MICHELIN 2023 RESULTS: Which restaurants won stars, which lost them?

The Michelin Guide International on Tuesday night solidified California’s reputation as a dining mecca, reaffirming all six of the state’s three-star restaurants and all 12 two-star restaurants and praising hundreds of others for impressive cuisine, affordable meals or high sustainability standards.

At the live star ceremony — held, appropriately, in the planetarium at Oakland’s Chabot Space & Science Center — six restaurants joined Michelin at the one-star level: Nari and Aphotic, both in San Francisco, Auro in Calistoga, Chez Noir in Carmel and Southern California’s Heritage and Valle.

“These are truly world-class establishments serving outstanding cuisine,” Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, said about the six restaurants in a statement issued before the event. “In addition, our inspectors found four restaurant teams worthy of the Michelin Green Star. These establishments — and the Golden State as a whole — are truly role models of environmentally conscious gastronomy.”

The new Green Stars went to Pomet of Oakland, a Michelin-recommended restaurant whose owners and chef work with regenerative ranchers and utilize pruned wood for their wood-fire oven; the newly starred Aphotic and Heritage; and the two-star Providence of Los Angeles.

While six gained stars, five restaurants lost theirs, including San Jose’s Adega, whose owners on Sunday announced a plan to close the Little Portugal landmark and replace it with a more casual Portuguese eatery. Their casual concept, Petiscos, received Michelin acclaim in the form of a Bib Gourmand citation for good, affordable food.

The other star losses were Spruce, a Bacchus Restaurant Group property in San Francisco that has held a Michelin star since 2011; Omakase in San Francisco, a starred restaurant since 2016; Hatchet Hall in Los Angeles; and Sushi by Scratch Restaurants in Montecito. All five of those restaurants moved to the Michelin “recommended” list.

As with all changes in star levels, Michelin inspectors — who review anonymously — make no comment regarding deletions from the guide. As per 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; personality of the chef and their cuisine; and consistency between each visit.

Tuesday’s repeat three-star awardees were 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; SingleThread in Healdsburg, from chef Kyle Connaughton and farmer Katina Connaughton; and Addison, in San Diego.

Chef James Syhabout’s Commis in Oakland again earned two stars, a rating that signifies “excellent cuisine, worth a detour.” The other 11 NorCal and SoCal restaurants on the two-star list maintained their status.

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 16 years under a succession of chefs. Christopher Lemerand is the top toque in the Victorian house kitchen.

Both the Plumed Horse in Saratoga, with chef Peter Armellino at the helm, and the Village Pub in Woodside, under the direction of chef Mark Sullivan, retained the one-star status they have held since 2009.

The other one-star recipients from this region included Protégé in Palo Alto, Sushi Yoshizumi in San Mateo, Selby’s in Atherton, Sushi Shin in Redwood City and Wakuriya in San Mateo.

The new guide features praise for 614 California restaurants in categories including exceptional cuisine, good value and sustainability efforts. A total of 87 restaurants representing 14 cuisines earned the coveted stars. Three stars denotes “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”; two stars signifies “excellent cuisine, worth a detour”; and one star “high-quality cooking, worth a stop.”

More highlights and award details: 

— Among the new one-star honorees was Nari in San Francisco, the Thai restaurant inside the Hotel Kabuki from chef Pim Techamuanvivit, whose Kin Khao restaurant in S.F. also holds a Michelin star. She’s also the executive chef of the Michelin-starred Bangkok restaurant Nahm.

The others are Aphotic in San Francisco, where chef Peter Hemsley offers a pescatarian tasting menu; Auro, the contemporary Calistoga resort restaurant from chef Rogelio Garcia; Chez Noir in Carmel, a seasonal French bistro from Johnny and Monique Black; Heritage, a California cuisine specialist in Long Beach from the brother-sister duo of Philip and Lauren Pretty; and Valle, chef Roberto Alcocer’s modern Mexican restaurant at the Oceanside pier.

— Four special awards were announced. The Michelin Outstanding Service Award went to John Schafer of SingleThread in Healdsburg. The Michelin Sommelier Award went to John Haffey of Aubergine in Carmel. Harrison Cheney of Sons & Daughters in San Francisco was presented with the Michelin Young Chef Award. And the Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award went to Austin Hennelly of Kato in Los Angeles.

— Michelin again awarded a star to both of the San Francisco restaurants owned by chef-spouses Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski — State Bird Provisions and The Progress. Cupertino native Brioza (who grew up in Danville) and Los Gatos native Krasinski met at De Anza College in Cupertino, then headed to the Midwest to further their culinary careers before coming back to the Bay Area.

— Sacramento’s one-star honorees — The Kitchen and Localis — retained their status.

— The one-star addition of Chez Noir gives Carmel two restaurants on the list. The other is Aubergine.