stars is considered the utmost international recognition in the culinary world, and is reserved for those restaurants that serve “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.”
This year’s guide sees six restaurants awarded two Michelin stars. Atelier Crenn has been promoted from one to two stars and five establishments maintained their standing from the previous edition.
Thirty-four restaurants earned one Michelin star, a significant culinary accomplishment that can be defined as “a very good restaurant in its category.” The three newcomers to the category are All Spice, SPQR and Keiko a Nob Hill.
Inclusion in the MICHELIN Guide is an acknowledgment of culinary excellence and quality. A total of 539 restaurants are included in the selection which covers San Francisco, the East Bay, Wine Country, Marin, South Bay and the Peninsula. Michelin inspectors embraced 47 different cuisines this year, reflecting the tremendous diversity found across the region.
The release of the MICHELIN Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country comes one week after Michelin announced that 70 restaurants earned the distinction of Bib Gourmand. These establishments offer two courses plus a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less (excluding tax and gratuity) and are known as the Michelin inspectors’ favorites for good value. The MICHELIN Guide 2013 editions include two new symbols: one highlighting notable beer lists and the other indicating restaurants with a dim sum offering.
In the U.S., San Francisco is one of three cities where Michelin publishes an annual guide. The MICHELIN Guide New York City 2013 went on sale earlier this month and the MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2013 will be released Nov. 13, 2012.
The seventh edition of the MICHELIN Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country goes on sale Wednesday, Oct. 24, at $18.99.
Michelin has done as much to enhance mobility as any company in the world. The company patented the pneumatic, or air-filled, tire in the late 1800s. This was a milestone moment in mobility, permitting automobile owners to travel at great length in a single journey. Then, in an effort to prompt travelers to enjoy their newfound mobility, the company created guides and detailed maps to steer travelers on their way. The most famous publication that developed from this is the internationally recognized MICHELIN Guide.
Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN Guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently around 23 countries, the MICHELIN Guide has become an international benchmark in fine dining. The selections of all restaurants in the guide are made by Michelin’s famously anonymous inspectors who dine all around the Bay Area regularly. These local inspectors are trained to scrupulously apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin inspectors for many decades throughout the world. This ensures a uniform, international standard of excellence. As a further guarantee of complete objectivity, Michelin inspectors pay all their bills in full.
To find out more about the MICHELIN Guide, the MICHELIN Guide inspectors and the history of the MICHELIN Guide, visit www.michelinguide.com.
Here is a full list of the MICHELIN Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country 2013 stars.
| San Francisco MICHELIN Guide 2013 |
| Starred establishments |
|
| Three stars |
| Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey |
| Area |
District |
Restaurant |
Chef |
| Wine Country |
Napa Valley |
The French Laundry |
Thomas Keller |
| Wine Country |
Napa Valley |
The Restaurant at Meadowood |
Christopher Kostow |
| Two stars |
| Excellent cuisine, worth a detour |
| Area |
District |
Restaurant |
| San Francisco |
Marina |
Atelier Crenn |
| South Bay |
Palo Alto |
Baume |
| San Francisco |
SoMa |
Benu |
| San Francisco |
North Beach |
Coi |
| South Bay |
Los Gatos |
Manresa |
| San Francisco |
Mission |
Saison |
| One star |
| A very good restaurant in its category |
| Area |
District |
Restaurant |
| San Francisco |
Nob Hill |
Acquerello |
| South Bay |
Cupertino |
Alexander’s Steakhouse (South Bay) |
| Peninsula |
San Mateo |
All Spice |
| San Francisco |
SoMa |
Ame |
| Wine Country |
Napa Valley |
Auberge du Soleil |
| San Francisco |
Richmond & Sunset |
Aziza |
| Wine Country |
Napa Valley |
Bouchon |
| San Francisco |
SoMa |
Boulevard |
| San Francisco |
SoMa |
Campton Place |
| South Bay |
Mountain View |
Chez TJ |
| East Bay |
Oakland |
Commis |
| Wine Country |
Sonoma County |
Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant |
| San Francisco |
Castro |
Frances |
| San Francisco |
North Beach |
Gary Danko |
| San Francisco |
Nob Hill |
Keiko à Nob Hill |
| Peninsula |
Montara |
La Costanera |
| San Francisco |
Nob Hill |
La Folie |
| Wine Country |
Napa Valley |
La Toque |
| San Francisco |
SoMa |
Luce |
| Peninsula |
Menlo Park |
Madera |
| Wine Country |
Sonoma County |
Madrona Manor |
| San Francisco |
Nob Hill |
Masa’s |
| San Francisco |
Financial District |
Michael Mina |
| South Bay |
Saratoga |
Plumed Horse |
| San Francisco |
North Beach |
Quince |
| Wine Country |
Napa Valley |
Redd |
| Wine Country |
Napa Valley |
Solbar |
| San Francisco |
Nob Hill |
Sons & Daughters |
| San Francisco |
Marina |
SPQR |
| San Francisco |
Marina |
Spruce |
| Wine Country |
Napa Valley |
Terra |
| Wine Country |
Sonoma County |
Terrapin Creek |
| Peninsula |
Woodside |
The Village Pub |
| Peninsula |
San Mateo |
Wakuriya
|
Tags: 2012, 2013, bay area, california, countyr, guide, Michael Bauer, MICHELIN, MICHELIN Guide, Napa, San Francisco, Sonoma., stars, wine, zagat
Posted in food and drink | No Comments »
Thursday, March 1st, 2012
I guess they’re building this?
Anyway, they’re advertising it these days, for some reason.
Check it.

