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11 Splurge-worthy Dining Destinations in California VCW_SI_T7_Matchbox_CourtesyofMatchbox__Hero_1280x642
Courtesy of Matchbox

11 Splurge-worthy Dining Destinations in California

The food scene in California is a head-spinning array of almost every cuisine, with chefs creating globally influenced creations that celebrate the ultimate in fresh, locally sourced ingredients. But even in this bounty of restaurant riches, some chefs create meals and settings that are so magical, so completely perfect and unforgettable, that they should be on every visitor’s wish list. Here are some of California’s most amazing dining destinations, with most of them following the one constant mantra of locally sourced ingredients that change with the seasons. Choose from sophisticated city settings or elegant finds along country roads or the edge of the sea. Find one that fits your style and your travels, or make one (or more) a trip in itself—they are all different, and all worth it.

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7 San Francisco Standouts

7 San Francisco Standouts
Restaurants with Michelin star power

With the abundance of the Pacific directly to the west and the bounty of farmlands in all the other directions, the San Francisco Bay Area is rightfully known as having one of the nation’s hottest food scenes. It’s no surprise then that local chefs are dedicated to the three tenets of California cuisine: organic, local, and sustainable, and these seven Michelin-starred restaurants celebrate that trio in stellar form.

First up, Berkeley’s Chez Panisse. Since 1971, Chef and farm-to-table pioneer Alice Waters has been the driving force behind this celebrated—and much lauded—restaurant. Here you can expect rustic, refined cuisine, expertly prepared using the freshest in-season ingredients. How fresh? Much of the produce grown at Petaluma’s Green String Farm, less than an hour’s drive from Berkeley. 

Across the bay, some of the region’s finest restaurants can be found in San Francisco. Gary Danko has held the standard for high-end dining at his eponymous restaurant since 1999. Dramatic, contemporary lighting sets the stage for an intimate experience that screams “special occasion that you’ll never forget.” Save room for an end-of-meal visit from the legendary cheese cart.

Downtown, celebrity chef Michael Mina serves up Japanese-French-California fusion with unparalleled sophistication at his eponymous restaurant. Insider’s tip: the Mina line of restaurants runs deep in the Bay Area, so you can also check out his expert oversight at Bourbon Beef, Pabu, and several others located throughout the region.

At Coi, in the city’s lively North Beach neighborhood, chef Daniel Patterson dreams up artfully inventive plates with lesser-known local ingredients, like a wintertime offering of live Santa Barbara sea urchin, Meyer lemon, radishes, and kohlrabi. Chef Joshua Skenes consistently impresses critics and diners at his seafood-centric Saison. 

For a visual feast that also happens to taste amazing, book a table at Atelier Crenn, where gifted chef Dominique Crenn creates magic on a plate. Micro-greens, edible flowers, and dabs of sauces and foams elevate dishes from just-plain-dinner to undeniable art. 

About an hour’s drive south of San Francisco, executive chef David Kinch brings French and Catalan influences to his modern menu at Manresa, in Los Gatos. Produce is grown exclusively for the restaurant at Love Apple Farms in the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains and is harvested each morning for the night’s meal. In nearby Saratoga, ask for a tour of the glass-encased 1,800-bottle wine cellar at Plumed Horse. Situated at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains, this classic is the gem of the Bay Area’s secret (and amazing) wine country. Contemporary California cuisine by chef/owner Peter Armellino is top notch. 

11 Splurge-worthy Dining Destinations in California Curtis Image to Refresh_1
Courtesy of Providence

Star Restaurants in the L.A. Region

Star Restaurants in the L.A. Region
Celebrity chefs and top-notch cuisine

It should come as no surprise that L.A. is the birthplace of the celebrity chef, where top-notch cuisine and some of the industry’s biggest names are behind the best restaurants in L.A.

At Wolfgang Puck’s Spago, a perennial favorite in Beverly Hills, chef Lee Hefter and chef de cuisine Tetsu Yahagi present both classic and modern dishes served in the sleek black-and-white dining room and glassed-in patio with twinkling lights. Just be ready to gratefully accept the 5:30 or 10:30 reservation, or if walk-in is more your style, grab a seat at one of the centrally located cocktail tables (first-come, first-served) where you’ll have eyes on the surrounding action. FYI, amiable chef Puck often visits the dining room during dinner time, so keep your eyes peeled.

Also located in Beverly Hills, Maude showcases the admirable skills of celebrity chef Curtis Stone (Iron Chef America, Top Chef). Every month, a single ingredient serves as inspiration for the 9-course tasting menu created by the popular Aussie chef. But make reservations as soon as you know your travel plans: no more than 25 diners are seated at a time.

On Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, Michael Cimarusti’s Providence has created one of the finest seafood restaurants in the country, putting his modernist techniques to good use with wild-caught sustainable fish and eclectic L.A. flavors. At Lucques in West Hollywood, chef Suzanne Goin serves up California cuisine with a global twist (harissa is a staple on her menus). Her cooking looks effortless, a blend of elegant dishes and comfort food delivered to diners in silent-screen star Harold Lloyd’s former carriage house.  

In Santa Monica, formal service and fine French technique reign supreme at two- Michelin-star Mélisse, where chef/owner Josiah Citrin (a veteran of L.A.’s gourmet scene) focuses on the sublime (lobster, caviar), and the simple (lentils), all with outstanding results. 

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Napa's Top Tables

Napa's Top Tables
Premier wine country means premier chefs

Receiving three Michelin stars is no easy task. In fact, there are only a handful of restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area to achieve top honours. One of these standouts hardly needs introduction. The French Laundry, led by the incomparable chef Thomas Keller. Actually, it’s Sir Thomas Keller: in 2011, he received the Insignia of the Chevalier by the French Legion of Honour, similar in spirit to being knighted in the UK, for his contributions to French cuisine in the United States. Though chef Keller’s presence has gone global, The French Laundry is still his home base, serving California cuisine using French technique with only the most superlative ingredients. The nine course chef’s tasting menu changes daily but look for decadent combos, like caviar paired with smoked sturgeon, hen egg mousse, Persian cucumbers, garden dill, and horseradish crème fraiche. Many of these ingredients are sourced from the garden across the street. Insider tip: call to book a table as soon as you know your travel dates, and be flexible about days and times. For more availability, consider lunch reservations.

Another noteworthy destination is The Restaurant at Meadowood, located 20 minutes north of Yountville, in the well heeled wine country town of Saint Helena. In flawlessly elegant and leafy surroundings, chef Christopher Kostow takes the reins, meticulously plating ingredients that are sourced directly from the surrounding land and on-site garden for an experience 'steeped in a sense of place'. For a you-only-live-once splurge, consider spending the night in one of the ultra-luxurious bungalows at the 250-acre private estate.  

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Aubergine

Aubergine
Bold flavors awaken this sleepy seaside town

Located in the ultra-luxurious L’Auberge Carmel (of Relaix & Chateaux fame), Aubergine is just the type of restaurant you want to settle into after a day of exploring Carmel-by-the-Sea. With only nine tables in the main dining room, and a 2,500-bottle wine cellar focusing on French and Monterey County wines, intimacy and excellence are the undoubted stars of Aubergine, a James Beard Foundation Semifinalist. Chef Justin Cogley puts his signature touch on a finely crafted assortment of California-inspired and locally sourced dishes. Two set menu options (prix fixe with optional cheese pairing and a chef’s tasting menu) are offered nightly and change daily to showcase the best seasonal ingredients. Cogley’s savory entrées pair perfectly with the sweet treats prepared by skilled pastry chef Ron Mendoza. 

A dessert from George's on the Cove, a restaurant in La Jolla, California
JessicaHTam/Flickr

4 Top San Diego Eats

4 Top San Diego Eats
A SoCal city teeming with hot restaurants

From five-star French cuisine to casual farm-to-table fare, San Diego’s dining scene is varied and enticing. For a fine-dining treat in the ultra-posh Grand Del Mar hotel, reserve a table at the award-winning Addison, where Relais & Chateaux Grand Chef William Bradley cooks up artisanal ingredients under contemporary French influences. Elegantly plated dishes from the multi-course menus arrive at a steady tempo and service is impeccable. For unbeatable views, opt for a waterfront experience at George’s at the Cove in La Jolla. Taste chef Trey Foshee’s irresistible potatoes with garlic, roasted chicken, and strawberry figs (the latter sourced fresh from nearby Chino Farms).

Equally indulgent is Bertrand at Mister A’s in Bankers Hill, an elegant eatery with bay and skyline views close to downtown. Toast a watercolor sunset from the wraparound balcony and indulge in Wagyu beef consommé with foraged mushrooms. Over in the trendy Gaslamp Quarter, Searsucker makes its mark with classic American fare, set against a contemporary backdrop of distressed leather and exposed beam ceilings. 

