wine Archives - nalrestaurant.com

Four San Francisco restaurants receive new Michelin Star honors

Posted on14/06/202608/08/2023Author

Four of San Francisco’s top dining destinations achieved new Michelin star honors on Monday, Dec. 5, during the 2022 edition of the Michelin Guide California ceremony held in Los Angeles. Eighteen California restaurants were recognized in all.

San Francisco-based restaurants receiving their first coveted Michelin star include Nisei, Osito, San Ho Won and Ssal. Press in St. Helena and Localis in Sacramento also received the prestigious recognition, where restaurants are judged by anonymous dining inspectors who visit establishments during lunch and dinner service at various times throughout the year.

Chef David Yoshimura of Nisei was also honored with the Michelin Young Chef Award. According to Michelin’s anonymous chief inspector, Yoshimura is a chef who is “full of personality” with dishes elevated by his personal culinary journey.

“Chef Yoshimura is just under 35, and I say, he embodies exactly what we’re looking for in a young talent,” the inspector told SFGATE. “His cuisine represents a unique perspective and background and is captured in his cooking that’s both ambitious and highly personal.”

Nisei's tasting menu is "equal parts tradition and invention, where a classic matsutake broth sits in harmony with a wholly original dessert of Okinawan purple sweet potato." — Nisei’s tasting menu is “equal parts tradition and invention, where a classic matsutake broth sits in harmony with a wholly original dessert of Okinawan purple sweet potato.”

Brianna Danner

In total, there are 89 restaurants with Michelin-star status in California and seven of those establishments garnered the three-star ranking. Michelin’s secret restaurant inspectors also awarded two new Green Stars, bringing the state tally of restaurants leading in sustainable practices to 11. There are only two Green-Starred restaurants in any other US states.

Green Stars are awarded to restaurants that are true front-runners in gastronomy and are role models for their guests and peers.

“That also shows that chefs here are real trendsetters, influencers and California as a whole is definitely a culinary powerhouse,” said international director of the Michelin Guides, Gwendal Poullennec. “California really has something to say and has a strong voice now in the world of culinary conversation. It has a strong identity when it comes to the quality of the produce. It’s really a part of the California culinary identity.”

Poullennec added that the three-star Michelin level is the “crème de la crème” in terms of gastronomy restaurants in the US and beyond. There are 142 restaurants at the three-star level worldwide, with 40 three-star restaurants in the US

“When we looked at the number of three-stars in the US, now we have seven in California, and that’s a lot,” he said. “If we look at the US as a whole, it’s the No. 3 destinations in the world in terms of the number of restaurants with the three-star label.”

Chef Seth Stowaway puts his "heart, soul and even his nickname (osito means 'little bear') into this rustic, lodge-like spot." — Chef Seth Stowaway puts his “heart, soul and even his nickname (osito means ‘little bear’) into this rustic, lodge-like spot.”

Molly DeCoudreaux

Out of the 18 California restaurants recognized this year for new stars, eight of them are promotions. These were restaurants that were already a part of Michelin’s highly ranked selections and inspectors kept close watch over them throughout the year. The anonymous chief inspector listed Ssal in San Francisco and Localis in Sacramento listed as examples of restaurants getting promoted.

The Michelin Guide is all about consistency, according to Poullennec, who noted that the guide was started in 1900 and hasn’t changed its approach and criteria since then. For more than one century Michelin’s inspectors have followed the same methodology based on five universal criteria: “the quality of the food is based on the quality of the product, the master of cooking techniques, the balance of flavors, the personality expressed on the plate, and lastly the consistency.”

Local chef-owner Christopher Barnum-Dann "brings unusual warmth to this intimate setting" in Sacramento. This is Localis first Michelin star recognition. — Local chef-owner Christopher Barnum-Dann “brings unusual warmth to this intimate setting” in Sacramento. This is Localis first Michelin star recognition.

Localist

Below is the list of San Francisco restaurants that took home the esteemed Michelin recognition with comments from the secret inspectors. For a full list of all 89 Michelin-starred establishments in California visit here.

Nisei
San Francisco, Japanese/Contemporary cuisine

“’Nisei’ refers to the American-born children of Japanese immigrants, which Chef David Yoshimura is; and the synthesis of that heritage forms the basis of this cuisine. The kitchen employs both boldness and subtlety in their cooking, which abounds with personality and technical finesse. The tasting menu is equal parts tradition and invention, where a classic matsutake broth sits in harmony with a wholly original dessert of Okinawan purple sweet potato.”

