Michelin, the French tire company that’s better known in food circles for its well-regarded restaurant guides, famously paused its review and rating programs as the COVID-19 crisis disrupted the worldwide restaurant industry.
Nearly a third of those newly acknowledged restaurants are in the East Bay: newly-opened Horn Barbecue in Oakland, pan-cuisine food truck turned San Leandro standby Top Hatters and Paul and Laura Magu’s classic Lafayette French spot Rêve Bistro.
Michelin’s guide program is a big deal in the food business, with high-end restaurants competing for its premiere rating system, which ranks restaurants from one to three stars.
Those are described as “a just-as-esteemed rating that recognizes friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.” For the purposes of the guide, that moderate price is “a three-course meal with starter, main course and dessert” for under $40 per person.
As the full gravity of the coronavirus crisis hit in 2020, Michelin canceled that year’s guide to the state ; but as of April 2021 it resumed the release of new guides for U.S.
Horn Barbecue Cuisine: BarbecueThis local sensation from Matt Horn serves up “West coast barbecue” set within a cool, warehouse-style space.
Top Hatters Kitchen Cuisine: ContemporaryHusband-and-wife co-owners Matthew Beavers and DanVy Vu opted to honor this fixture’s former life as a family-owned hat shop by keeping the name; the well-crafted cocktails are also dubbed with nods to millinery.
You can see the full list of every new Michelin-recommended spot Bay Area spot here, but readers, we must know: What do you think of these choices.