Bay Area Eaters Are Pinching Pennies: Zagat

The 2010 Bay Area edition of the annual Zagat Survey was released this morning, complete with the seemingly-arbitrary numbers that everyone has come to know and love.

After getting the boot from the top spot last year for the first time in six years, Gary Danko reclaimed the Top Food Rating mantle from the French Laundry, though both restaurants (and Cyrus) garnered near-perfect scores of 29. The theme of this year's list? The economy of course.

"The economic downturn has definitely affected San Francisco diners. Quite simply, they are being more careful with their money," said Tim Zagat, CEO and Co-Founder of Zagat Survey. "The good news is that local restaurants have been going to great lengths to hang on to their clientele."

The list included a survey of Bay Area diners who say they are dining out less, eating in less expensive places, being more attentive to prices, cutting back on alcohol, appetizers and or desserts.

Many restaurants have accordingly adjusted their menus to accommodate their more price conscious eaters. And for what it's worth, a full breakdown of the top 20 restaurants in the Top Food Rating Overall and Most Popular is listed below

The actual press release highlights the usual trend stats (people dining out less, average meal cost, etc.) quite well, and in terms of key newcomers, the highest rated were the following: Bottega (25), Zinnia, La Mar, Marzano and Nopalito (all 23).

TOP FOOD RATING OVERALL
(note that the +/- refers to the restaurants' ranking as compared to last year, not their score)

1. Gary Danko +2
2. Cyrus =
3. The French Laundry -2
4. Kiss Seafood n/a
5. Acquerello +9
6. La Folie +16
7. Masa's +6
8. Erna's Elderberry -4
9. Kaygetsu -4
10. Chez Panisse +2
11. Sushi Ran =
12. Coi +20
13. Fleur de Lys +13
14. Michael Mina +5
15. Marinus -7
16. Manresa +1
17. Chez Panisse Cafe -1
18. Terra n/a
19. Boulevard -1
20. Applewood Inn n/a