If you’re the kind of person who wants a tire company to tell you where to eat, you’ll be delighted to know that Michelin released its New York City Guide this morning. The New York edition is Michelin’s first in the U.S. and, as The New York Times reports, has generated much anxiety, and now much delight and despair among New York’s chefs.
I’m going to stick to trusting recommendations from the Zagat guide, which doesn’t usually disappoint. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a hefty price increase at establishments with even a single Michelin star. If this is the case, it may well be that the top-rated Zagat restaurants that haven’t made it into Michelin will become better value.
In any case, growing up, calling someone a “Michelin Man” was a derogatory way to refer to his or her weight problem (because of the rotund Michelin icon). That this springs to mind when entering a Michelin-rated restaurant hardly puts one in the mood for the intended gustatory excesses.
November 2nd, 2005 at 9:59 pm
Isn’t rating restuarants one of the most subjective evaluations one can think of? Given all the variables – food, ambiance, service etc. Compound all this with the inevitable daily fluctuations…
November 2nd, 2005 at 10:11 pm
Hi Citrine. I think that is certainly true when it comes to one-off ratings that one often sees. However, Michelin, for example, visits many times, so at least probably averages out some of these.
I certainly agree that, at the end of the day, if you like a restaurant then it is a good one for you. But good ratings can be invaluable when you’ve only got a day or so in a new city and want to minimize your chance of a crappy dinner.
November 2nd, 2005 at 10:53 pm
I have read about the NYC Michelin. Seems that the Michelin folks are trying a new format (thinking the old stogy format of forks and what-not) won’t click with us hip Americans. If we give the thing a good response – they might actually consider updating the European guides from the 18th to the 21st century.
They are also planning guides for other cities, San Francisco, DC, Chicago, and Boston were on the list. I am anxious to see the SF guide and compare with my own list!