Re: Good question.
One thing I can say about N California: Folks there know how to eat. There are a lot of good cooks and fine restaurants there.
I remember one in Pt Reyes that looked like a dump, and had a hand-painted sign outside that said "Good Eats". It looked like a biker joint. It was late and we were hungry, so we stopped, and got treated to a fine gourmet French meal. Pricey, but worth every penny.