Bay Area chefs reveal unexpected lessons learned after receiving a Michelin star

It's the dream of every restaurateur. When the annual Michelin Guide recognizes a restaurant team for its craftsmanship, the prestigious award makes all the hours of hard work well worth it.

Last September, the Michelin Guide released its roster of 2021 California winners that included a slew of Bay Area restaurants. Many of its recipients were first-time winners, while some, like Adega, a Portuguese restaurant in San Jose, re-earned their fallen star. For Marlena in San Francisco and Sushi Shin in Redwood City, taking home the award was even more special as both businesses opened in 2020, a tough year to launch a new business.

Taking home a Michelin star is no easy feat either. It begins with secret Michelin inspectors prowling across the country looking at specific key requirements that a restaurant needs for it to be considered for the final list. In a 2018 post, the organization shared insights into its evaluation process, which includes quality, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, personality in the cuisine, value and consistency.

But what happens after a restaurant receives its first Michelin star? Six Bay Area winners discussed the tough lessons and valuable takeaways they gained after earning the culinary honor:

Jil Hales, Geoffrey Hales and Lukka Feldman, owners at Barndiva in Healdsburg

Barndiva has long been one of Healdsburg's culinary destinations ever since it opened in 2004. Owners Jil Hales, Geoffrey Hales and Lukka Feldman were thrilled when it was finally recognized in the Michelin Guide nearly 20 years after opening.

"We were amazed at the amount of goodwill we felt from many longtime customers," they jointly said. "They were just thrilled for us. We always knew we had a dedicated following, but we feel the award is also a testament to the inordinately talented community of farmers, wine, and spirit makers who made this long journey with us. It is just so gratifying for every member of our team."

Gaining the award was a proud achievement, but not one without its headaches, as the team struggled to find enough staff to run the business comfortably.

"The hospitality industry was fragile before the pandemic, and what the past two years has brought home with greater clarity is how crucial every member of staff is to a fine dining experience," they said via email. "The biggest challenge is finding staff, especially people who are looking to make fine dining a career. It's especially acute in a small but restaurant-rich town, like Healdsburg, where worker housing is at a premium. We're lucky to have built a core dedicated team that shares our values around sourcing and working sustainably at every level of food production."

Along the way, Barndiva has had its share of critics who have varying opinions about its Michelin-star status. But the team also recognizes that in Healdsburg, with its food- and wine-savvy locals, it's a challenge to wear that honor, but one they look forward to showcasing through their food.

"We trust that Michelin knows what we offer is uniquely ours and they want to see us continue to achieve our version of excellence," they said. "Barndiva believes in a comfortable yet elegant, sensually rich dining experience: the food, wine, cocktails, flowers, lighting — they are all essential pieces. When we say 'eat the view' we mean all of it."

Serena Chow Fisher, chef-owner at Marlena in San Francisco

When Marlena hit the scene in August 2020, Bay Area restaurants were just settling into offering patio dining after previously relying solely on takeout or delivery orders. Hailing from former fine dining stints in New York, chef-owners David Fisher and Serena Chow Fisher embarked on revitalizing the former space of Hillside Supper Club in Bernal Heights and debuted their take on California cuisine. A year later, they were added to the Michelin Guide.

"The most rewarding part of earning our first Michelin star was receiving recognition for many years of hard work," Serena said. "Working in a kitchen means long hours ... often for little pay and with lots of guilt over making the choice to miss out on social and family obligations. To be recognized by the Michelin Guide is validation that the hard work came to fruition and that those trying times played a meaningful part in a larger accomplishment."

Operating amid the most challenging months of the pandemic wasn't simple, especially for a new business. Serena shared that fulfilling the heavy flow of customer reservations following the award became a Rubik's Cube of sorts.

