But in the past 10 years, the landscape has radically changed. It’s fair to say ambitious restaurants would be hard-pressed to be competitive — or at least compelling — without telling a chef’s culinary story. In 2025, it seems, it is no longer enough to hang a menu on valuing ingredients alone. Or just making something tasty.
Case in point: When Bill Addison released his spot-on SF picks for the L.A. Times’ Best 101 California Restaurants last fall, he included Four Kings (I mean, is a best-of list even a best-of list without Four Kings?), Lunette, Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement, Californios, Copra, Mister Jiu’s, Dalida, Reem’s, Kin Khao, Noodle in a Haystack, San Ho Won, Liholiho Yacht Club, Aziza, and Prubechu. Every single one of these restaurants is a personal expression of the chef. (There is one exception: The Progress, which Addison describes as having a California menu.)