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It’s official. Half the 3-star restaurants in America are right here in California
David Kinch and his much-heralded Los Gatos restaurant, Manresa, will go out on top, with a stellar 3-star rating. Menlo Park’s Madera has again lost its star. Oakland, despite its reputation for cutting-edge cuisine, is still home to just one Michelin-starred restaurant, James Syhabout’s two-star Commis. And Douglas Keane’s relaunched Wine Country restaurant has caught Michelin’s attention again.
On Monday night, the Michelin Guide revealed its 2022 California guide to culinary excellence, and while the stars say the Bay Area still rules the state’s destination-dining scene, Southern California is coming on strong with additions to the guide.
At the live Los Angeles ceremony, the acclaimed San Diego restaurant Addison moved up to the prestigious three-star level, joining the six Bay Area restaurants long honored for what Michelin calls “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.” California is now home to seven three-star restaurants, half of the nation’s total of 14.
Seventeen other restaurants joined the Michelin guide at the one-star level, with eight coming from Southern California, six from the Bay Area and two from the Central Coast. One is a Sacramento restaurant, giving that city its second Michelin star.
“California is a culinary powerhouse with a lot of home-grown talent,” Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, said Monday before the ceremony, adding that he believes the awards reflect the dynamism in this country.
The guide features praise for 599 California restaurants in categories including excellent cuisine, good value, sustainable efforts and notable wine lists. A total of 89 restaurants representing 15 cuisines earned the coveted stars. Statewide, there are now seven restaurants with three stars; 12 restaurants retaining their two stars; and 70 one-star honorees.
Besides Manresa and Addison, the other three-star awardees are Dominique Crenn’s Atelier Crenn, Corey Lee’s Benu and Michael Tusk’s Quince, all in San Francisco; Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry, in Yountville; and SingleThread in Healdsburg, from chef Kyle Connaughton and farmer Katina Connaughton.
The Los Gatos stars will be short-lived as Kinch is closing out his 20-year run at Manresa at year’s end. Poullennec congratulated Kinch during the three-star portion of the ceremony, saying, “David, we appreciate your outstanding work and admirable contribution to the industry.”
In response, Kinch praised the chefs and restaurateurs in the crowd for making it through the challenging pandemic years and talking about the California diverse culinary industry’s boundless potential. He added: “You haven’t seen the last from me yet.”
Syhabout’s Commission in Oakland again earned two stars, a rating that signifies “excellent cuisine, worth a detour.” Last year’s two-star list of 14 dropped to 12 with the closure of two previous San Francisco honorees, Coi and Campton Place. The other NorCal and SoCal restaurants maintained their stars.
In the South Bay/Peninsula, George Aviet’s Chez TJ of Mountain View was again awarded with a star; the restaurant has been honored by Michelin for 15 years under a succession of chefs. Christopher Lemerand is currently the top toque in the Victorian house kitchen.
Both the Plumed Horse in Saratoga and the Village Pub in Woodside retained the one-star status they have held since 2009.
The other one-star recipients from this region include Adega in San Jose, Protégé in Palo Alto, Sushi Yoshizumi in San Mateo, Selby’s in Atherton, Sushi Shin in Redwood City and Wakuriya in San Mateo. Find the full Bay Area list here.
There were some notable Bay Area demonstrations.
Ken Frank’s La Toque, a Napa Valley standout, lost the star it had held for a number of years, as did Madera, the high-end restaurant at the Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park. In 2016, Madera also lost its star, but regained it the next year.
While four San Francisco restaurants joined the ranks of one-star restaurants, four lost their stars. The demotions included SPQR, executive chef Matthew Accarrino’s upscale pasta place, which had received a Michelin star since 2012; Wako, a Japanese restaurant honored five times previously; Mourad, with its modern Moroccan cuisine; and Ju-Ni, which serves an elevated sushi menu.
The one-star newcomers are San Ho Wan, a Korean culinary collaboration with Corey Lee; Nisei, with a contemporary Japanese menu; Ssal, which serves a Korean tasting menu, and Osito, a contemporary live-fire concept.