11 Splurge-worthy Dining Destinations in California VCW_SI_T7_MatchBox_laura_Courtesy_Matchbox_1280x642
Courtesy of Matchbox

Matchbox

Matchbox
Casual fare in a desert oasis

This retro resort town known for its midcentury modern style has shed its reputation for steak-and-béarnaise heavy menus in favor of more modern, local cuisine. At Matchbox Vintage Pizza Bistro, crispy, thin-crust pies are fired up in an authentic wood-fired masonry oven that sizzles at 800-plus degrees for perfectly charred crust. Not in the mood for pizza? Take in the views of Mount San Jacinto and Palm Canyon Drive while you enjoy classically prepared bistro dishes like porcini-rubbed rib eye and wood oven roasted chicken.

Other worth-it destinations include Tinto in the Saguaro Hotel; Iron Chef Jose Garces creates creative tapas warmly rustic and inviting setting—great for a hot night when you want to eat light but eat well. Also consider Essence, the sophisticated restaurant of the swanky Two Bunch Palms resort and spa in Desert Hot Springs. Enjoy the mountain views as French born chef Cossi Houegban present dramatic combinations, such as tempura-fried Blue Lake green beans with crisp lemon and truffle emulsion.

The Kitchen in Sacramento
Courtesy of The Kitchen

Top Sacramento Restaurants

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Top Sacramento Restaurants
The capital of farm to fork dining

Known as the nation’s farm to fork capital, the Sacramento area is home to nearly 8,000 acres of boutique farmland and boasts the largest certified farmers market in California. So it goes without saying that the city’s best restaurants are sourcing from some of the finest farms in California. Read on for details of just a few.

For more than 20 years, the Selland Family has been promoting the local food movement, and nowhere is that better demonstrated than at The Kitchen. Executive chef Kelly McCown continues the culinary legacy of Randall Selland, with five-course seasonal menus including dishes such as braised Montana beef cheeks with black truffle agnolotti and Yunnan black tea shortbread. With just one seating per night, it’s not easy to get a place, but once you do, you’re in for the kind of exceptional dining experience that has made The Kitchen the first Sacramento restaurant to earn a Michelin star.

With it being so difficult to get a table at The Kitchen, it’s fortunate that it isn’t the only Michelin-worthy restaurant in town. Also recognised for excellence by the organisation are Canon and Frank Fat’s—both have earned the Bib Gourmand Award, given to more affordable restaurants that offer exceptional food and service.

Another excellent option is Biba, which focuses on authentic Italian dishes made with (you guessed it) ultra-fresh—and often locally grown—ingredients. The prix-fixe menus (lunch is a total bargain) lets you sample dishes that are light years ahead of the usual spaghetti with meatballs fare; consider tonarelli al cacio e pepe (fresh square-shaped spaghetti pasta with Pecorini Stagiano cheese and pepper) or salmone alla Griglia (grilled salmon with butter-braised fennel, farro, caramelised onions and Chianti vin cotto). 

Other local favourites showcasing farm-to-fork dishes are purveyors of Californian Modern American cuisine Grange, swanky Ella’s Dining Room & Bar and homely Mulvaney’s B&L, with a menu that changes daily to reflect the seasonal harvest at local farms. With offerings that are described as 'American, meatless and craveable'. For ramen that is obsessively homemade, from the broth to the tare to the noodle, there’s Shoki Ramen

Bookend your day with visits to places that dispense treats of the liquid variety—kick things off with a self-described 'farm-to-cup' coffee at Temple Coffee Roasters, and end the day with a craft beer or cocktail (with, in one case, an optional haircut & shave) at Bottle & Barlow, Ruhstaller or West Sacramento’s Drake’s: The Barn

Insider tip: to satisfy a late-night sweet-tooth craving, long-time Sacramento favourite Marie’s Donuts is open from 11 pm  to 4 pm  and offers a great apple fritter too.

 

 

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Santa Barbara Dining

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Santa Barbara Dining
An under-the-radar foodie haven, Santa Barbara serves it all

When it comes to food, Santa Barbara means business. This romantic Central Coast city is home to more than 400 restaurants, offering visitors the chance to experience every sort of regional flavour. The area’s laidback luxury style means that you can enjoy world-class dishes without the pomp and circumstance. (Read: Leave that tie at home). Thanks to plenty of rich farmland, the ocean’s fresh bounty, and exceptional wines growing on the surrounding hills, Santa Barbara offers incredible ingredients for its noteworthy restaurants.

Consider first Bouchon Santa Barbara (the product of celebrated restaurateur Mitchell Sjerven), where the motto is “as fresh and local as possible”. It’s a mantra you can see on the menu, highlighting fresh catch of the day from right off the coast, as well as produce and artisanal foods from local farms and food purveyors. Wine pairings featuring local vintages are highly recommended. The Palace Grill is another great choice for upscale dining; multiple presidents have enjoyed meals here.

