San Francisco Chronicle does its annual Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants issue and it was in the Chronicle sunday paper this morning. This year the presentation is much nicer since it is in full color (instead of the pink newpaper quality paper and black ink).

I've always enjoyed reading it, and like any list, there are ones on the list that are questionable IMO and many left off that are deserving. I appreciate the list in that it doesn't just have the most expensive restaurants, but has some selections that have exceptional food at good prices. I have to admit that we do not go out as much, so I cannot judge the quality of the list overall. But, I do know our area (Danville, San Ramon) pretty well. I believe that prior years had Blackhawk Grille, 301 Bistro and Cafe Esin on it. This year, I would have expected La Salamandre to be added and Cafe Esin to be dropped. Instead, Cafe Esin is the ONLY restaurant in our area listed.

I took my wife to Cafe Esin for her last birthday. I made reservations and didn't tell her where we were going until I picked her up. When I told her, she gave me a puzzled look as to ask why Cafe Esin? I had not been there before, but she had been there many times (girl's night out, lunch with friends, etc.). She said that she could never figure out why people take her there. That night, I was asking myself the same thing. The food ranged from so-so to good. But the problem is that there is nothing that we don't make better at home. The Chronicle lists their specialties as "Squash risotto; pot roast with garlic mashed potatoes; Caesar salad; any dessert particularly the black-bottomed banana creme tart or Esin's baklava." We had most of those dishes and even though in the text the Chronicle raves about the the wife's desserts (her name is Esin), Marie Calendar makes better pies and most middle eastern hole-in-the-wall's make better baklava.

I can live with Cafe Esin remaining on the list, but leaving it in and taking out 301 Bistro (my favorite local restaurant) and Blackhawk Grille (the best place to impress someone locally) is riduculous.

BTW, O Chame has been on the list forever. I've always thought that if this was located in San Francisco Japantown instead of 4th street Berkeley, that it would have gone out of business long ago.

Come to think of it, I rely on Jones' restaurant reviews more than the Chronicle's Michael Bauer's anyway. I used to read the Chronicle restaurant review religiously each sunday, but I haven't read it in years.

I looked at last year's list and I have to make a correction. Cafe Esin was the only restaurant in my area on that list as well. I may be confusing the Diablo (local) Magazine for the best restaurants in our area. At least they get it right.

What does the Chronicle know anyway? A bunch of lefties don't know how to eat!

That'll get me in trouble with somebody

yes david, but will they tell you or just blindside you later .

Michael Bauer has tremendous power to make or break a restaurant. If he totally trashes you (and you are a top line venue) you can pretty much kiss it goodbye either permanently or for awhile. About two years ago he was doing nothing but trashing places. Review after review was very negative. I lost some respect for him at that time. He is a decent writer so his reviews are coherent and well laid out. This can't be said of all the food writers (and even less of the sports writers).

It is unfortunate that Michael Bauer does have so much influence. I remember looking forward to reading the Sunday Dining Out when Patricia Untermann used to do it, but have found myself ignoring it since Michael Bauer took it over. The funny thing is that I didn't think Untermann was that good, so that tells you what I think of Bauer.

GATC: It will only get worse. The restaurant critic/hack for the Hartford Courant (Bill Dailey) left last month to take a job with the SF Chron. For the life of me I can't figure out why a major newspaper with one of the top two culinary scenes in the Western Hemisphere would have hired a guy with such a pedestrian palate and less than basic understanding of wine. If he is what the SF Chron. thinks is top talent, then your paper is in trouble. Maybe his witing/citiqueing will improve out there. For your sake, I hope so.

Yes, JimmyV he is out here now. Check out http://www.sfgate.com/eguide/food/chroniclefood/writers/. It says he'll be writing on food and wine...

And based on Daley's early efforts, it looks like JimmyV has hit the nail on the head.

Btw, Michael Bauer is now the features editor, and not the food editor. Michael still does restaurant reviews. Miriam Morgan is now the Food Editor at the Chronicle.

Interesting link. BTW, we were at Santana Row (San Jose) yesterday and loved it. We went for the Peter Max grand opening, but the European atmosphere is so nice - lots of outdoor spaces to sit and snack and hang around. They have a nice chess area with a large set reminiscent of the one in Salzburg. We love the concept of apartments above nice restaurants and shops. The shops are pretty unique (some that you would only see in places like Paris and Milan). The restaurants we saw were the kind you go to often (e.g. Left Bank). Bradley Ogden has his new Yankee Pier restaurant there and Martin Yan is opening a more upscale restaurant that his take-out places. Since I am not a fan of either, we ate at the Left Bank.

It is really good to see planners and architects design spaces like they do in Europe. Nice piazzas can really add to a city.

GATC, you mean this chessboard?
Chessboard
This is my favorite...
Salzburg, Friday Afternoon
I can't wait to go back.....

Stealthman_1, that is the one. Great shots of the castle as well. Funny thing is that this is one of the more impressive castles from far away (especially when you first see it from the train), but pretty dull inside. The view from it is pretty spectacular, though.

The little chapel is one of the simplist in Europe I think. They are doing some pretty extensive renovation so maybe in the future it will be a little more interesting.