Osito
San Francisco, Contemporary cuisine

“Chef Seth Stowaway puts his heart, soul and even his nickname (osito means ‘little bear’) into this rustic, lodge-like spot where live-fire cooking takes center stage. The multicourse tasting menu is served at an expansive communal table and changes with the seasons. The food is both elemental and elevated, with a subtle perfume of smoke wending through the various courses, seen in dishes like a lightly cooked king salmon with fennel and porcini,

University of Houston testing new robot waiter

Posted on07/05/202608/08/2023Author

“What we’re finding is guests in the restaurant are coming because of the robot,” said college Dean Dennis Reynolds.

HOUSTON, Texas — The University of Houston is testing a new research project they’re calling the “future of food service.”

Eric’s restaurant on the University of Houston campus serves more than just a menu. It’s also a training ground for students studying hospitality at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership.

“The students feel like they own it. They work here. It’s their restaurant,” Dean Dennis Reynolds said.

More than 80% of restaurant employees are students, but about a month ago, the university hired a new, robotic server.

“What we’re finding is guests in the restaurant are coming because of the robot,” Reynolds said.

It’s a scene straight out of ‘The Jetsons,’ except unlike ‘Rosie,’ ‘Servi’ is the strong, silent type, unless you get in her way.

“Excuse me,” ‘Servi’ said.

The university got the robot to give students hands-on training for tomorrow.

“My goal was to be the first restaurant in the city of Houston to have a robotic server,” Reynolds said. “A lot of people, unfortunately, are teaching kind of what we did 20 years ago, and that’s not going to help the student 10 years from now. So we want the students to see what is the future and this is the future.”

The robot is currently serving as a food runner at the restaurant. She’s first plated and then programmed. Once she arrives at the table, the waiter delivers the food.

“Press the number of the table that you’re sending to and press go,” Executive Chef Tanner Lucas said. “What Servi is going to allow us to do is stay on the floor and really get to interact with our guests. And I think that’s where the heart of hospitality really lies.”

Servi is staying in the restaurant, but the university hopes to one day get more robots, possibly to help out with catering in the banquet halls or even room service in their hotel.

“Can you imagine going to a reception in our big ballroom and having this thing just passing hors d’oeuvres,” Reynolds said.

And they’re not just putting the robot to work, they’re using it for research.

“The data will also tell us what guests think,” Reynolds said.

And the possibilities are endless, because, ready or not, the future is here, no matter how you slice it.

“We just don’t know where this can go,” Reynolds said.

Drink This Every Night Before Bed To Lower Your Blood Sugar

Posted on28/01/202608/08/2023Author

There’s been plenty of buzz around apple cider vinegar (ACV) in recent years. You may have seen it recommended for various ailments, and thanks to its promised health benefits, ACV has become quite popular. But this isn’t just another wellness trend without any science to back it up: Studies around ACV seem to confirm that it really can be beneficial for our health. And if you struggle to regulate your blood sugar, apple cider vinegar could be the answer you’ve been looking for.

While its popularity might be relatively recent, ACV is nothing new. The vinegar, which is made by fermenting crushed apples with probiotics that turn its sugar into acetic acid, has been used as a home remedy for centuries. This compound has a myriad of health benefits, including lowering cholesterol. Key research has also found that it’s an effective way to regulate blood sugar.

How to make apple cider vinegar lower blood sugar?

“A number of studies suggest that vinegar might prevent spikes in blood sugar in people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes by blocking starch absorption,” according to Harvard researcher Robert H. Shmerling, MD. In fact, Arizona State University testing shows that vinegar can blunt blood sugar spikes.

One study on people who have type 2 diabetes (which means the body has trouble using insulin properly) found that drinking ACV every night before bed reduced their resting blood sugar levels in the morning. This is likely due to the acetic acid in vinegar, which has an antiglycemic effect. Here’s how it works: Starch, which we get from foods like potatoes and pasta, is full of glucose and can therefore cause blood sugar to spike. But acetic acid helps us absorb less glucose.

How To Use Apple Cider Vinegar To Lower Blood Sugar

Participants in the Arizona State University study took about two tablespoons of ACV every night, which you can dilute with water to make it more palatable. That won’t affect the vinegar’s benefits, and will also give you a boost of hydration before bed. Just make sure to brush your teeth after, since vinegar can be harmful to tooth enamel.

Struggling with high blood sugar and diabetes can feel overwhelming, but eating a healthy diet, along with taking a daily dose of ACV, can put you on the path to better health. As always, make sure to consult your doctor before starting a new regimen to ensure it’s the right thing for you.