Chef Dominique Crenn Makes Michelin Star History

Chef Dominique Crenn, who graced the cover of FSR magazine in May 2017, earned three stars from the Michelin Guide—its highest rating—for her San Francisco hotspot Atelier Crenn. The honor makes Crenn the first U.S. woman to receive three stars in the guide’s history.

Crenn told The New York Times, “It’s amazing. Amazing for my team at Bar Crenn and especially at Atelier Crenn. I’m humbled. We worked so hard for so many years and this is a dream. Today we’re celebrating, but tomorrow we go back to work.”

Of becoming the first woman chef in the U.S. to do so, she added: “It’s a platform I now have; I must inspire others and make a difference.”

Crenn also earned a star for her new wine bar, Bar Crenn. Creen’s breakthrough was expected this year, according to The New York Times.

Per the Mercury News, Gwendal Poullennec, Michelin’s international director, called the milestone “very inspiring,” and said, “it sends a very positive message. We hope it will lead to more women operating their own restaurants.”

Atelier Crenn opened in 2011 and achieved two stars by 2013. Of the 120 or so three-starred restaurants around the world, according to Eater, only five are run by women: Arzak (Elena Arzak), Maison Pic (Anne-Sophie Pic), Dal Pescatore (Nadia Santini), Sant Pau (Carme Ruscadella, and Atelier Crenn. Dinner runs $355 per person, service included at Atelier Crenn.

Crenn was named the World’s Best Female Chef in 2016. She took some issue with the award at the time according to some reports, seeing it as another gender slam.

The restaurant is known for its progressive cuisine and poetry-inspired courses. Crenn told FSR last May, “Everything I do in life, everything I touch, is something that I embrace, that I cherish, and something that I care about.”

“The dining scene in San Francisco is booming at the moment and our inspectors were especially impressed with the choice of cuisine styles, the levels of consistency and the overall high quality of the food they found in the city,” Poullennec added in a statement. “In particular, the teams at Atelier Crenn and SingleThread should be extremely proud, as our inspectors were very impressed by the quality of the produce used in the preparation of the dishes. This, along with their meticulous attention to detail, creativity and dedication to delighting their customers means they always offer diners a memorable and very pleasurable gastronomic experience. Without a doubt, they are definitely worth a special journey.”

Kyle and Katina Connaughton’s SingleThread in Sonoma County was also promoted to three-star status. Benu, The French Laundry, Quince, The Restaurant at Meadowood, Saison and Manresa—which shuttered briefly by a fire in mid-July—all retained three stars.

Here’s the entire breakdown for San Francisco:

Three Stars