As with all changes in star levels, Michelin inspectors — who review anonymously — make no comment regarding deletions from the guide. As per the Michelin protocol, they revisit all previous winners and new prospects with five criteria in mind: quality of the meal; harmony of flavors; mastery of technique; the personality of the chef and their cuisine; and
Food Critics: The best restaurants for family meals and large group dining in Kansas City in 2022 | KCUR 89.3
As the holiday season approaches, many Kansas Citizens are gathering to spend time with friends and family. One of the hardest things about spending that time together is finding a space to fit your group when home dining isn’t an option or preference.
Carlton Logan, a food critic and co-administrator of Kansas City Eats Facebook Grouplaid out the considerations for KCUR’s Up To Date host Steve Kraske on Friday: “You want to think about: Where are you going to go? What type of food? Is it a small restaurant that’s not going to accommodate you?”
“Some restaurants think that a large group is at six, some think eight, some think 10, some think 15, and some will still take reservations up to 20,” said Jill Silva, co-host of the podcast Chew Diligence. “Then they kick you over into ‘you’re an event,’ and you need a little more planning.”
To make it a bit easier, Logan, Silva, and Natasha Bailey, co-hosts of KCUR’s Hungry For MO podcast, found some of the best places to seat parties of a larger size.
Carlton Logan, Kansas City Eats:
- Affäre — The Painted Table. This German restaurant’s main dining room is spacious. For a group start with a charcuterie platter or pretzel sticks with mustard. The menu changes seasonally so try it a few times to find the best dish for you. For dessert, get the Painted Table, a glass table topped with desserts, sauces and flames!
- Trezo Mare —Potato Pizza. You’ll love this spot not only for the Italian food but for the ambiance. Its seating options include the large dining room, the bar area or on the huge patio. There’s also the wine room for large parties.
- Char Bar —Charred Bits & Grits. Barbecue joints can be a great option for large parties, allowing you to order individual meals, or some ribs and sides to share. A great starter here is the Charred Bits and Grits, featuring smoked burnt ends, hand-cranked sausage, pickled jalapeños, bourbon-candied bacon, cheddar cheese grits, and bbq butter.
- rye — Crispy Chicken Livers & Gizzards. This farm-to-table American-style restaurant and cocktail bar has two locations, both of which accommodate larger parties. Must-tries on their menu include the whipped goat cheese, shrimp and grits, fried chicken, gizzards, all the snacks, and the world’s best lemon meringue pie.
- Grand Street Café — any sandwich. This is another American-style restaurant that’s been around for a long time, and has plenty of room to seat parties well into the double digits.
- Parlor food hall has two floors with several kitchens and a bar. Inside, Sura Eats has a Korean menu with dumplings and bibimbap, Mother Clucker! has chicken wings and sandwiches with varying degrees of spice and heat, and KC Mac N’ Co. has many types of macaroni and cheese.
- Strang Hall has indoor and outdoor seating in various arrangements. This food hall features Norcini for pizza and Italian fare, Fénix for tacos, and Anousone for Southeast Asian dishes.
- Broadmoor Bistro — Braised Beef Tamales. Located at the Center for Academic Achievement, this restaurant is part of the Shawnee Mission School District. There’s a well-lit, large dining room, making it great for bigger groups, and the hosts, servers, bussers and kitchen and bakery staff are primarily high school students. They serve a three-course meal for $40.
- Genghis Khan Mongolian Grill — Self-built option. This is a great spot for large groups with guests who have dietary preferences or restrictions. Diners can choose from the menu or choose vegetables and proteins to create their culinary dishes at the grill.
Natasha Bailey, Hungry for MO:
- Jasper’s — Panettone Bread Pudding with warm Amaretto Sauce. A great spot to bring family and friends during the holidays, Jasper’s has great service and some of the best Italian dishes around. It also offers a great grab-and-go option for those who need to pick up food for a large group.
- StockHill —Lobster Bones. Chef Jacob Hilbert is bringing a twist to your classic steakhouse. Stock Hill has some great options for multiple party sizes, including the Tomahawk Steak for two with any two sides; their Hanukkah Dinner on Dec. 18, which includes seven courses; and The Classic three-course Chef Dinner.