"There came a large demand for reservations at Marlena amid a very chaotic time in the world. One of the largest challenges we've faced since getting the Michelin star has been consistent staffing," she said. "While we were busy before the star, the demand greatly increased with the recognition, and there were many nights we had to put a cap on our reservation guest count because we simply didn't have the workforce to engage a larger number of guests. It was a delicate balance of how to manage that demand while also appealing to the varying levels of guest comfort."

Carlos Carreira, co-owner of Adega in San Jose

Adega opened under the ownership of Carlos and Fernanda Carreira in 2015 as one of the few fine dining Portuguese restaurants in the Bay Area. Ten months later, it earned its first Michelin star in 2016. The Carreiras would end up losing its Michelin status in 2018, but the restaurant was added back to the guide last fall.

"Our goal when we opened in 2015 was to be a neighborhood restaurant for the large Portuguese community in the Silicon Valley," Carlos said. "Regaining the Michelin star was quite special. It came after almost two years of the pandemic and at a time when going out of business was a real possibility. We decided that once we were able to serve our customers again, we wanted to give it [our] all and if we had to go out of business, we would go out knowing that we did our best."

After his experience, Carlos learned that the Michelin star isn't permanent.

"It is surprising how many people think that the Michelin star is a 'forever' award. Most people don't realize that restaurants get reviewed by the Michelin Guide every year and that is the best way to inform customers who are looking for where to spend their money," he said. "We need to continue performing at the highest level for our customers year after year and never rest on last year's awards."

Jason Zhan, executive chef at Sushi Shin in Redwood City

It hadn't been long after Sushi Shin opened in January 2020 before its high-quality omakase experience was recognized by the Michelin Guide. Executive chef Jason Zhan shared that the accolade motivated him to expand his menu with items grounded in tradition.

"[I was] surprised that ... more people recognize us," Zhan said. "We were always fully booked before we got the Michelin star, so there's no difference in capacity, but it makes me want to create more delicious dishes for customers. I keep doing my best and always keep high standards for myself and the team."

Dustin Falcon, executive chef at Niku Steakhouse in San Francisco

Dustin Falcon has spent nearly the past decade in some of the Bay Area's most acclaimed restaurant kitchens, including The French Laundry and Lazy Bear. When he joined the Omakase Restaurant Group's Niku Steakhouse, Falcon's culinary panache helped the Japanese fusion steakhouse attain its first star.

"It has brought me a lot of joy to witness the staff come together in celebration of our Michelin star after all the effort we expended to make this a reality," Falcon said. "Our team has always aspired to provide a top-tier experience to our guests, even before Michelin was on the horizon, and now to be one of only a handful of steakhouses with Michelin stars feels extra special. In addition to celebrations with the staff, I also framed the letter I received from the committee — the arc of our culinary journey never fails to amaze me."

After the recognition, Falcon didn't anticipate the influx of messages from suppliers who wanted to work directly with Niku Steakhouse.

"Our status as a Michelin star restaurant propelled us into a new type of spotlight. Many different purveyors and food suppliers began reaching out to us about partnering, but we ultimately decided to stay with the farmers and purveyors that have been with us from the beginning."

Falcon added that winning the award has been an incredible experience, but also one that's added some stress.

"On a personal level, winning a Michelin star has meant that I put even more pressure on myself [because] we're now representatives of the Michelin Guide," he said. "I try to remind myself that we don't need to change — our hard work and attention to detail is what got us here in the first place."

Tim Stannard, owner at Selby's in Atherton

Selby's opened in 2019 as a dazzling 1930s-themed concept at a massive space at 3001 El Camino Real. Owner Tim Stannard was thrilled when Selby's joined the Michelin Guide alongside other restaurants within Bacchus Management Group, which encompasses Selby's.

"This is our first star for Selby's, but the third star overall for our group," Stannard said. "That said, winning this one was just as exciting as the first one, especially after everything restaurants have gone through in the past two years. Having the team at Selby's be recognized for all the hard work they've put in was incredibly gratifying and humbling. I'm so proud of them."