Once frequented by Julia Child, La Super Rica Taqueria serves straightforward Mexican food in a bright little shop. Thanks to its cheffy reputation, a line starts forming right when the restaurant opens, with locals and tourists alike waiting for their taste the Especial. Just down the street sits one outpost of the family-owned local chain, Los Agaves. Try traditional Oaxacan there in a casual setting, or go upscale with the family’s sister eatery, Santo Mezcal, where you can sample the famous chile relleno in a hearty burrito.

A relative upstart of a neighbourhood, Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone is packed with shops, tasting rooms, galleries, and restaurants. One of the best, The Lark, celebrates the Central Coast with New American–style inside of a stunningly beautiful converted fish market. For a less expensive but doughier affair, head to the neighbouring Lucky Penny. Under the same restaurant group as The Lark, Lucky Penny slings charred-crust pizza out of its wood-fired oven and pours craft coffee morning, noon, and night.

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Santa Barbara Vacationist: The Foodie
If tasting your way through a destination is your kind of adventure, then you definitely qualify as a Food & Wine Vacationist. And Santa Barbara is your dream culinary paradise.
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Soupstanc/Flickr

Erna's Elderberry House

Erna's Elderberry House
A grand European chateau just south of Yosemite

In the most unsuspecting of places outside the South Gate of Yosemite National Park sits vine-covered Erna’s Elderberry House, named for the elderberry bushes covering the surrounding grounds. The restaurant and adjacent Château du Sureau (French for elderberries) opened in 1984, when proprietress Erna Kubin-Clanin followed a lifelong dream to create a spot for folks with the “simplest of tastes” who “only want the best,” as Oscar Wilde once said. The quote, which perfectly sums up the Erna’s experience, hangs over the kitchen door. You’ll do well to dive into such decadent dishes as beef loin with chestnut mousse and sweet potato with bone marrow croquettes, which Chef de Cuisine Jonathon Perkins whips up for the rotating prix fixe menu. Savor each bite and allow yourself to be transported, at least momentarily, into a European country estate adorned with antique French furnishings, grand tapestries, and classical oil paintings. For an even greater Erna’s experience, sign on for a half-day weekend cooking class or three-day cooking school with nightly six-course dinners—that you help prepare. Oh, and you get to have sleepovers too.  

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Courtesy of Folie Douce

Arcata and Albion Dining Discoveries

Arcata and Albion Dining Discoveries
Tucked-away finds focus on fresh

A welcome addition to the mix of college eateries surrounding Humboldt State University in the town of Arcata, just north of Eureka. Here, Folie Deuce presents a hearty menu focusing on sustainable and organic ingredients. Think locally sourced American staples complemented with global flavors—wasabi steak with jasmine rice and Asian greens and Israeli-spiced black cod with roasted faro. Once a month, the restaurant prepares a gourmet prix fixe menu that benefits the region’s public schools.

For dinner in an especially romantic coastal setting, venture north of Mendocino to the tiny village of Albion, and the deceptively simple Ledford House Restaurant. This is the kind of place you’ll probably want to hang out in for hours, watching the sun go down over the ocean as you sip local wines and dine on Provencal-style dishes. There’s plenty to keep you warm and well-fueled—nothing much better than digging into a packed-full seafood stew or a rich cassoulet after a long hike along the ocean bluffs or in a redwood forest.

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Food, Wine, & Nightlife

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Food, Wine, & Nightlife
Find ace chefs and follow an urban wine trail

The warehouse-filled back streets of the East Bay are attracting urban wine warriors who like blending and bottling in the middle of city buzz. More than 20 wineries dot Oakland and the nearby cities of Berkeley, Emeryville, and Alameda; visit them on your own, or consider taking an entertaining guided tour by bike with East Bay Winery Bike Tours.

Oakland and surrounding cities are also enjoying a culinary renaissance as celebrated chefs open new establishments in up-and-coming neighborhoods such as Uptown, Jack London Square, Grand Avenue, and Glenview. Try sophisticated tapas at always-packed Bocanova, contemporary Japanese at Ozumo, or charcuterie and craft cocktails at Adesso. Chicken and waffle fans flock to West Oakland’s Brown Sugar Kitchen, where chef Tanya Holland puts her creative twist on classic soul food dishes.

Oakland is becoming a hotbed of artisanal food makers too, with getting-to-be-household names like Numi Teas, Blue Bottle Coffee and Linden Street Brewers making the region home base for operations. Learn more about this new wave on a guided walking tour with Savor Oakland, focusing on food, culture, and history. Wind down the evening and recline in Kasbah-like splendor at Layover.