What restaurant trends emerged in California this year?
Earlier this year, The New York Times published its picks for the 25 best restaurants in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
These lists reflect something that many readers may not realize: The Times has food journalists across the country, including in California, who are constantly trying new restaurants and paying attention to what’s emerging and changing in the food world.
I spoke with The Times Food Desk editors Brian Gallagher and Eleanore Park, who live in the Bay Area, about the year’s food trends. We chatted about the evolution of “third culture” cuisine, the spread of high-end restaurants outside California’s biggest cities, and how AI could change food.
Here’s our conversation, lightly edited:
Which food trends of this year are you most excited about?
Eleanore Park: At some point, many restaurants focused on authenticity. Like, “Is this authentic Thai? Is this authentically Korean?” But lately on the Food Desk we’ve been talking about the cuisine of the “third culture” – foods that are not necessarily authentic to a specific region, but rather to the experiences of a person or group of people.
So it could be similar to a Los Angeles chef we wrote about, whose menu reflects her upbringing as a Korean-American adoptee. Or I saw a new restaurant popping up in San Francisco that is Venezuelan Chinese. There’s just a lot more fluidity, which I’m really excited about.
Brian Gallagher: It’s like there’s no need to showcase “the food of your culture” anymore, and instead you can just make the food you love, eat, and want to create. This especially happens in places where you have really diverse communities, like the Bay Area.
We recently published an article about how Sacramento did it grow into a great restaurant city. How does that fit into larger food trends in California?
Brian: You’ll see many more notable restaurants outside of Los Angeles and San Francisco. There’s Sacramento, and also more interesting restaurants in places like Los Olivos, Paso Robles, as well as Orange County and San Diego.
Eleanore: Many restaurants in beautiful coastal towns have been able to make ends meet in some respects thanks to the appeal of their locations. But in 2023, the Michelin Guide gave more credit to restaurants in cities like Carmel, Monterey and San Diego, which tended to have restaurants that could be a bit cozy and comfortable without being super exciting on the food side.
You see a lot of chefs who worked in the big cities, who eventually won prizes or just wanted to do something completely different. At Dad’s Luncheonette in Half Moon Bay, for example: the chef, Scott Clark, had gone from San Francisco to fine dining and eating with tweezers, and now he makes some of the best burgers in the Bay Area from a train car.
Are there any food trends that you are less enthusiastic about?
Eleanore: I’ve known people who have done that ordered delivery from AI restaurants. This website gets input from the consumer about what they want to eat, and then guides a chef on how to make that dish.
Maybe I should be more excited about this, but what I like about food and restaurants is the human aspect of it: you experience someone’s conceptual framework through food or through a menu, and this is kind of the opposite of that.
Brian: It seems absolutely strange to automate what should be one of the most human, tactile and enjoyable experiences, namely eating in a restaurant.
Where we travel to
Today’s tip comes from Deborah Stucker, who recommends a trip to Pescadero in San Mateo County:
“Drive along the Pacific Coast Highway and head inland to find the small coastal town of Pescadero. The main drag is an unassuming two-block, packed with interesting shops and art galleries that showcase local artists’ takes on life in Northern California.
The jewel of Pescadero is Duarte’s Tavern, a multi-room wooden mainstay of city life since 1894. The food—Portuguese crab-stuffed cioppino, olallie berry pie, and creamy artichoke and green chili soup—will drive away the chill of the morning sea layer. Using produce straight from the garden outside, Duarte’s farm-to-table cuisine prepared nearly a century before Alice Waters donned her first apron.
The full history of how and who founded Duarte’s (pronounced “Doo-arts”) can be found on the extensive menu. But the only way to fathom the contradictions and delights of this little outpost halfway between San Francisco and Santa Cruz is to step off the sidewalk and settle in for an extended exploration of Duarte’s great food, curated drinks and quirky company.
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We will share more in future editions of the newsletter.
Tell us
How do you celebrate the holidays in California? With a refreshing walk on the beach, a batch of tamales or stargazing in the desert?
Email me at CAtoday@nytimes.com with your Golden State holiday traditions. Please include your name and the city in which you live.
And before you go: good news
The city of San Jose entered the board game canon last month when the makers of Monopoly released a San Jose edition, much to the delight of Bay Area residents and business owners.
The San Jose version follows the same basic principles as the original and has the same configuration, but replaces the classic Monopoly properties with San Jose landmarks. Boardwalk and Park Place, two of the most valuable properties in Monopoly, have been traded for the Winchester Mystery House and Original Joe’s, two San Jose mainstays with more than 150 years of combined history.
Other notable city infrastructure also ended up on the board, including the $15 Sewer and Drain plumbing company, which replaces one of the board’s utility spaces, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, which replaces one of the typical railroads.
The new game was announced last month with a ceremony at the Winchester Mystery House, Mercury News reports thiswith performances by local entrepreneurs, Mayor Matt Mahan and of course Mr. Monopoly.
Thank you for reading. I’ll come back tomorrow. — Soumya
PS Here it is today’s mini crossword.
Maia Coleman and Briana Scalia contributed to California Today. You can reach the team via CAtoday@nytimes.com.
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