Click to expand
Basically, it’s going to be like a mini-BART* but for the North Bay – news to me.
And unlike massively-expensive California High Speed Rail project, we can actually afford the SMART train.
And unlike the useless Central Subway federal pork subway-to-nowhere project in Chinatown, SMART has the potential to benefit its riders.
Hurray!
*Speaking of which, BART to Livermore and/or San Jose, those projects also sound like they could be useful in the future, I don’t know.
Tags: 2012, bay area, california, California High Speed Rail, central subway, county, High Speed Rail, marin, San Francisco, san rafael, smart, smart train, Sonoma., subway, Subway to Nowhere, train
Posted in transit | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011
See how that works? You want to warn your fellow riders that there are cops handing out speeding tickets on Highway 37 (aka Sears Point Road) up there in the Great White North, so all you have to do is to tap your head in an exaggerated fashion when you see others going the opposite way.
Thusly:

Click to expand
Anyway, that’s one of the codes you can transmit when you’re a cowboy, on a steel horse you ride.
Tags: 2011, arm, bay area, Behind, california, code, cops, county, hand, head, helmet, highway, motorcycle, motorcycles, Napa, Palm, police, road, San Francisco, sears point, Sonoma., speed trap, tap, tapping, Waiting
Posted in motorcycles | 5 Comments »
Monday, July 18th, 2011
Oh man, your 2011 Pacific Coast Air Museum Air Show, Wings Over Wine Country, is going to be soooooo much better than the wine-sipping alternative, it’s not even funny.
Check the slideshow, baby! Check the FAQ too. Get your tickets here.

