Everything in the state of California seems so great, the beaches, the people, the houses, the luxuries, the music, and most certainly the food. California is a chill spot to live, an awesome place to visit, and is most certainly the place to be if you enjoy spontaneously jumping in the ocean.
However, one of the things that make California so awesome is most definitely its food scene. The state of California has some of the nicest culinary spots in the entire country, and we could go on and on about just how sumptuous a typical Cali meal is.
However, we’ll go straight to the main course and try not to bore you with appetizers. California has some of the finest restaurants in the entire United States of America, and are headed by the finest chefs around. You’ll be sure to be getting value for money with each meal you savor.
Here we’ll be giving you a low down on some of the best restaurants in California. We will be profiling some of the minds behind such culinary masterpieces, and educating you on the dishes they are best known for.
At the end of it all, we’ll go in-depth while examining a three Michelin star restaurant located in California, a place that ticks all the boxes and would get your taste buds dancing in glee. So without further ado, let’s get to winning and dining in the best restaurants that California has to offer!
The Best of the Best
California never skips a beat, and it’s sure not going to start missing when serving delicious meals in some of the finest restaurants in the state. These are some of the most popular fine dining options when talking about culinary delicacies, and you’ll see why they’ve earned a spot on our super competitive list as a result. Here we go!
1) Trois Mec
The Trois Mec is top of our list thanks to its enviable features, and we’re here to share some well-deserved love for this LA culinary legend. Trois Mec has certainly earned its stripes, this is a restaurant that brought the fun to LA, and introduced the funk to wining and dining.
Formed by the power trio consisting of Chef Ludo Lefebvre and restaurateur pair Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, the Trois Mec typically starts with an array of delectable appetizers, before the restaurant-goers will be served with the five-course meal.
The fun part about this restaurant is that the tasting menu is ever-changing, so it’s fair to say that the element of surprise is always present, giving the diners something to look forward to each time.
This restaurant is a highly exclusive dining experience, as there are only twenty-four seats available. This means that you have to make a timely and proper reservation in advanced to secure your spot. Speaking of reservations, it takes a hefty $110 fee to make a reservation, and it’s worthy of note that such a reservation is not refundable.
Worth noting is the signature appetizer of the Trois Mec is the mustard crème brûlée and crispy tapioca with parmesan and passion fruit. This Michelin star restaurant is one for the books and definitely worth making a reservation.
2) State Bird Provisions
San Fransisco has some lovely restaurants indeed, and one of the finest you can find is most certainly the State Bird Provisions. State Bird Provisions is a visionary, dim sum-style restaurant that blurs the lines between urban and classic, making for a lovely experience for a variety of people that enjoy California.
Opened by master chefs Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski, this restaurant was initially meant to be a temporary side hustle while they dreamt up an entirely different restaurant project. Little did they know, State Bird Provisions would turn out to be one of the finest culinary spots in the whole United States of America.
This side hustle grew in demand and stature quickly. The caliber of patrons improved, and before the owners knew it, they were sitting on a gold mine. The restaurant won the prestigious Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurant of the Year, and as it goes, nothing was the same.
This restaurant has earned numerous awards for its originality, cool restaurant interior, and most importantly the quality of the food being served. You don’t have to look further than the miso caesar asparagus with seaweed breadcrumb and sourdough pancakes with sauerkraut, pecorino & ricotta to know why exactly the food spot has become such a hit in San Francisco, as well as California as a whole!
3) Chez Panisse
The oldest on the list and the undeniable godfather of California culinary arts, the Chez Panisse were founded way back in 1971 by Alice Waters, and it has been going strong ever since. It’s almost unheard of to see culinary spots being in operation for so long, but anyone that has tasted a meal ast the Chez Panisse would know that this spot isn’t your average culinary spot. It is a whole different ball game if we’re being honest.
In fact, it was one of the first restaurants that showed the world that you could prepare a world-class delicacy with select ingredients in record time, even giving rise to an entire community in the process.
The Chez Panisse is a restaurant that cares about the people, as it has a versatile price list that caters for the average earners right up to the Hollywood A-Listers. People looking for value for money as well as a great dish should circle Mondays on their calendars, as that day typically belongs to frugal clients thanks to the simpler, more rustic tasting menu coupled with a lesser price tag.
4) Guerrilla Tacos
You knew we weren’t going to compile a list of the top restaurants in Cali without paying homage to Tuesday’s trademark treat, the terrific Taco! Tacos have developed a cult-like status in California specifically Los Angeles, this is because of a variety of reasons, which we will intimate you about in a bit.
Guerrilla Tacos are all about making the best tacos around and selling them from old school trucks and newer age trucks all over the city. It was created by the great culinary guru Wesley Avila who has made street-made meals an art form.
The most famous meal in Guerrilla Tacos is the sweet potato tacos with fried corn, feta, and almond chile, this is a meal that has captured the attention of residents of LA since the truck business began. It’s pretty easy to spot the trucks, as they are usually parked strategically in front of LA’s hip coffee shops. The menus are available on-site, but for further information and proper booking, you can easily do your bit on their website.
The Crème of the Crop
As we said, California has some of the finest restaurants in the entire United States of America, residents are pretty spoilt for choice at this stage. As a result of this, it was pretty hard to find a culinary spot that trumped the competition, but when in doubt you can refer to the Michelin star ranking.
There are a host of three Michelin-star restaurants in Cali, but none comes close to the artistry that is the Atelier Crenn, a restaurant that simply oozes class. Speaking of which, let’s tell you a bit about our favorite Cali food spot.
Atelier Crenn
Located in San Francisco, and headed by the great Chef Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn has earned its reputation as one of the grandest spots in the United States of America. First of all, the staff in this restaurant are super tidy, extremely hospitable, great at what they do, and they are incredibly efficient.
Then there’s the quality of dishes being served in this culinary hotspot, restaurant-goers are spoilt for choice, with the star dish being “the spiny lobster with dots of apple butter and a warm ginger-whey foam coated in a wondrous creation brimming with flavor and depth”.
That’s not all, you’ll also be blessed with the tender abalone with smoked mussel sauce and the cabbages are deliciously divine. The head chef, Dominique Crenn is committed to giving restaurant-goers value for their money, and that has earned plaudits from far and wide, as the three Michelin stars are a fine testament of the good work being done.
Final Thoughts
The people of California sure love a good meal, and going out to luxurious culinary spots is an acquired taste for the typical resident of Cali. Thankfully they are spoilt for choice, as there are a remarkable 90 starred Michelin restaurants in the state, and more seem to be in the offing.
All a person needs to do is a scheme through the net, go out for a stroll, and such a person would find a result that’ll suit his or her budget in due time. Be it San Francisco, LA, or the rest, Cali never comes last in giving premium, tasty, and quality content for her esteemed clientele.
