There are quite a few new stars in the Bay Area on Tuesday, following the release of California’s 2021 Michelin Guide.
Up and down the state, it was a moment of celebration for the 27 restaurants learning that they earned at least one star for the first time.
Carlos Carreira, co-owner of Adega in San Jose, was among those celebrating. His Portuguese restaurant was closed for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and he said he struggled just to stay afloat.
"Our focus was not on the Michelin Guide, or anything like that," he told KCBS Radio in an interview on Tuesday. "So, (we're) totally shocked!"
Tuesday’s win was a triumph for Adega after a year of pandemic adversity.
The restaurant only just reopened in May, and Carreira said his team still feared closure. So, they decided to go all out when they returned.
"Let's do the best we can and the best we’ve ever done," Carreira said of the restaurant's mindset. "It was a last-ditch effort to show what we can really do."
It seemed to have paid off Tuesday, with Adega becoming one of nine Bay Area restaurants earn a Michelin star for the first time. Barndiva, a farm-to-table eatery in Healdsburg, also made the list.
Executive Chef Jordan Rosas told KCBS Radio's Jeff Bell and Patti Reising that Michelin representatives surprised him and his colleagues after scheduling what he thought was going to be a simple interview.
"It's such a shock and such an honor to receive," Rosas said.
Rosas said he began working at Barndiva just two weeks before the pandemic shuttered the restaurant, and his first experience was laying off half the staff. "Almost all" of them have since returned, and Rosas said they’re ready for the increased interest following Tuesday's star announcement.
San Francisco's Birdsong was the only Bay Area debutant to earn two-star honors, and none earned three stars. Meanwhile, a handful of restaurants – including Palo Alto's Baumé and San Francisco's Rich Table – lost stars. Michelin Guide didn't award any stars last year due to the pandemic.
You can find the full list of Bay Area restaurants that received Michelin stars on Tuesday below, organized by city.
Atherton
Healdsburg
Redwood City
San Francisco
Birdsong (two stars), Avery, O' by Claude Le Tohic, The Shota, Marlena, Niku Steakhouse
San Jose
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