Via Tom Hardin – click to expand
So, take a vacay from your Sunday Punch routine and get out there – let’s hope that B25J will be on hand this year. (Don’t Mess With Texas, or Tennessee, or, well, just don’t mess with 12 machine guns when they’re all firing together.)
See you there!
All the deets:
“Here’s a sneak preview of just some of our 2011 Air Show performers:
- Opening ceremony with local Police and Fire Departments commemorating the 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001
- Advance preview of the 9/11 “First Responder” F-15 Eagle aircraft, the first aircraft to arrive over the World Trade Center on 9/11
- U. S. Navy F/A-18F “Hornet” Demonstration Team(tentative)
- C-17 Globemaster Static Display and Aerial Demonstration
- Air Force U-2 Flyby
- Air Force T-38 Formation Flyby
- Crowd favorite Eddie Andreini with amazing barnstorming aerobatics in his Stearman
- Tim Decker in his beautiful red and white Pitts Special
- Canadian favorite “Team Rocket” with fabulous formation aerobatics in two Harmon Rockets
- Crowd favorite Dan Buchanan in his towed hang glider
- World Class aerobatics with Aerobatic Competition winner Vicky Benzing in her beatiful Extra 300S
- Light, fast, and wickedly maneuverable, the Ethanol-Powered Fagen MX2 is the ultimate airshow platform for world class aerobatics by Greg Poe
- Greg Colyer in his fabulous “Blue Angels” T-33 Shooting Star – - a tribute to the 100th anniversary of U.S. Naval Aviation
- lots of P-51 “Mustangs” and lots more WWII Warbirds
- Famed Air Show Announcer Danny Clisham: Known for fresh, lively, knowledge-based commentary, Danny is one of America’s most popular air show announcers. In the course of his career, he has entertained millions of attendees at air shows throughout North America. He repeatedly puts on performances that thrill audiences and keep them coming back year after year.
- Many fantastic static display aircraft
- Fabulous Classic Car Show
- Huge “Kids World” with great activities for families and children
- Jelly Belly aircraft
- Performer’s Reception
- President’s Club
- And much, much more!
- Tickets are available at a discount, on-line, now.“
- 7:30 – 10:30 a.m. – Pancake Breakfast
- 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. – Warbird Photo Hour
- Radio-controlled model aircraft
- Opening ceremony with local Police and Fire Departments commemorating the 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001
- Eddie Andreini Stearman
- Greg Colyer “Blue Angels” T-33 Shooting Star
- Beale Air Force Base Military Flyby
- World Class aerobatics with Aerobatic Competition winner Vicky Benzing in her beatiful Extra 300S
- U.S.Air Force Reserve C-17 Globemaster III
Aerial Demonstration
- Mass WWII Warbird Flyby, featuring P-40 “Warhawks”
- Tim Decker Pitts Special
- “Team Rocket”
- Dan Buchanan towed hang glider
- More Warbirds – CJ-6s & T-6s
- Greg Poe - MX-2 Aerobatics
- U.S. Navy F/A-18 “Super Hornet” Aerial Demonstration (tentative)
Tags: 9/11, air, air force, air show, aircraft, airplanes, airport, airshow, area, c-17, C-17 Globemaster, Charles M. Schulz, Charles Schulz, county, Eagle, F-15, F-15 Eagle, f-18, F/A-18F, fa-18, fighter, fighters, First Responder, globemaster, hornet, jet, jets, museum, Mustangs, navy, north, over, p40, p51, pacific coast, Pacific Coast Air Museum, santa roas, Sonoma County Airport, Sonoma., T-38, tickets, U-2, u. s., usaf, volunteer, Warhawks, Wine Country, wings, Wings Over Wine Country, wowc, wwii
Posted in aircraft, airports | 1 Comment »
Thursday, July 14th, 2011
Some guy up in Healdsburg just did that, he changed the name of his shop to “The Serial Grapist.”
Srsly.
See?

Needless to say, the name change didn’t go well.
Anyway, if you think you’re brave…
Tags: 2011, 340, annex, bay area, california, center, country, county, healdsburg, rape, rapist, San Francisco, serial grapist, serial rapist, Sonoma., st., street, wine
Posted in food and drink, paranormal | 4 Comments »
Friday, February 18th, 2011
There’s your (the) 101 freeway* up in the Great White North that is Sonoma and there are your deer.
These critters don’t mind traffic at all, it would seem.

