SAN FRANCISCO, CA – What does the MICHELIN Guide mean to chefs? That is what I meant to explore when I attended the 2024 MICHELIN Guide California awards at The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay this past week. The San Francisco Peninsula set the setting perfectly for what was an elegant evening filled with positive energy. They truly rolled out the red carpet.

For diners, MICHELIN is a tool for navigation, a barometer for excellence and quality, a way to track their favorite chefs and restaurants. For chefs, MICHELIN is a confirmation of all the hard work they put in and how hard it is to be a successful chef and restaurant owner in the world. They hope to succeed, put everything they have into their work, and then they see the fruits of their labor and love. One thing that stuck with me that a chef said captured the spirit of the journey well: “Don’t give up.”

Chefs teared up and cheered, while others anxiously were watching to see who would win new stars and others wondered if they would retain their stars. The host told jokes and engaged the audience. The MICHELIN award show is essentially the Oscars for chefs, an industry gathering that features the who’s who of the restaurants in each market. Now that MICHELIN is expanding into new markets including Texas (and recently Florida) and adding a hotel component, the guide is essentially embedding itself into society and tourism in a way that is inescapable. The app they have released is clearly meant to compete with other travel apps and help solidify a stamp of approval.

In the end, the stars may come and go, and perhaps restaurants and chefs will rise and fall, but what I noticed in that room was the comradery and friendship that chefs share with each other is pure and good and everlasting. The MICHELIN Guide awards provide a place for chefs to celebrate each other, track their own progress and growth, and that’s a beautiful thing actually in a hard world. Many people who won awards credited other chefs in the room for their success, which is a reminder that no one succeeds alone. At the end of the ceremony all the chefs climbed on the stage together and celebrated together.

Eighty-five MICHELIN Starred restaurants comprise the 2024 edition of the MICHELIN Guide California. Inspectors award three new eateries two MICHELIN Stars and one new Green Star. Seven restaurants received one MICHELIN Star for the first time. 10 new Bib Gourmand restaurants added, bringing the total to 132.

MICHELIN Guide California New Additions:

Two MICHELIN Stars

• Aubergine (Carmel-by-the-Sea; Contemporary/Californian)
• Sons & Daughters (San Francisco; Contemporary)
• Vespertine (Culver City; Contemporary)

One MICHELIN Star

• Hilda and Jesse (San Francisco; American)
• Holbox (Los Angeles; Mexican)
• Kiln (San Francisco; Contemporary)
• Meteora (Los Angeles; Creative)
• R|O-Rebel Omakase (Laguna Beach; Japanese)
• 7 Adams (San Francisco; Californian)
• Uka (Los Angeles; Japanese)

MICHELIN Green Star

• Vespertine (Culver City; Contemporary)

The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors also added 10 restaurants to the Bib Gourmand list, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value: Cedro Italian Restaurant, Grá, Little Fish, Liu’s Cafe, Lola Gaspar, Mae Malai Thai House of Noodles, Manohar’s Deli Palace, Molti Amici, Pollo a la Brasa and Quarter Sheets.

Find the full list at michelinmedia.com.

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a writer and journalist with over 10 years of experience. I write the food and travel blog Carlos Eats (https://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines on numerous topics.