Restaurant guide says COVID-19 and wildfires forced decision
By Kerry Slater
The Michelin Guide has paused the announcement of stars and recommendations from the 2020 California selection. In 2019, a Brentwood restaurant garnered a prestigious recommendation.
According to Michelin, the decision was determined after speaking with chefs and listening to feedback from restaurants severely impacted by COVID-19 and wildfires across California.
“We know the restaurant industry still faces enormous challenges in getting back on its feet,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides. “We are confident this will occur, as soon as health and safety protocols allow. Diners won’t lose their desire for great food; in fact, the importance of a shared meal has never been so present in our minds as it is at this time.”
This decision reverses an announcement made in August where Michelin stated that it would proceed with giving out Stars, Bib Gourmands and Plates based on information from critic visits that occurred before dining rooms to closed in mid-March due to COVID-19.
The guide functions off a rating system of one, two or three stars, with only the most prestigious of restaurants achieving the coveted three-star rating. The Michelin guide was first published in 1900 by the tire company as a way to get European travelers to drive and visit their local restaurants. It has turned into a well-known guide book with even a one-star rating being considered a huge accomplishment.
While no Brentwood restaurant earned a star, Pizzana located on San Vicente earned a prestigious recommendation.
“Every pizza at this area darling begins with a nod to Neapolitan tradition: start with the perfect dough and bake it into a crust that remains crisp and light right through the middle. This careful process and that almighty oven shipped from Italy can be observed with longing through the glass-walled kitchen,” reads the review by the French tire company.
In addition, two nearby restaurants earned Michelin stars: Mori Sushi located on 11500 West Pico Boulevard and Shunji Japanese Cuisine located on 12244 West Pico Boulevard.
Michelin will instead host an online gathering of support for California restaurants through a “Virtual Family Meal” on Oct. 27, 2020, at 4 p.m. PST. Reserve virtual seats at guide.michelinman.com.
