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Reviews</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/tvradio/">TV & Radio</a></li> </ul> <h4><span class="mute"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://marketplace.sfgate.com/">Classifieds</a></span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://marketplace.sfgate.com/">»</a></h4> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/mediakit/">Advertise With Us</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/autos/">Cars</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/homes/">Homes</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/jobs/">Jobs</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://sfgate.kaango.com/feListAds/categoryID/717">Merchandise</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://personals.sfgate.com/">Personals</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://sfgate.kaango.com/feListAds/categoryID/699">Pets</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://realestate.sfgate.com/RealEstate/rentals/SearchIndex.asp">Rentals</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="clear"></div></div></div></div><a class="item" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='pointer';" onclick="document.getElementById('popup').style.display='block'; document.getElementById('popmask').style.display='block';"></a></div></li> </ul>      <ul class="sub"> <li class="first"><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/restaurants/">Restaurants</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/recipes/">Recipes</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/wine/">Wine</a></li> <li><strong><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/food/top100/">Top 100 Restaurants</a></strong></li> <li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/wine/top100/">Top 100 Wines</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/food/bargains/">Bargain Bites</a></li> </ul>    <div class="x88"><script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ if (sfgate_yldslotok("x88")) { yld_mgr.place_ad_here("x88"); } //]]> </script></div>  </div>   <div class="contentheader clearfix"> <div class="title"> <h1><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941im_/http://imgs.sfgate.com/templates/types/listings/pages/restaurants/graphics/top_100/2008/top100head.gif" alt="Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants 2008"/></h1> </div> </div> <div class="contentbody clearfix" id="sfg_food"> <div class="column1"> <p class="linklist food"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://sfgate.com/food/top100/2008/">Top 100 Home</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/listings/restaurants/listtop2008?Submit=1">Restaurants A-Z</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/food/top100/2008cuisine">Restaurants by Cuisine</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/listings/restaurants/listtop2008?Submit=1">360° Views</a> </p> <div class="top100logo"><img src="/web/20081103063941im_/http://www.sfgate.com/templates/types/food/pages/top100/2008/images/top100main.jpg"></div> <div class="navigation"> <p class="food"><strong>The 2008 Top 100 Restaurants</strong><br/> <a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/listings/restaurants/listtop2008?Submit=1">A-B</a>  |  <a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/listings/restaurants/listtop2008?Submit=1&o=20">C-G</a>  |  <a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/listings/restaurants/listtop2008?Submit=1&o=45">H-M</a>  |  <a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/listings/restaurants/listtop2008?Submit=1&o=59">N-Z</a> </p> <p class="food"><strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/food/top100/2008cuisine">Restaurants by Cuisine</a></strong></p> <p class="food"><strong>Restaurant Maps</strong><br/> <a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/maps/top100/2008sf">San Francisco</a> | <a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/maps/top100/2008eb">East Bay</a><br/> <a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/maps/top100/2008nb">North Bay</a> | <a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/maps/top100/2008sb">Peninsula/South Bay</a> </p> <div class="thumbs food"> <a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/top1002008?f=/c/a/2008/04/06/CMTOP100INTRO.DTL&o=0"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941im_/http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2008/04/06_t/cm_top1006coco50003_t.gif"></a> <a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/top1002008?f=/c/a/2008/04/06/CMTOP100INTRO.DTL&o=1"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941im_/http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2008/04/06_t/cm_top1006hogslnd07_t.gif"></a> <a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/top1002008?f=/c/a/2008/04/06/CMTOP100INTRO.DTL&o=2"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941im_/http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2008/04/06_t/cm_top1007pzzolo03_t.gif"></a> <a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/top1002008?f=/c/a/2008/04/06/CMTOP100INTRO.DTL&o=3"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941im_/http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2008/04/06_t/cm_top1007slowclb07_t.gif"></a> </div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div class="intro"> <br/> <p><em><strong>Update: June 2008:</strong> <br/> While the next Top 100 won't be published until next April, I want to keep you updated on new, interesting places that will likely make next year's list. These have been recently reviewed. Click on the name to find the review:<br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/05/CMTJ119VD6.DTL&type=food">Beretta</a> <br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/08/LV7E120ML3.DTL&type=food">Camino</a> <br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/27/FD3210S48P.DTL&type=food">Chez TJ</a> <br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/19/FD7E121A8F.DTL&type=food">Cortez</a> <br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/12/CMM5VQP7U.DTL&type=food">Epic Roasthouse</a> <br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/12/FD7E124PE5.DTL&type=food">Jack Falstaff</a> <br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/27/LVOE11PCEO.DTL&type=food">Murray Circle</a> <br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/20/FDAV10KSAI.DTL&type=food">Restaurant at Meadowood</a> <br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/15/FD43VVI94.DTL&type=food">Sea Salt</a> <br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/17/FDVQ1189MN.DTL&type=food">Willi's Wine Bar</a></em> <p><em>The following will need another look before they're included in next year's list:<br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/listings/restaurants/venuetop2008?vid=181548">Silks</a> chef Joel Huff has left</em> </p> </p> <p>I postponed the inevitable until the deadline smacked me in the face. I had turned in 107 absolutely-must-include restaurants for the Top 100. </p> <p>Whittling the list down to 100 might sound easy, but with all the great food in the Bay Area, the challenge seemed monumental. I hoped a light would appear and my path would be made clear. </p> <p>Enlightenment never materialized, so I made some painful cuts using my equally opinionated Food and Wine section colleagues as sounding boards, followed by what seemed like hours of debate. </p> <p>Today you see the 100 that made the cut. Nineteen new names have been added - two more than last year. This year, as always, I revisited all of the restaurants, and was impressed how many maintained their consistency and continued to thrive. In fact, only one restaurant - Scott Howard - had closed, although several changed chefs, ownership or location.