Moving to San Francisco

You may ask why San Francisco?

For me one of the most important things when choosing a place to live is the weather and the proximity to the sea*1. After living in Hokkaido, where it was -20 C during winter, I was not in the mood for negative temperatures again. San Francisco checked off the two requirements on my list.

Something else about San Francisco that caught my attention was the cosmopolitan vibes the city has. At the same time, San Francisco is really closed to the countryside, which is very enjoyable for a weekend getaway. In 1 hour, you can be in Sonoma or Napa, known for being part of the wine country of Northern California.

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As most big cities, San Francisco has its ups and downs. What shocked me the most when I arrived was the gap between social classes. I live in Lower Nob Hill, which is a safe and central neighborhood but four blocks from here you are in the Tenderloin, known to be a city’s hotspot*2.

 

After finishing culinary school, I was ready to take the next step and gain field experience. However, given the global health situation the industry was going through difficult times which made it hard to decide when and where to go next. Since I was looking for an opportunity in Michelin star -restaurants, specifically 3 stars, my options were narrowed down to San Francisco, New York, Illinois or Washington DC.

 Now, you may ask, why Michelin star restaurants?

 In the culinary field the Michelin Guide is the reference to choose where to eat, in other words is the Bible of restaurants.

 The choice was easy. I like to work in Michelin restaurants because of their reputation, savoir-faire, access to expensive and rare products and last but not least to gain valuable experience.

 Being honest every day is not easy, but it is worth it. This is the kind of experience that makes you or breaks you*3.

An easy way to understand how the Michelin Guide works!

  • Michelin, like the big white chubby guy from the tire company?

    Yes, it is related to the tire company. So basically, the Michelin guide started in France as a guide for drivers with maps and instructions like how to change tires, etc. It was not until the 1920s when the guide started to include restaurants and hotels in Paris.

    Nowadays, the Michelin Guide gives yearly awards to restaurants that are selected by the Guide’s anonymous inspectors based on different criteria.

    The awards include the famous stars, covers or the Bib Gourmand.

  • What are the awards?

    According to the Michelin Guide, the ⭐️ have the following meaning:

    1-Star: High quality cooking, Worth a stop!

    2- Stars: Excellent cooking, worth a detour!

    3-Stars: Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey!

    Similarly, the Michelin Guide ranks the 🍴 as follows:

    1 Cover: Quite Comfortable

    2 Covers: Comfortable

    3 Covers: Very Comfortable

    4 Covers: Top Class Comfort

    5 Covers: Luxury

    Lastly, the Bib Gourmand that recognizes friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.

  • And the criteria?

    Getting a star can change the fate of a restaurant! As per the Michelin Guide, the restaurants’ food is judged based on 5 different criteria: quality of the ingredients, flavor and cooking techniques, personality of the chef in his cuisine, value for money and consistency between each visit. When it comes to the covers, the restaurant is assessed on its decoration, art de table*4 and service quality. What the Michelin Guide's symbols mean. MICHELIN Guide. (n.d.)

    To better understand how difficult is to qualify for these awards, there are only fourteen 3- stars restaurants in the USA, seven are in California and three in San Francisco. I am currently working in one of them.

    The same way they give stars and covers, these can be taken away. For example, in 2020 the iconic and prestigious restaurant, L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges – Restaurant Paul Bocuse lost one of its three stars.

Enough of the Michelin Guide, let’s go back to Tasty World in San Francisco!

 I am currently working in Quince, a 3- star restaurant in Jackson Square. As I said is not always rainbows and unicorns, but I am learning so much and I have met people I won’t forget (for different reasons). We are a team of 17 people, 4 of us are latinos. Working with Elsa (Dominican), Cecilio (Mexican) and Angelica (1/2 Panamanian) is everything🙌🏻.

I would say that I am finally getting the hang of it.

Being honest San Francisco is bigger than I thought. It has been 6 months since I moved here and let me tell you it has already been a journey! It has a lot to offer, from cultural activities and sport such as, the SF Ballet (accessible prices), SF Giants games to all the amazing restaurants.

 The cool thing of moving frequently is discovering a city as a tourist and after some time becoming a local. I mean I already have my favorite spots.

  • Whenever I am feeling like eating “Italian comfort food”, I go directly to Sotto Mare 🍝.

  • When I want to try new, funky wines I know the place to go is Key Klub 🍷.

  • Beer o’ clock definitely happens at San Francisco Brewery 🍻.

I will go on detail of all the amazing bars and restaurants on the next posts. I am back!

I am finally finding the balance between work and adult life (cleaning, doing laundry, cooking, ballet, etc).

 So, stay tuned for more about restaurants and tips to follow when in SF!

 Cheers,

Diana

 

  • *1 For new readers, I am from Panama, a tropical country in Latin America. So yeah, I don’t do good in the cold. 🇵🇦

    *2 Google it!

    *3 People in the industry will know what I am talking about 🥲.

    *4 Art de table: is how to set a table following the rules of etiquette.

  • What the Michelin Guide's symbols mean. MICHELIN Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2022, from https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/to-the-stars-and-beyond