P2 Top 100 Restaurants 2014 | San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com | Sunday, May 11, 2014 N

FROM MICHAEL BAUER Restaurants by Cuisine Here are the Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants for 2014. The restaurants are in San Francisco unless otherwise noted. The NEW designation indicates the restaurant is on the list for the first time or has So many prospects returned to the list after being off it for at least a year.

AMERICAN/NEW AMERICAN/ Piccino (Italian-inspired) JAPANESE for only 100 spots CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN Picco, Larkspur (NEW) Akiko’s (NEW) The Abbot’s Cellar Prospect Ichi Sushi + Ni Bar (Sushi, izakaya; Ad Hoc, Yountville NEW) Since my first Top 100 Bay (Italian and French (Contemporary) influences) Ippuku, Berkeley (Izakaya) Area Restaurants guide was published 19 years ago, I’ve Bull Valley Roadhouse, Port Costa Redd, Yountville Iyasare, Berkeley (Northeastern; NEW) visited thousands of places, Commonwealth (Contemporary) The Restaurant at from Los Gatos to Calistoga El Paseo, Mill Valley (Chophouse) Meadowood, St. Helena Ramen Shop, Oakland and every place in between. French Laundry, Yountville Rich Table Sushi Ran, Sausalito Compiling the list is an on- (Contemporary) Sante, Sonoma (French; MEXICAN going project. I dine out every Hopscotch, Oakland (with Japanese NEW) night — sometimes I’ll have sensibilities) Sir & Star, Olema (NEW) Comal, Berkeley two or three dinners in an House of Prime Rib (Prime rib) Solbar, Calistoga Mamacita evening — checking out new Madrona Manor, Healdsburg Sons & Daughters Mateo’s Cocina Latina, Healdsburg (Yucatan, with French influences) restaurants and returning to (NEW) Zuni Cafe (Mediterranean) those I’ve previously reviewed. Marlowe Nido, Oakland (NEW) It’s a continual process to Maven (NEW) CHINESE Nopalito reinvigorate the guide and One Market Hong Kong Lounge II come up with the widest range (NEW) MOROCCAN of first-rate choices. Every Park Tavern Yank Sing (Dim sum) Aziza (Contemporary) restaurant represented here Range (NEW) has been visited at least three St. Vincent (New American; NEW) SCANDINAVIAN FRENCH times, and in most cases, more. (New American) Plaj Angele, Napa Each year, I revisit every Spoonbar, Healdsburg John Storey / Special to The Chronicle 2013 Bouchon, Yountville SEAFOOD restaurant on the previous State Bird Provisions La Folie year’s list, and also all the A “duet of salads” is one of (Contemporary) Local’s Corner Nico (Modern; NEW) new places that deserve to be the offerings at Sir & Star Terra/Bar Terra, St. Helena Swan Oyster Depot considered. This year, 20 that won it a place on the list. Town Hall (Southern-inspired) restaurants were added, in- INDIAN SPANISH Wayfare Tavern (NEW) cluding Nido in Oakland, their cooking game enough to Amber India, San Francis- Bocadillos (Tapas) co, Mountain View, San Coqueta in San Francisco, Sir deserve a spot — places like Bravas Bar de Tapas, Healdsburg BASQUE Jose & Star in Olema, and Iyasare Tyler Florence’s Wayfare Tav- (Tapas) Piperade in Berkeley. ern and Hong Kong Lounge II Coqueta (NEW) It’s always a difficult deci- in San Francisco; Picco in ITALIAN (INCLUDING BRITISH Zarzuela (Castilian) sion because for every new Larkspur; and Madrona Manor PIZZERIAS) The Cavalier (NEW) A16 (Campania) addition, a really good restau- in Healdsburg. THAI rant has to be bumped. Fortu- Each year, when I finally Acquerello (Contempo- CALIFORNIA / rary) Lers Ros nately, we live in an area where finish the list, I reawaken to the NORTHERN CALIFORNIA I could compile the Top 200 fact that dining in the Bay Area Bistro Don Giovanni, Napa AQ VEGETARIAN restaurants and still leave out is so rich. It’s inarguably one of Bottega, Yountville Bar Agricole (NEW) Greens some spectacular choices. the best places to eat in the Ciccio, Yountville (NEW) Bar Tartine (Eastern European and Aside from the places in- United States, and maybe the Cotogna VIETNAMESE cluded that opened last year, world. Japanese influences) Delfina Slanted Door some restaurants that have — Michael Bauer, Boulevard (Contemporary) been around for a while upped Chronicle restaurant critic Camino, Oakland (Wood-fired) Flour + Water Central Kitchen Gialina / Ragazza (Pizza) / Cafe at Chez La Ciccia (Sardinian) The guide to the list Panisse, Berkeley (Mediterranean) Oenotri, Napa (Southern) PRICES Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants 2014 Coco500 Perbacco / Barbacco Refers to the cost of main courses at A product of The San Francisco Chronicle (Contemporary) Pizzaiolo / Boot & Shoe dinner Service, Oakland (Pizza) Etoile, Yountville NOISE Created by: Michael Bauer / [email protected]; (415) 777-8463 Farmshop, Larkspur (NEW) Poggio, Sausalito (North- ern) A Pleasantly quiet (under 65 decibels) Editor: Miriam Morgan / [email protected]; (415) 777-6246 Foreign Cinema (Mediterranean) Redd Wood, Yountville AA Can talk easily (65-70 decibels) Editorial assistant: Sarah Fritsche / [email protected]; (415) 777-6042 Frances (Pizza) AAA Talking normally gets difficult Art Director: Erick Wong / [email protected]; (415) 777-8498 Gary Danko (California-French) Scopa / Campo Fina, (70-75 decibels) Cover illustration: Heather Hardison / Special to The Chronicle , Los Gatos Healdsburg AAAA Can talk only in raised voices (Contemporary) SPQR (Modern) (75-80 decibels) Advertising: Karleen Arnink-Pâté, VP of strategic Revenue Nojo (Japanese) Tosca Cafe (Rustic B Too noisy for normal conversation [email protected]; (415) 777-7373 Nopa Italian; NEW) (80+ decibels)