In the meantime, her French eatery was ranked in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and earned her a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the West. Though Crenn garnered her first Michelin star in 2012 and then her second the following year, it took eight years for her to achieve three-star status.
The honor bears particular significance, as it highlights historic gender disparities in both professional kitchens and trusted international culinary guides. One of the new additions to the coveted Bay Area Michelin star category, Atelier Crenn chef-owner Dominique Crenn became the first woman to head a three-star restaurant in the United States. Helena’s The Restaurant at Meadowood and Yountville’s The French Laundry. The Bay Area restaurants that kept their top-dog status include San Francisco’s Benu, and Quince Los Gatos’ Manresa St. In Michelin speak, three stars means “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”. Additionally, with the advancement of San Francisco’s Atelier Crenn and Healdsburg’s SingleThread from two to three stars, the area is now home to seven three-star restaurants, maintaining its edge over New York City (which has five). Of these establishments, seven achieved star status for the first time or had their stars elevated. With the awards canceled in 2020, the pre-pandemic results for Bay Area Michelin starred restaurants are still mostly in place.
The esteemed Michelin Guide awarded stars to 57 San Francisco Bay Area restaurants-the most the region has ever seen, making 2019 a record-breaking year. It’s official: Northern California is the nation’s fine-dining capital.