Venerated Bay Area Restaurant Makes New USA Today List of Top Eateries

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — USA Today inaugurated a new feature on Thursday, introducing a Restaurant of the Year list. For the 2024 best-of class, the newspaper picked small town favorites along with culinary luminaries. "The Restaurants of 2024 include buzzy Instagram-worthy spots backed by award-winning chefs, tried-and-true small-town standbys, and pantheons of fine dining worthy of foodies pilgrimages."

Three California restaurants made the list — one each in San Francisco, Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. How many have you tried?

The USA Today article heaps praise on San Francisco's Atelier Crenn, with a glowing review of both the restaurant and its celebrated chef, "At Atelier Crenn, chef and owner Dominique Crenn unites her French heritage with California’s natural bounty to create an unforgettable 14-course pescatarian tasting menu. As the first female chef in the United States to earn three Michelin stars, Crenn is dedicated to providing guests with a unique experience while taking care of the planet. Atellier Crenn is a meat- and dairy-free restaurant with produce supplied by Crenn’s Bleu Belle Farm in Sonoma." The article also praised the restaurant's 2023 makeover, "resulting in a modern dining room with warm wood accents and elements that evoke California’s natural beauty."

In Los Angeles, an entirely different style of eatery was selected — Holbox, "The counter-service eatery in a Los Angeles food hall serves fresh California seafood inspired by chef-owner Gilberto Cetina’s native Yucatan Peninsula. Cetina, a 2023 James Beard finalist for Best Chef: California, opened the restaurant in 2017 in South Central LA’s Mercado La Paloma. Eight restaurants share a common dining area in the converted garment factory that also houses shops and nonprofits."

And the final selection from California is in Palm Desert. Alps Village is described as a restaurant serving German food in a setting that evokes Old World charm. "There are several German favorites on the menu, such as Wiener schnitzel and spätzle (egg noodles), alongside Balkan staples like cevapcici (sausages), shopska salad and cabbage rolls." To complete your meal, it's recommended that you try a piece of "the not-too-sweet white cake."

See all 47 restaurants in the USA TODAY's 2024 Restaurants of the Year article.

Also See:

• 2 Berkeley Brunch Spots Make Eater SF List
• Michelin Guide Recommendations For Alameda
• 4 Romantic Bay Area Restaurants Recommended By Michelin Guide