Click to expand
*Just a two-laner each way at this point, I believe, but still a freeway (and not merely a highway) at this particular spot.
Tags: 101, 2011, california, county, deer, freeway, freeway deer, highway, San Francisco, Sonoma.
Posted in Animals | 3 Comments »
Monday, December 13th, 2010
A little surprised at how the MSM went all-out at the debut of the all-electric Nissan Leaf over the weekend, traveling all the way up to Petaluma, but anyway, read all about it right here.
I do have some notes. First off, check out this howler from Nanette Asimov:
“In the 1990s, car makers General Motors and Toyota leased such cars out – then destroyed them as they grew in popularity.”
Well, yeah, I see what you’re talking about there, but I have a 55-gallon drum of nuance to dump on that quote. Or, rather, had, as the cold light of day reveals the above zinger done went poof down the memory hole – you can’t find it at SFGate anymore so it must have been edited out recently. Moving on…
Oh, here’s another:
“…turned the fancy key that started the Leaf’s quiet engine.”
Uh, the Leaf doesn’t have an engine, right? Isn’t that the whole point? Now, the upcoming GM Volt has an engine, and a couple of big motors and a bunch of small ones to boot probably, but the Leaf, she has no engines. And turning the key doesn’t “start” the Leaf’s (primary) motor neither. Oh well. It is quiet though. Very very qwiet. (And I won’t even get into whether “the plug” is on the car or in your garage back at home…)
Anyway, it’s refreshing to see an electric car program get developed by a crew not dominated by egomaniacal crooks, thieves, and charlatans.
As promised, furries in Civic Center:

Click to expand

Quite a wintry scene with an Arctic White Nissan, a polar furry and the Great Christmas Tree of Civic Center:

And then, the Arrival of the First Pilot of the First Nissan Leaf

(And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear)
Bon Courage, Olivier Chalouhi de La Ville du Séquoia!
Tags: 2010, all electric, batteries, battery, bay area, bear, california, car, City Hall, civic center, county, electric, First, leaf, major tom, nissan, nissan leaf, Olivier Chalouh, petluma, polar, redwood city, San Francisco, Sonoma., street, suit, white
Posted in cars | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
Here they are, the best restaurants in the Bay Area for 2011, below.
Carolyn Alburger is all over this situation already at Eater SF as is Paolo Lucchesi at The Inside Scoop, as is Jay Barmann at GrubStreet SF.
2011 MICHELIN GUIDE SAN FRANCISCO STARRED RESTAURANTS (“N” DENOTES A NEW STARRED RESTAURANT)
Three Michelin stars mean exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey. One always eats here extremely well, sometimes superbly. Distinctive dishes are precisely executed, using superlative ingredients.
Two Michelin stars mean excellent cuisine, worth a detour. Skillfully and carefully crafted dishes of outstanding quality.
One Michelin star means a very good restaurant in its category. A place offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard.
All the deets, after the jump
Tags: +3, 1, 2, 2010, 2011, Acquerello, Alexander’s, Ame Applewood, Auberge de Soleil, Aziza, Baumé, bay area, book, Bouchon, boulevard, california, Campton Place, chez, Chez TJ, Coi, Commis, Cyrus, dining room, Dio Deka, drink, étoile, Farmhouse Inn, Fleur de Lys, food, frances, french laundry, GARY DANKO, GrubStreet, guide, Guides, Jay Barmann, Jean-Luc, La Folie, La Toque, Luce, Madera, Madrona Manor, Manresa, Masa’s, MICHELIN, Michelin Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country Restaurants 2011, Mirepoix, Murray Circle, Napa, Naret, new, one, One Market, panisse, Paolo Lucchesi, Plumed Horse, quince, red, red guide, Redd, restaurant, Restaurant at Meadowood, restaurants, Ritz Carlton, Saison, San Francisco, Santé, SF, Solbar, Sonoma., Spruce, stars, Steakhouse, Terra, three, two, Ubuntu, Village Pub, Wakuriya, Wine Country
Posted in food and drink | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
Well, it’s finally arrived, the biggest day in high-end bay area restaurants for the entire year of 2010. It’s Opening Day for the Famously Anonymous Michelin Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country Restaurants 2011.
Keep up with the day’s events on the Twitter. Here’s the latest:
“Jean-Luc will be calling chefs soon…we can’t wait for the big day in San Francisco!“
In other words, Jean-Luc Naret, bon vivant and Director of the Michelin Guides, is on the horn giving area chefs wake-up calls, just the way the Nobel Prize Committee does it.
And Paolo Lucchesi, the Bay Area’s Most Popular Blogger, has just handicapped the race. Check it:
“Six plotlines to follow for the upcoming Bay Area Michelin Guide“
This is serious bidness, people.

