San Francisco fine-dining venue Gary Danko and Japanese hotspot Sushi Zo in Los Angeles took the titles for best food in the latest Zagat guides for those cities, which were released this week.
California’s two largest restaurant towns also both reported a drop in the price of the average meal, largely because of the down economy, the surveys found.
In San Francisco, the average meal cost dropped 1.6 percent to $38.78 from $39.40 in 2009, according to the survey there, and the cost of dining at 20 of the most expensive restaurants in the Bay Area has dropped 4.4 percent since the recession began in 2008.
San Francisco diners said they were dining out 2.8 times per week on average, down from 3.2 times before the recession and below Zagat’s national average this year of 3.2 times per week.
In Los Angeles, the cost of a meal dipped only slightly — from $34.95 last year to $34.85 this year — but it was the first decline since Zagat began publishing a survey for that city in 1987.
“The down economy has made dining out more affordable, and diners have plenty of options to choose from,” said Tim Zagat, chief executive and co-founder of Zagat Survey. “However, the good news for consumers may be bad news for restaurateurs as dining spending has declined.”
Still, the number of new restaurants counted in the surveys — 119 in Los Angeles and 94 in San Francisco — indicate a certain optimism in the industry, Zagat found.
In the San Francisco area survey, which included responses from more than 10,000 local diners, the restaurant Gary Danko swept the results, winning the top ranking for food, service and the “most popular” categories, as well as being named the best restaurant for new American cuisine.
Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry was ranked second behind Gary Danko in the “top food,” and “top service” categories, and took fourth place among the “most popular.”
Also showing similar consistency was the restaurant Cyrus, which placed third in both food and service, and fifth in popularity. Cyrus was also ranked highest for French cuisine.
The San Francisco guide this year for the first time included full rankings for food trucks. The taco truck fleet El Tonayense was ranked “best buy,” beating out brick-and-mortar favorite In-N-Out, which came in second.
In Southern California, the survey included input from more than 10,800 local diners and covered 2,016 restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange County, Palm Springs and Santa Barbara.
The survey found that 40 percent of Los Angeles-area respondents said they are still eating out less and another 41 percent said they’re dining in less expensive venues because of the economy.
Earning a rare 29 out of 30 rating, Sushi Zo replaced last year’s “top food” winner Urasawa, which fell to No. 21 on the Zagat ranking.
Previous winners Pizzeria Mozza (most popular) and the iconic chain In-N-Out Burger (best buy) held onto their titles in the ranking. In-N-Out was also top ranked in the burger category.
Here’s a list of the top winners:
SAN FRANCISCO:
Top Food:
Gary Danko
The French Laundry
Cyrus
Sierra Mar
Acquerello
Top Decor:
Sierra Mar
Garden Court
Ahwahnee Dining Room
Pacific’s Edge
Auberge du Soleil
Top Service:
Gary Danko
The French Laundry
Cyrus
Acquerello
Erna’s Elderberry
Most Popular:
Gary Danko
Boulevard
Slanted Door
The French Laundry
Cyrus
LOS ANGELES:
Top Food:
Sushi Zo
Matsuhisa
Melisse
Brandywine
Shiro
Top Décor:
Cicada and The Edison (tie)
Belvedere
The Bazaar
Bistro Garden
Top Service:
Melisse
Belvedere
Providence
Sam’s by the Beach
Brandywine
Most Popular:
Pizzeria Mozza
The Bazaar
Spago
Osteria Mozza
Angelini Osteria
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].
