Eighteen Bay Area restaurants are on the Michelin Guide's latest list of most affordable finds in California.
Everything from barbecue to Thai and Cantonese to tacos were included when the Michelin Guide on Wednesday announced its Bib Gourmand awards for California. Oakland's Horn Barbecue, Sonoma's Folktable and San Leandro's Top Hatters Kitchen and Bar were among the local winners.
“We’re really excited about the award, especially in this time,” Michael Oliverio of Palo Alto-based iTalico told KCBS Radio in a Wednesday phone interview.
Whereas the Michelin stars celebrate fine dining, the Bib Gourmands celebrate the best restaurants offering two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or fewer, before tax and gratuity. Michelin Guide created the category in 1997, and the awards recognize accessibility and affordability.
Like most owners and employees of restaurants still in business during the COVID-19 pandemic, Oliverio said he's grateful. After all, things were a lot worse last year.
"Unfortunately, in 2020, we lost 70% of our business," he said, adding the restaurant is "very lucky to still be here and to still be able to do what we love."
You can find the full list of California’s 45 Bib Gourmand winners here. Below is a list of the Bay Area's winners, organized by city.
Alameda
El Cerrito
Hayward
Los Carnalitos (also a food truck in Redwood City)
Livermore
Los Gatos
Marshall
Oakland
FOB Kitchen, Horn Barbecue, Taquería El Paisa, Tacos Oscar
Palo Alto
San Francisco
San Leandro
Sebastopol
Sonoma
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