</p> <p>A few other observations from a year of eating:</p> <p>-- While there were fewer splashy openings, more personal places such as SPQR in San Francisco and Wood Tavern in Oakland set new standards. </p> <p>-- The majority of the restaurants subscribe to the "organic and sustainable" philosophy, whether the food is Indian, Italian, Japanese, French or American. </p> <p>-- Just about every new restaurant has an artisan cocktail list. Bartenders at places like Slanted Door in San Francisco, Cyrus in Healdsburg and Poggio in Sausalito are seeking out farm-fresh produce, and making their own sweeteners and liqueurs.</p> <p>-- The lounge-restaurant concept, with its de rigueur communal table, continues to influence new places like O Izakaya Lounge in San Francisco and Ubuntu in Napa. </p> <p>-- Wine bars such as Cav and Bar Bambino have revitalized that genre, becoming neighborhood gathering places. In addition, restaurants such as Flora in Oakland and Nopa in San Francisco are defining emerging neighborhoods. </p> <p>-- As I predicted last year, prices have increased, especially in San Francisco, where restaurants have been hit with the living wage, paid sick leave and health insurance trifecta. Some owners are absorbing part of the costs and raising prices to cover the rest, while others are adding a special service charge. When it all shakes out, dining in San Francisco will be more expensive than in other Bay Area cities.</p> <p>Piecing together the Top 100 is like constructing a quilt. I try to assemble restaurants that reflect the region's diversity and includes a wide range of prices, cuisines and locations. My goal is to create a list you can use for all of your dining needs. </p> <p>You'll notice, however, that some cuisines, such as Thai, are not represented. That's because the once-breakout Asian cuisine has been homogenized, with most places serving safe, interchangeable collections of dishes. </p> <p>Because many readers use the guide to help plan special occasions, I've included information about private rooms.</p> <p>As I did last year, I'll update the list throughout the coming months. If a place slips in quality, I'll note it at the top of the online version; if I find a place that likely will deserve a slot next year, I'll let you know that, too.</p> <p>As always, I welcome feedback from readers. It's one of the ways I determine when to revisit restaurants. And if you want to know which places almost made the list and which were cut, see <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=26&entry_id=25453">this blog post, "Who's out of the Top 100 -- and why."</a></p> <p><em>Michael Bauer is The Chronicle's restaurant critic. E-mail him at <span class="food"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941/mailto:mbauer@sfchronicle.com">mbauer@sfchronicle.com</a></span>.</em></p> <p align="right" class="food"><a href="#top">Back to top</a></p> </div> <div id="past100">  </div>  <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941js_/http://cm.npc-hearst.overture.com/js_flat_1_0/?config=2130893885&source=npc_hearst_sanfranciscochronicle_t1_ctxt&maxCount=3&outputCharEnc=latin1&ctxtId=entertainment&type=entertainment&ctxtUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfgate.com%2Ffood%2Ftop100%2F"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ sfg_ShowListings(); //]]> </script>  </div>  <div class="column2 clearfix">  <div id="adpos3" class="ad middle1"><div class="square"> <div class="ad"><script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ if (sfgate_yldslotok("Middle1")) { yld_mgr.place_ad_here("Middle1"); } //]]> </script></div>  </div></div>     <div id="topmost"> <div class="tabs"><a href="#" onclick="this.blur();switchid('topstories', 'most_commented');return false;"><img alt="" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941im_/http://imgs.sfgate.com/graphics/contentmodules/topmost/cre/most_commented_on.gif" name="most_commented" id="most_commented"/></a><a href="#" onclick="this.blur();switchid('mostread','most_read');return false;"><img alt="" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941im_/http://imgs.sfgate.com/graphics/contentmodules/topmost/cre/most_read_off.gif" name="most_read" id="most_read"/></a><a href="#" onclick="this.blur();switchid('mostemailed','most_emailed');return false;"><img alt="" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20081103063941im_/http://imgs.sfgate.com/graphics/contentmodules/topmost/cre/most_emailed_off.gif" name="most_emailed" id="most_emailed"/></a></div> <div class="content"> <div id="topstories"><ol> <li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/02/MNRV13S2MU.DTL" title="Both sides make last-minute Prop. 8 push">Both sides make last-minute Prop. 8 push</a></li><li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/10/31/national/w203225D04.DTL" title="Feds investigating leak about Obama's aunt">Feds investigating leak about Obama's aunt</a></li><li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/02/MN4N13RUA5.DTL" title="Why Obama-McCain race deserves 'historic' label">Why Obama-McCain race deserves 'historic' label</a></li><li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/01/MNOU13P1GT.DTL" title="If Prop. 8 passes, what about those who wed?">If Prop. 8 passes, what about those who wed?</a></li><li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/31/BA8C13RHTU.DTL" title="Prop. 8 still trails, but margin narrows">Prop. 8 still trails, but margin narrows</a></li><li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/02/MNOL13RTV0.DTL" title="Obama looks to rewrite nation's electoral map">Obama looks to rewrite nation's electoral map</a></li><li><a href="/web/20081103063941/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/11/01/national/a132957D66.DTL" title="Mich. woman: Supporting Obama? 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