Michelin lifts street food prestige
The Michelin Guide expanded midyear picks and added six Los Angeles spots—including an acclaimed Oaxacan stall—and five Bay Area restaurants, underlining how street food is moving into fine‑dining territory (latimes.com) (sfist.com). For beachside or city trips, that means more Michelin‑recognized casual counters to put on a food crawl rather than just formal restaurants.
On March 25, 2026, the MICHELIN Guide added 12 new restaurants to its California selection, with six entries in Los Angeles and five in the Bay Area. (usatoday.com)) The six Los Angeles additions named on Michelin’s March update are Corridor 109, Firstborn, Lapaba, Little Fish Melrose Hill, Lugya'h and Zira Uzbek Kitchen. (guide.michelin.com)) Lugya'h is listed for its tlayudas and is located inside Maydan Market, where it operates as a casual counter under chef Alfonso Martinez. (guide.michelin.com)) Corridor 109 is described as an intimate, 11‑seat counter that focuses on fish largely sourced from Japan and is tucked behind a door at its sister concept Bar 109. (guide.michelin.com)) The five Bay Area restaurants added are Wolfsbane, Restaurant Naides, Dingles Public House, Le Cigale and Yeobo, Darling in Menlo Park, with Restaurant Naides having opened in December in the former Sons & Daughters space. (sfist.com)) Michelin notes that these listings are marked with a “New” symbol on its website and mobile app and that distinctions such as Stars and Bib Gourmands are revealed only at the guide’s annual ceremony later in the year. (guide.michelin.com)) The March additions explicitly mix market counters and small counter tasting rooms with conventional sit‑down spots—examples cited by inspectors include the Maydan Market counter Lugya'h and the 11‑seat Corridor 109—underscoring the guide’s widening selection of casual formats. (guide.michelin.com))
