Stargazing: Michelin to announce full list of restaurants included in California guide on Monday

The crawfish tart amuse bouche at Field Restaurant in Prague.
Photo credit: Lauren J. Mapp

Dining for the first time at a Michelin star-rated restaurant will be a memory that will delight (and in some ways, haunt) me for the rest of my life.

While traveling through Central and Eastern Europe in January, we splurged in our last city of the trip with a meal at Field Restaurant in Prague. 

Before entering this farmer-chic establishment, I had a skewed perception of what a Michelin meal would be. Visions of pristine, white tablecloths, $30 glasses of wine and tiny dishes that I could neither recognize nor pronounce had always swirled through my mind.

But what we got was an incredible yet down-to-earth experience, complete with six courses. It was pricy, but not as overwhelmingly expensive as I had previously imagined it would be. From the three rounds of amuse bouche plates to the poppy seed gelato, the food far outpaced every meal that proceeded it during our trip.

When we left, the hostess already had our coats ready for us, and she held them while we slipped our arms in. No fumbling with our coats and mittens. No awkwardly bunchy chunk of fabrics behind our backs while we ate dinner. 

Now to the "haunting" aspects of my meal: the high-caliber of flavors and service made returning to San Diego's transitional, but growing, food scene difficult. Don't get me wrong, I've had many amazing meals in the city that has become my home over the last 14 years, but nothing meets that single meal in Prague.

Luckily for foodies throughout San Diego County, Michelin is publishing a guide this year for all of California. This week, a list of Bib Gourmand restaurants in the state was announced, and the list of star ratings will follow on Monday.

But who will make the cut?

Of the local restaurants that haven't made the list, I would say Fort Oak in Mission Hills, Trust in Hillcrest, Born & Raised in Little Italy and Cowboy Star in East Village are potential candidates.  

San Diego Union-Tribune dining reporter Michele Parente wrote this week that several local restaurants had recently been contacted by Michelin fact-checkers.

Her list includes Addison in Del Mar, Mister A’s in Bankers Hill, Mille Fleurs in Rancho Santa Fe, George’s California Modern in La Jolla, Nine-Ten Restaurant & Bar in La Jolla, Market Restaurant + Bar in Del Mar and The Marine Room in La Jolla.

For now, Michelin stargazers will just have to speculate while they wait for Monday's announcement.

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Pike perch with kohlrabi, curly kale and horseradish at Field restaurant
in Prague. Photo credit: Lauren J. Mapp