Half Moon Bay’s Ritz-Carlton to host Michelin star recognition event

“With the diversity we have in our region, we probably have every culinary global cuisine you can think of, and extremely talented chefs,” she said. “It was a very natural fit.” 

San Francisco Peninsula is a tourism organization formerly known as the convention and visitor’s bureau. It bid to hold the event through Visit California, a statewide organization that selects the location. 

The celebration will feature an awards gala, where chefs and restaurants will be called up to the stage and find out what stars they got. 

It’s still tightly under wraps what chefs have been invited and what stars they’ll receive. Current San Mateo County Michelin one-star rated restaurants include Woodside’s The Village Pub, Atherton’s Selby’s and San Mateo’s Wakuria, among others. The county also boasts at least 17 Michelin-recommended restaurants, Lang said. 

Michelin stars are granted for outstanding cooking and are considered the industry’s top honor. In the world, around 2,500 restaurants have one Michelin star, around 500 have two and only around 150 have three. The inspectors who determine Michelin stars are “famously anonymous,” according to the Michelin Guide, and come together to make decisions as a team. 

The selection of Half Moon Bay as the location for the event, Lang said, is an extremely exciting opportunity for the region to host the influx of world-renowned chefs and global media that will attend the event. 

“We want to really showcase the Bayside, the coastside. There’s so much more beyond the [Highway] 101 corridor,” she said. “How many incredible restaurants we have — that’s our chance to talk to global and local media and showcase the destination.” 

The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay is working to prepare for the event, which will feature a host of discerning guests, Rosie Karakan, Ritz-Carlton sales and marketing director, said. It will also be an opportunity for the luxury hotel to feature its own fine dining restaurant, Navio. 

“We’re just thrilled to be hosting this prestigious event and showcasing both the resort and our fine dining restaurant,” she said. “As you can imagine, it’s all hands on deck as we prepare an exquisite experience.” 

Guests from all over the state will be able to explore San Mateo County’s coastal region, Karakan said. 

“This certainly shows a different side of the Peninsula,” she said. “There are all of these coastal opportunities, you can feel a world away, when you’re right here in the Peninsula, 30 minutes away from the hot spots in Silicon Valley.” 

Hosting the event is an exciting honor for the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay and the Peninsula as a whole, Karaken emphasized. 

“We’re very proud of the entire state of California having such a rich culinary heritage, and thrilled to be able to welcome all our colleagues in hospitality industry,” she said.