Looking back across those ratings I have to ask, have we gotten too cynical? It's been six years since the last time I graded a restaurant experience as perfect...is this because the quality has decreased over time? There was a major recession in there. Is it because we've gotten worse at picking restaurants? Perhaps we've already been to those that are capable of giving patrons a perfect evening of food, wine, ambiance, service and excitement. Or is it in fact that we've grown harder to please over the years of eating at America's greatest establishments. Has the bar been set so high now that perfection is like chasing the impossible dream? I think perhaps, yes.
While I believe we're pickier in selecting restaurants that are supposed to possess the potential to serve up a great meal, there are still so many that just fall short (see blog post for Annisa in NYC). I guess that means the game is changing. Now maybe it's time to stop letting Michelin, Zagat, and the NY Times choose where we eat and start looking in the nooks and crannies of this country for the truly unique, unforgettable dining experiences. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives anyone?
| RATINGS | |||||||
| Year | Reviewed | Michelin | 100s | 90s | 80s | 70s | Other |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2001 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| 2003 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| 2004 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 5 |
| 2005 | 44 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 21 | 7 |
| 2006 | 42 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 8 |
| 2007 | 49 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 25 | 11 | 9 |
| 2008 | 101 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 40 | 28 | 25 |
| 2009 | 60 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 35 | 12 | 4 |
| 2010 | 54 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 23 | 13 | 12 |
| 2011 | 68 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 30 | 17 | 12 |
| 2012 | 52 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 25 | 17 | 1 |
| 554 | 64 | 7 | 81 | 222 | 152 | 92 | |
| RESTAURANT | DATE | LOCALE | CHEF | JENN | ZAGAT | MICHELIN |
| Daniel | 11/6/2006 | NYC | Daniel Boulard | 100 | 28-28-28 | «« |
| Les Crayeres | 10/6/2006 | Reims, France | Didier Elena | 100 | Not Rated | «« |
| Per Se | 3/22/2005 | NYC | Thomas Keller | 100 | 28-28-28 | ««« |
| French Laundry | 9/12/2001 | Yontville, CA | Thomas Keller | 100 | 29-26-28 | ««« |
| Alain Ducasse | 6/1/2001 | NYC | Alain Ducasse | 100 | 29-28-28 | ««« |
| Daniel | 8/15/1999 | NYC | Daniel Boulard | 100 | 28-28-28 | «« |
I think it is inevitable that as one's experience grows, it is harder to achieve perfection. The knowledge base is so much larger, the special becomes more expected and routine, and the flaws become more obvious as there is more understanding of what to look for.
ReplyDeleteAs I think back to each of those 100-rated dining experiences, I wouldn't change any of them as every aspect of each was perfect in its own window of time. Unfortunately, they also made it that much harder for the next experience to achieve that lofty level.
Doesn't mean I'm not interested in continuing to try to find them, however! But it also doesn't mean that I think we need to change the types of places we experience. Yes, we should broaden the search and rate experiences uniquely to their situation, but I certainly don't think we should exclude "top-end" places due to their recent inability to score a top rating.
Here's to the search!
Well said baby!
ReplyDeleteAgreed! I'm all for the hunt! - Mary
ReplyDelete