October 10, 2007
Z-Day
This year's Zagat NYC guide is out on the streets today. The familiar burgundy book is still a staple to many searching for the top food in the city, although many argue that the voting process leads to inconsistent results. That said, here are the numbers, the highlights, and the rest:
- This year's edition covers 2069 restaurants and compiles results from over 34,000 surveys.
- Gordon Ramsay knocks one over the fence with the top newcomer, earning a solid 25 out of 30.
- Union Square Cafe comes back from the number 2 slot to reclaim the title of most popular.
- Daniel beat out Le Bernardin for top food ranking, and Sushi Yasuda climbs from number 3 to number 2. This makes Sushi Yasuda the highest ranking Japanese restaurant in NYC Zagat history, even beating out temple of sushi worship Masa.
- New Yorkers may think we're big tippers, but at 19%, we're lagging behind Philly, Atlanta, and even (gasp) New Jersey. Considering we eat out an average of 3.3 times per week, maybe we can do better.
- Our average meal ($39.46) is the most expensive in the U.S., but we still lag behind London, Tokyo and Paris.
- We're happy to see some of our favorites on the "Top Restaurants by Cuisine" list, including Pearl Oyster Bar, American (Regional); Daisy May's, Barbecue; Momofuku Noodle Bar, Noodle Shops; and Caracas, South American.
- This year's guide has been snazzed up with the inclusion of color and nifty icons for enhanced readabilty and several dining maps -- a popular restaurants map, a Brooklyn dining map, and a Key Newcomers map.
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Perhaps the reason we "only" tip 19% is because we eat out so often.
I think some people use the "twice the tax" rule of thumb for tipping, which would yield 17% at most.
This is an ad.
Yeah but 19% in NYC is more dollar wise than 20 or 25% in jersey and philly.
*agrees w/ #3*
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You guys misspell Le Bernardin EVERY TIME.
menupages.com is better than zagats, and it's free
zagats for faggots
Why should I give a shit if someone in Philly tips a higher percentage than me? 19 percent isn't enough? 19 percent of what I pay for dinner is still more than the tip they leave for dinner.
If you vote online you get a free copy of the print guide.
yes cause gothamist is so influential in zagat sales.
i dunno, they had a michelin story and now they have a zagats one. not a big deal. if anything they are being balanced.
As a former waiter, if tips in NYC lag behind other cities, I'd guess it's because of our higher level of tourism. Actual New Yorkers tip well, but tourists -- especially Europeans, who seem to pretend they've never heard of the idea -- tend not to.
And then there's Fleet Week. Forget tips, just be vigilant against the "dine and dash."