Now you’re prepared for when the announcements come.
Enjoy.
Tags: 2010, 2011, bay area, book, california, drink, food, guide, Guides, Jean-Luc, MICHELIN, Michelin Guide San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country Restaurants 2011, Napa, Naret, Paolo Lucchesi, red, red guide, restaurants, San Francisco, Sonoma., Wine Country
Posted in food and drink | No Comments »
Thursday, October 21st, 2010
I don’t know, this seems like a pretty easy one to make a call on. Do you think that sparkling wine producers in America should be allowed to use the term champagne even though their products don’t come from Champagne, France?
This issue got hashed out a half-decade ago in the favor of consumers, so terms like “American Champagne” are still allowed. But the French wine industry doesn’t like that one bit. So, they’re back with a new ad campagne. Except that this time they’re calling themselves the Champagne Bureau instead of the “Office of Champagne, USA.” (Which is sort of funny, since the old name was constructed to confuse the public, to make the public think that the French wine industry was somehow an arm of the U.S. Government, and they were, and are, complaining about the term ”American Champagne,” which is pretty straightforward…)
Anyway, here it is, the new campaign they’re spending a bunch of money on:

Drink the Kool-Aid here, at the website of the French-backed trade group.
Oh well. Sadly, for the French, this train has left the station. Are they going to spend hundreds of millions of Euro over generations to change the way Americans think about wine? We’ll see…
Oh, and, for the record, here are the things covered under the rubric semi-generic:
“In the U.S., semi-generics are defined by law in 27 CFR 4.24. There are two types. The first type is names that can legally refer to any grape wine whatsoever. In practice, most have become associated with a given style, which is noted.
- Burgundy – Generic red wine, for example Gallo‘s Hearty Burgundy. Named after French Burgundy.
- Chablis – Generic white wine, named after Chablis.
- Chianti – Generic red, named after Italy‘s Chianti.
- Claret – Also generic red wine, named after Claret, the British term for French red Bordeaux.
- Malaga – A sherry, named after Málaga in Spain.
- Moselle – Generic sweet white, based on a German style produced in the Moselle River valley.
- Rhine Wine (syn. Hock) – Generic sweet white, after Germany’s Rhine River. Hock is named after Hochheim.
- Sauterne – White or pink, dry or sweet, named after Sauternesbut deliberately misspelt.
- Haut Sauterne – Same as above.
- Tokay – Generic white, named after Hungary‘s Tokaji.
“The second type of semi-generic names have restrictions on what kind of wine they can be. The legal restriction is listed first, followed by the original term.
- Angelica – Fortified wine of 18-24% alcohol, named after Los Angeles.
- Champagne – Sparkling wine, named after France’s Champagne.
- Marsala – Wine of 14-24% alcohol, named after Italy’s Marsala.
- Madeira – Fortified wine of 18-24% alcohol, named after Portugal’s Madeira.
- Port – Fortified wine, named after Portugal‘s Porto.
- Sherry – Fortified wine of 17-24% alcohol, named after Spain‘s Sherry.
Tags: 2010, American, associates, bay area, champagne, Champagne Bureau, champenoise, Chlopak, france, Leonard, method, méthode, Napa, office, pr, protect place, protectplace, protectplace.com, San Francisco, Schechter, semi-generic, Sonoma., sparkling, usa, wine
Posted in food and drink | No Comments »