Queen Elizabeth II called 1992 her annus horribilis. If you talk to Bay Area restaurateurs, they'd probably use "horrible year" to describe their business today. The atrophied economy, the lack of tourists and the crazy politics have conspired to make many operators wonder why they continue to open their doors each day.

Yet, from a diner's perspective the picture seems rosier. While fewer places opened last year than in previous years, many old standbys have sharpened their focus. Campton Place made a major change and brought in Daniel Humm, a bright young chef from Switzerland, after Laurent Manrique, Campton's previous chef, moved to Aqua. Mecca hired a new chef, Stephen Barber, and he's reinvigorated the cutting-edge supper club atmosphere. Fork, the popular San Anselmo spot, expanded and the food has gotten even better.

In most cases, the restaurants that opened were smaller and more personal, including 1550 Hyde and Quince, both in San Francisco. However, we've also had a few notable splashy openings such as Town Hall in the SoMa area and Poggio in Sausalito.

As a general rule, the tight economy has meant improved service, menus that have become safer and prices that have remained relatively stable. This year, as the effect of San Francisco's new living-wage law begins to kick in, prices will probably rise.

Only two of last year's Top 100 closed - Julia and Elisabeth Daniel - but as in other years, about 20 percent of the list is new this year. Some places from last year's list have stagnated, and other older restaurants have improved, which accounts for the changes. Slanted Door, one of the top restaurants in the Bay Area, is not on this year's list simply because it's in transition from its location on the Embarcadero to a much larger operation in the Ferry Building.

Over the past eight years that I've been compiling the Top 100, I've seen a maturing of the "California" style. In Northern California, we'redeveloping a cuisine as distinctive as in other food meccas like New Orleans. It's driven by ingredients rather than technique, and is based on the flavors of the Mediterranean - often with a dash of Asia thrown in. It feels organic, not forced - and more importantly, it's right for the climate and the population.

The Bay Area has been a pioneer in small-plates dining, and our love affair continues; even the more traditional restaurants are increasing their offerings. In San Francisco alone, Indian, Spanish, French, Moroccan and Asian restaurants play with this theme. When picking the Top 100, I try to choose a wide range of cuisine types, price categories, restaurant styles and locations. Still, the list is heavily weighted toward San Francisco, which remains the Bay Area's crown jewel for dining. For all its affluence and rapid growth, Contra Costa County's new restaurants aren't as refined and focused as those found in other areas. That doesn't mean the restaurants aren't good, but they generally don't break new ground or surpass the standards of other places around the Bay Area.

With such a rich panoply of restaurants from which to choose, there's bound to be worthy places that have escaped my attention. I'd love to hear about them. During the past year, readers have given me some great tips and alerted me to restaurants that have maintained their stellar status, as well as those that need to be re-examined.

About the guide: The restaurants are listed in alphabetical order. We've also included a directory of restaurants by cuisine, and maps to help pinpoint their location. The prices listed show the range of main courses at dinners; lunch is often less. The noise ratings are as follows:

Pleasantly quiet (under 65 decibels)
Can talk easily (65-70)
Talking normally gets difficult (70-75)
Can only talk in raised voices (75-80)
Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)