- Bella Napoli — Branzino. This Brookside favorite is consistent and can often accommodate groups of any size. It also has a wonderful wine list and grab-and-go market. The Conchiglie alla Campidanese, a house-made Italian sausage in a slow-simmered saffron tomato sauce, is a great option.
- The Town Company — Ricotta Dumplings. This hotel restaurant and bar offers amazing pies and dumplings. For those seeking something to group for the holidays, The Town offers dining options for Christmas Eve. And be sure to try the Hot Buns, served with house-cultured butter, carrot dip and trout roe.
Woman, 64, nearly died of ‘toxic SQUASH syndrome’ after drinking trendy calabash juice
To the bitter end! Woman, 64, nearly died of ‘toxic SQUASH syndrome’ after being poisoned by trendy calabash juice
- An unnamed 64 year old woman nearly died of toxic squash syndrome
- The disease occurs when a person consumes toxic levels of cucurbitacin
- Cucurbitacin is a naturally occurring toxin in gourds like pumpkins and squash
An elderly woman suffered a severe drop in blood pressure and body temperature after being poisoned by trendy fruit juice.
The unnamed patient, 64, suffered sudden weakness, nausea and vomiting just minutes after drinking calabash juice. The trendy drink has risen in popularity in recent years for its purported ability to reduce stress.
The woman was admitted to a local ER diagnosed with ‘toxic squash syndrome’ – a rare but potentially deadly disease that occurs when a person consumes a dangerous amount of cucurbitacin, a naturally occurring toxin in calabash.
Her blood pressure rapidly dropped to a dangerously low level and she could have died if she did not quickly seek medical attention.
The report is revealed as physicians also warn against other popular wellness trends, like taping a person’s mouth shut while sleeping to enhance breathing.
An unnamed woman suffered ‘toxic squash poisoning’ after she drank calabash juice. She noted that the drink was more bitter than usual. Her symptoms came about fast and dropped her blood pressure to dangerously low levels. She would survive after five days in the hospital (file photo)
The story was reported as a case report in the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine.
While the woman regularly enjoyed the drink – she noted to doctors that this time it was even more bitter.
This is a sign that there were higher levels of the toxic chemicals – which are found in gourds like pumpkins, cucumbers and calabash.
The toxin interrupts the ability for the body’s cells to send signals to one another – disrupting normal bodily functions and causing potentially deadly complications.
It also weakens cell defenses, making them more vulnerable to infections and other illnesses.
Centuries of plant domestication and food science have allowed humans to grow gourds with inconsequential levels of the toxin.
Improved farming practices by amateur farmers can lead to the plants growing with concentrations of cucurbitacin that are dangerous to humans.
However, improper farming techniques could lead to an overabundance of them in some plants.
It was a homemade drink that the woman had regularly purchased at a local store.
She was also already suffering from high blood pressure and an overactive thyroid – a gland in the neck that distributes hormones around the body.
The woman suffers symptoms immediately after consuming the drink, including diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Her blood pressure dropped to unhealthy levels, from 142/90 to 46/27 in a matter of minutes when doctors examined her.
A level below 90/60 is considered dangerous, putting a person at risk of a stroke or heart attack.
She was also taking 18 breaths per minute, slightly more than the safe threshold of 16 per minute for a resting person, which could be an indication of lung or heart failure.
Her body temperature also fell from around 100 to 96F, lower than what is safe for adults but not low enough to be considered hypothermia. The woman’s extremities were also cold and tender to touch.
Over the next five days, she continued to have her blood pressure drop to unhealthy levels before rebounding later.
She was treated with electrolytes, drugs for high blood pressure and injections that would help diffuse acid in her stomach. The woman’s condition was resolved after five days.
Cucurbitacin is a bitter toxic substance whose purpose is to protect the plant from animals and bugs that may try to eat it.
Its ability to disrupt normal cell functions could prove valuable in the medical field.
It has shown promise in medicine, with the toxin having antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties