Update: August 2009:
While the next Top 100 won't be published until next April, I want to keep you updated on new, interesting places that will likely make next year's list. These have been recently reviewed. Click on the name to find the review:
Adesso, Oakland
Flour+Water, S.F.
Osteria Stellina, Point Reyes Station
Press, St. Helena
RN74, S.F.
Tipsy Pig, S.F.
Wexler's, S.F.

Bistro Aix is currently closed for an extensive remodel.
Cortez closed on Aug. 10.
Jack Falstaff closed on May 9.

What a difference a year makes. In last year's Top 100 Restaurants issue, I wrote about how restaurant prices were rising, especially in San Francisco because of the health care initiative. This year, things have changed: Lower prices rule the day.

<<<See who is in and who is out of this year's Top 100. >>>

<<<Check off the Top 100 Restaurants you've been to (Diddit). >>>

As I updated this year's selections, I realized I was revising prices downward -- sometimes not by much, but anything is significant considering that food costs have continued to escalate.

In addition to lower prices, there's a continual stream of restaurants offering fixed-price menus, happy hour specials and other good deals. It's a great time to eat out -- prices are reasonable and quality remains high. Putting together the Top 100 each year is a challenge. Even in tough times, new restaurants continue to open, and the last 15 months or so are no exception.

One-fifth of the list is new, more than in 2008 and 2007, which speaks to the quality of last year's openings. Only one restaurant from last year's list -- Rubicon -- closed, which meant I had to cut a substantial number of places to make room for the new entries.

The Top 100 list continues to be dominated by California and American restaurants -- these are the styles that seem to define Northern Californian culinary tastes. However, I try for a diverse list in regard to cuisine, price and location. Still, there continues to be a dearth of really good Thai places, and I'm still waiting for a Chinese restaurant that can compete with Yank Sing and Koi Palace.

I'm also hard-pressed to find exciting spots on the Peninsula and in Marin that can match those opening in San Francisco and the East Bay. The breakout city is Oakland, which in the last few years has seen exceptional newcomers such as Wood Tavern, Flora, Pizzaiolo, Camino and Marzano, along with Corso in Berkeley.

The trends noted last year -- communal tables, pizza and artisan cocktails -- remain strong. Organic and sustainable ingredients are so ubiquitous that restaurants such as Nopa don't even bother to mention them on the menu anymore. In the Bay Area, quality is expected. I hope you'll enjoy and use this list throughout the year, in print and online. On SFGate.com, you'll find that the Top 100 is a living document: Each entry includes a 360-degree view of the restaurant, and throughout the year I'll post information about chef or quality changes. I'll also alert you to promising places that could make the 2010 list.

Of course, nothing's guaranteed until the next Top 100 comes out.