Charlie Suisman over at Manhattan User's Guide broke the French omerta on the New York City restaurants Michelin guide and listed the restaurants receiving 1, 2 or 3 stars. Only thirty-nine restaurants were reviewed. Here's a quick analysis:
- Parlez francais: Frenchmen/French-themed restaurants take three of the four 3-star slots (Alain Ducasse, Jean-Georges, Le Bernadin); the fourth is American-born Per Se (lucky for punch bowl owners)
- Time Warner Center sweep: Per Se, Masa (2 stars), and Cafe Gray (1 star) - thank God Jean-Georges closed V Steakhouse or else that would have been embarrassing
- Multitaskers: Jean-Georges, though, gets a total of five stars, with 3-star Jean-Georges and two 1-star joints - JoJo and Vong; the four star man is David Bouley, who gets 2 stars for Bouley and 2 stars for Danube; Daniel Boulud gets three stars total with 2-star Daniel and 1-star Cafe Boulud ; Danny Meyer gets two stars, one each for The Modern and Gramercy Tavern, and Mario Batali has two stars, for his 1-star Babbo and 1-star Spotted Pig,
- Downtown restaurants: Annisa (also the only restaurant headed by a woman, as far as we can tell), Fiamma Osteria, Cru, Jewel Bako, Nobu, Gotham Bar and Grill, Lo Scalco, Scalini Fedeli, Spotted Pig, Wallse, WD-50 (all 1-star); Babbo (2-star), plus Bouley and Danube
- And Brooklyn represents: Saul and Peter Luger
New York magazine had asked restaurateurs and chefs what they thought of Michelin coming to town last week. The Michelin Man, aka Bibendum, did visit NYC earlier this year and checked out the Gates. And time will tell whether or not the a NYC Michelin guide will go online. And click below for the full list, via the AP:
THREE STARS
Alain Ducasse Manhattan Midtown West
Jean-Georges Manhattan Upper West Side
Le Bernardin Manhattan Midtown West
Per Se Manhattan Midtown West
TWO STARS
Bouley Manhattan TriBeCa
Daniel Manhattan Upper East Side
Danube Manhattan TriBeCa
Masa Manhattan Midtown West
ONE STAR
Annisa Manhattan West Village
Aureole Manhattan Upper East Side
Babbo Manhattan Greenwich Village
BLT Fish Manhattan Union Square
Cafe Boulud Manhattan Upper East Side
Cafe Gray Manhattan Midtown West
Craft Manhattan Gramercy-Flatiron
Cru Manhattan Greenwich
Etats-Unis Manhattan Upper East Side
Fiamma Osteria Manhattan SoHo
Fleur de Sel Manhattan Gramercy-Flatiron
Gotham Bar and Grill Manhattan Greenwich Village
Gramercy Tavern Manhattan Gramercy-Flatiron
JoJo Manhattan Upper East Side
Jewel Bako Manhattan East Village
La Goulue Manhattan Upper East Side
Lever House Manhattan Midtown East
Lo Scalco Manhattan TriBeCa
March Manhattan Midtown East
Nobu Manhattan TriBeCa
Oceana Manhattan Midtown East
Peter Luger Brooklyn
Picholine Manhattan Upper West Side
Saul Brooklyn
Scalini Fedeli Manhattan TriBeCa
Spotted Pig Manhattan Greenwich Village
The Modern Manhattan Midtown West
Veritas Manhattan Gramercy-Flatiron
Vong Manhattan Midtown East
Wallse Manhattan West Village
WD-50 Manhattan Lower East Side
Michelin's star ratings are as follows:
* A general listing in the guide indicates "a quality restaurant that stands out from others" in the same category of comfort, definitely worth trying.
* One star indicates "a very good restaurant in its category," a place offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard.
* Two stars denote "excellent cuisine, worth a detour," skillfully and carefully crafted dishes of outstanding quality.
* Three stars reward "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey." One always eats extremely well here, often superbly. Distinctive dishes are precisely executed, using superlative ingredients.
The rating is expressed in two ways:
* A comfort rating: levels of comfort are rated using one to five forks and spoons for restaurants and one to five pavilions for hotels. Those symbols judge the comfort of the establishment. They take into consideration: the furnishings of the establishment, the service, the cleanliness and upkeep of the surroundings.
* Special distinctions for certain establishments: these symbols include stars for the best restaurants, red forks and spoons or red pavilions for especially pleasant establishments. The star symbols judge only "what's on the plate," meaning the quality of products, the mastering of flavors, the mastering of cooking, the "personality" of the cuisine, the value for money and the consistency of what it offers to its customers both throughout the menu and the year.
