Most locals or visitors in the Napa Valley have heard of restaurants that have received one or more coveted Michelin “stars.”
For anyone who is wondering, Michelin stars and Michelin tires are definitely connected.
The Michelin Guide was born in France and launched by brothers André and Édouard Michelin, of the Michelin tire company.
To help travelers plan trips (and encourage car and tire sales), the Michelin brothers produced a small red guide that included information such as maps, hotels and restaurants.
In 1926, the Michelin Guide began awarding stars to fine-dining restaurants.
At first, a single Michelin star could be received. Later, one, two and three stars were introduced.
According to its website, Michelin reviewers consider five criteria: ingredient quality, harmony of flavors, mastery of culinary technique, how the chef ’s personality shines through their cuisine, and consistency across the entire menu and over time.
Stars are awarded annually. However, stars can also be revoked.
“If we feel the cooking at a restaurant is no longer at the same level that it was, then we would not re-award the Star the following year,” said the Michelin website.
Some people might be surprised to know that the style of a restaurant and its level of comfort or formality have no bearing on the award, according to Michelin. “You can find Michelin Stars everywhere from street food stalls to grand palaces.”
One Michelin star signifies “high-quality cooking” and recognizes restaurants that use top-quality ingredients and prepare dishes with distinct flavors to a consistently high standard.
Two Michelin stars signify excellent cooking and are given to restaurants “where the team’s personalities and talents shine through in expertly crafted dishes, with food that is both refined and inspired.”
Three Michelin stars signify “exceptional cuisine.” Three-star restaurants “tend to have chefs at the peak of their profession, where the cooking elevates the craft to an art form, with some dishes destined to become classics.”
THE FRENCH LAUNDRY/COURTESY PHOTO
While not a star, Michelin also awards the Bib Gourmand designation. It signifies “good quality, good value cooking” and highlights “simple yet skillful cooking at an accessible price.”
Another Michelin list, Selected Restaurants, signifies “good cooking.”
Besides the stars, these Napa Valley restaurants have another thing in common. The menus are “prix fixe” meaning a multi-course meal at a set price. The least expensive dinner at Napa Valley’s Michelin star restaurants starts at $180 per person, plus wine.
Read on about the Napa Valley restaurants on the Michelin lists.
One star: Auro, Calistoga
Auro offers Michelin-starred dining at the Four Seasons resort on the Silverado Trail in Calistoga.
The team at Auro “transforms hyper-seasonal Napa Valley ingredients into seven courses of contemporary American cuisine … refined through French technique with Mexican and Japanese influences,” according to its website.
Cost: $275 per person.
One star: Kenzo, Napa
According to the Kenzo restaurant website, operators dreamed of bringing “an authentic, elegant Japanese dining experience to the Napa Valley.” The vision was “to create a transformative experience, one in which the people, place and flavors unite to create a singular moment in time.”
The downtown Napa restaurant showcases kaiseki delicacies, created with ingredients flown in from Japan. Kaiseki is a service that usually includes appetizers, soup, sashimi, a seasonal dish, simmered dish, grilled dish, rice and dessert.
Cost: $295 per person.
One star: PRESS, St. Helena
PRESS was born in 2005 as a restaurant “exemplifying the food, wine, and people of the Napa Valley.” Located on the St. Helena Highway (Highway 29/128), the restaurant is described as a place for “locals, winemakers, vintners, and guests from around the world to experience the best the Napa Valley has to offer.”
Cost: $195 per person.
One star: The Restaurant, Auberge du Soleil, Rutherford
Founded in 1981 by the French restaurateur Claude Rouas, The Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil is considered a “must experience” culinary destination for many, according to the restaurant website. Chefs source the freshest ingredients from local purveyors, “harvested at their peak of flavor, to create delicious dishes that showcase the region’s best seasonal ingredients.”
Cost: Three courses $180, four $205, per person.
Three stars: The French Laundry, Yountville
Plenty of foodies have heard of The French Laundry restaurant, even if they haven’t eaten there.
According to its website, Yountville’s French Laundry building was originally built as a saloon in 1900. Later it was a residence, and during the 1920s operated as a French steam laundry. In 1978, then-town Mayor Don Schmitt and his wife Sally renovated the structure into a restaurant, which chef Thomas Keller purchased in 1994.
The menu “commits itself to serving classic French cuisine with the finest quality ingredients, along with a similarly intense focus on impeccable guest service,” reads The French Laundry website.
Two tasting menus are offered daily: the Chef ’s Tasting Menu and Tasting of Vegetables. The restaurant is so popular that reservations are released on the first of each month for the following month and dining dates are quickly reserved.
Cost: $425 per person, plus add-ons.
Additional Michelin recognition has been received by other local restaurants:
Napa Valley Michelin ‘Bib Gourmand’ restaurants
• Ciccio, Yountville
Napa Valley Michelin ‘Selected Restaurants’
| • Ad Hoc, Yountville | • Bouchon, Yountville | • Farmstead, St. Helena |
| • La Toque, Napa | • Mustards Grill, north of Yountville | • North Block, Yountville |
| • The Charter Oak, St. Helena |
