For most, um, "normal" people, spring is ushered in by an event such as the Vernal Equinox or Opening Day. For SF foodies, however, the harbinger of spring is the publication of Michael Bauer's Top 100 Restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. No other piece of writing is so simultaneously loved and loathed, so praised and panned, so (sorry, I ran out of opposing alliterations before I ran out of links) as Mickey B's annual pronouncement of local culinary excellence.

I begin my critique of the Big B by bragging just a little. Last year in my review of The Bauer 100 (see #8 near the very bottom of the post), I lobbied for the inclusion of Gialina. As if by magic, the Glen Park pizzeria appears in this year's list. Yes!!! (Insert Tiger Woods fist pump.) (Please pretend not to notice that of the nine other restaurants I pitched as belonging in the Top 100, a big fat zero made the cut.)

I was also pleased to see Jack Falstaff included, having had excellent food at said establishment. Unfortunately, one visit to Jack's was seriously marred when Mackie and I were seated next to the MOST obnoxious couple in the world. Their discussion of how important they were, in voices loud enough to catch ears at neighboring tables, did not impress us.

Mixed feelings about House of Prime Rib being added. They sure do know how to roast beef and that salad sure is tasty, if you don't mind iceberg and MSG. OTOH, the cornbread shaped like ears of corn (admittedly cute) is too salty and doesn't really taste like cornbread, the Yorkshire pudding is as tough as shoe leather and the creamed spinach sucks. (That's a general comment on creamed spinach, not simply limited to HOPR.) However, their formula has been so successful that I doubt anything will change.

I out and out disagree with adding Beretta. I was not impressed on my first visit and an unblogged return trip did not change my perception. It's not a bad place but I don't see it being worthy of the Top 100.

All told, there were 21 new entrants while two on last year's list have since been shuttered (BTW, Eater got the number right while Bauer got it wrong). That leaves 19 sad sacks still in business but out in the cold. Of those, I've visited three in the past year.

I disagree with Mr. B removing Shanghai 1930 and Slow Club.

Mackie and I started going to Shanghai 1930 based on the strength of Bauer's May 2007 review, ate there numerous times throughout late 2007 and 2008, and were favorably impressed every time. We especially like the dumplings in chili broth and twice-cooked pork. No idea why the Bauer downgrade — our experience was consistent goodness. (Except for the music, which you want to avoid early in the week.) (The observant among you will note that I promised a post about Shanghai 1930 in last year's Bauer 100 entry. I hang my head in shame and beseech your forgiveness.)

In January, Slow Club provided one of my last meals with Mackie before I departed for my extended stay in Florida. It was excellent, as were previous visits to Slow Club.

OTOH, I reluctantly concur with Mike regarding Jai Yun. In a February 2008 update, written after Jai Yun moved into its new Clay Street location, The Big B said, "it's time for the restaurant to grow up." At the time, I felt that the comment was grossly unfair, Jai Yun having different aspirations than your typical fine dining joint. After eating at Jai Yun in December, I whole-heartedly agree with Mr. Bauer.

Mackie took me to Jai Yun for my birthday. While parts of the meal were exquisite — finely chopped and julienned herbs and vegetables, unexpected ingredients providing unique flavors, interesting twists on traditional Chinese dishes — others were outright disappointments. What especially irked Mackie and me was Jai Yun concluding our multi-course feast with sautéed eggplant. Eggplant??? Are you kidding me??? You're supposed to end on a high note!!! Sautéed eggplant as the finale was the culinary equivalent of the Rolling Stones concluding a kick-ass show with a rousing rendition of Turd on the Run! (Yes, folks, that really is the title of a Rolling Stones song. See Exile on Main Street.)

Further, and I think that this is part of what so peeved the B Man, the table service was provided by what I suspect was the chef's kids on Christmas break from college. Or maybe high school. Sorry, at $55 a head for dinner (before T&T), I expect better service than what's provided by a couple of nice but largely clueless kids running around in tennis shoes.

The Top 100 includes a raft of the usual suspects, including places I adore such as COCO500, Perbacco and Yank Sing. Another usual suspect made the list and, once again, made me shake my head in disbelief. I mean, do the owners of Chow have photos of Michael Bauer in some compromising position or what??? Chow sucks! It's annual inclusion in the MBT100 is like a mustache drawn on the Mona Lisa!!!

Who's not on that deserves to be on the list? MB's consistent omission of steak houses baffles me. Lark Creek Steak is clearly, without doubt, one of the Top 100 restaurants in the Bay Area. Deserves a place. Also missing is Persian cuisine. Alborz (the one at Sutter and Van Ness, not the one in Berkeley that I've not visited) should be in the Top 100. And finally, Fringale, despite its recent revolving door at chef, deserves a spot. Mackie and I dined at Fringale on New Year's Eve and it was as excellent as ever. [Please see Fringale's Revolving Door Spins Once More for an explanation of the strikeout.]

Finally, we note that Fleur de Lys, who The Bauer unceremoniously dumped from the Top 100 last year, remains on the outs. I guess that Hubert Keller didn't pay attention to the ever-so-helpful hints I offered to him.

OK, peeps, the starting gun has sounded! How many of the Top 100 will you hit before we meet again next year???