2010 should go down as the most exciting year of Bay Area dining in more than a quarter century.

That's a bold statement, but one easily supported considering some of the new places that have opened since the last Top 100 list was published a year ago.

<<< 26 new restaurants on this year's Top 100 Restaurants. >>>

<<< The 26 restaurants that missed the Top 100 cut. >>>

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The bar/restaurant scene has been redefined with Bar Agricole. The "pop up restaurant" craze found firm footing at Mission Chinese Food. Places such as Saison and Commonwealth have introduced a generation of chefs who don't carry all the financial baggage once required for fine dining. Corey Lee, a protege of Thomas Keller at the French Laundry, has practically reinvented fine dining at his minimalist, Asian-infused Benu.

The last year was truly a time for reinvention and reinvigoration: Michael Mina moved his top-rated eponymous restaurant in the Westin St. Francis over to the Aqua space where he got his start. He's created a menu that's very 2011, with Asian-inspired combinations; replaced Bernardaud china with handmade porcelain; and jettisoned thick tablecloths for finely polished wood tables.

Hiro Sone did much the same at his 23-year-old Terra in St. Helena. He and his wife and partner, Lissa Doumani, split the space in two and turned the other half into Bar Terra.

The comeback power of Mark Franz shouldn't be overlooked, either. His first restaurant, Farallon, was a Top 100 staple until a few years ago. He's now regrouped, and it's back on the list, along with his newer seafood restaurant, Waterbar. Finally, a restaurant with great food and a spectacular view.

Gitane missed the list last year, but has emerged stronger than ever under Bridget Batson, who grew to prominence at the now-closed Hawthorne Lane. This is a much smaller venue, but her Iberian cooking is better than ever. Ubuntu lost a little momentum when Jeremy Fox moved on, but now it's in good hands under Aaron London. Also in Napa, Patrick Kelly, former chef de cuisine at La Folie, brought Angele back to prominence.

In San Francisco, Absinthe is blossoming under Adam Keough, and David Bazirgan has revived the Fifth Floor. Over in Oakland, A Cote, a small-plates restaurant that seemed in flux a year ago, found its rudder under longtime chef Matt Colgan.

Jonathan Beard completed a major upgrade at Bistro Aix, another perennial on the list. It fell off last year because he closed for what turned out to be a nine-month remodel. Now it's better than ever.

In 2010, the casual bug hit everywhere. Michael and Lindsay Tusk followed the up-market Quince with Cotogna, which takes them closer to their roots at the original restaurant, now home to Baker & Banker. And Daniel Patterson expanded to Plum in Oakland, using the similar vegetable-based sensibility he pioneered at Coi, but at everyday prices.

Bay Area Italian cuisine matured, too, often inspired by regional fare at such places as Oenotri in Napa, and Ristobar and Zero Zero in San Francisco.

So in a year when the economy was still in recovery, the restaurants stepped up. The Top 100 includes 26 restaurants that weren't on last year's list, which meant that some very deserving restaurants had to go. A few, such as Spruce, are were dropped because they're undergoing changes in the kitchen as this goes to print, but for the most part the cuts were painful. I tried to devise ways of logically expanding the list, but the Top 125 or even the Top 110 Bay Area Restaurants doesn't have the same ring.

This year, as in previous years, the selections are dominated by American and California cooking, which is probably as it should be. Chefs here continue to be very ingredient-based and have built a cuisine that reflects the region; it's a style that's hard to duplicate anywhere else. Even the Indian, Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants on the list often speak of place.

I truly hope you enjoy checking out the restaurants, and I look forward to your feedback. As usual the Top 100 will be posted on sfgate.com and insidescoopsf.com. I'll update it periodically to indicate restaurants that might be coming off because of chef changes and inconsistencies, and new places that will likely find a spot here in 2012.