Time was, the ultimate honour for any ambitious chef was to gain a Michelin star or two. Better still, three. But these days, the world of fine dining is in a state of flux. Far from going to any lengths to schmooze critics or diners, restaurateurs are taking them on, from publicly berating customers who don’t spend enough to ejecting anyone who even threatens to leave an unfavourable review.
Nowhere is this gear change more noticeable than in attitudes towards the esteemed “red book”, the Michelin Guide. Last October, Giglio, a restaurant in the Italian town of Lucca, asked for its star to be removed from the guide. It had become a burden, according to co-owner, Benedetto Rullo. Many diners were deterred by the prospect of “fussy” food and a formal atmosphere. “One should be able to go to a fine restaurant in a T-shirt, flip-flops and shorts,” Rullo said.
This year in France, the chef Marc Veyrat took the unprecedented step of banning Michelin inspectors from his eponymous new restaurant in the super-chic ski resort of Megève. It must be said that Veyrat has form with Michelin. In 2019, at his previous restaurant, he was outraged to have one of his three stars removed. The reason? Inspectors accused him of using cheddar in a soufflé. Imagine! Rather than taking it on the chin, Veyrat took Michelin to court. He lost the case and Michelin called him “a narcissistic diva”.
I went to Michelin-starred restaurants as a kid. I think I want to one as an adult, though I don’t specifically recall if they had one or more. The bill was nonetheless $600 for four people (in 2007). That’s an unsustainable business model, so I can see why some restaurateurs want out of the system.
The service was excellent, and they kept serving us apertifs well after closing time. We finally realized we were needlessly keeping the waitstaff on past shift end and called it a night. Amazing meal, but the context was my college roommate fast-tracked a passport application for me so that my first honeymoon – in St. Lucia – could be effectuated.
Once we were back in the states, we offered to thank him by treating him and his girlfriend to dinner at one of Seattle’s finest restaurants (a favourite of my grandfather). When he saw the prices, he quietly turned to me and said, “Do you really want to eat here and not know what the Wagyu steaks are like? We’ll split the bill.”
And the steak was absolutely worth $75. And the unordered mushroom bisque starter would later become the basis for a Thanksgiving staple (I emailed Canlis for a recipe, which they were happy to provide an approximation of at restaurant scale). But that’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not “Hey, hon, where do you want to eat tonight?”
Cost is only because of greed
Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle sells their noodle bowl for under $10 usd, and they have their Michelin star.
Curse is more likely.
Many Michelin star restaurants had their rent raised because the land owner reaslised they will have more business. Its insane.
I’ve eaten at 1, 2, and 3 star restaurants and they were all excellent. That being said, most of them were expensive, and I’ve eaten at plenty of restaurants not on the guide that were also really good.
I think the Michelin guide receives too much attention. I like that there exists a guide for good restaurants, but at the end of the day, that’s only Michelin’s list. Everyone has different preferences, and a 3-star $1k+ meal at the French Laundry is maybe not going to be as good as a $20 burger combo at a nearby diner for many people.
Since you brought up Canlis - it’s good and I’d recommend, but again, it may not be for everyone. There’s plenty of cheaper restaurants in the area that you can get just as much enjoyment from without paying as much for a meal. Still, it’s a great restaurant for a nice date.
Oh, I’ve no argument that it’s a nice restaurant. It’s just not the sort of place you go on a whim. Seriously, I spent the ensuing dozen or so years tweaking the bisque. I’d not heard of truffle oil before that, and having both white and black going forward – as one does – was a new thing.
It was an amazing night that will never happen again. And I’m fine with that. You can’t go out like that on a regular basis, though.
You can’t go out like that on a regular basis, though.
Absolutely not haha. I’ve only eaten there once, and while it was good, nothing really beats cooking at home, especially with regards to the budget. Canlis, similar to the other restaurants I mentioned, only really makes sense for very special occasions, and only if your budget allows for it. Everything there can be found for cheaper elsewhere in larger portions, just not all in one place.
I’ve always preferred cooking at home. I’m not terrible.
Sure, I can get an $18 steak from HEB and call it a day. But sometimes things call for notching things up (not that I knew what Mr. Butt was up to at the time).
It’s unlikely I’ll ever go back to Canlis – at the very least, it’s geographically undesirable deep in the heart of Texas.
I love cooking. In fact, just before inadvertently meeting my second wife, I was in constant competition with my roommate/groomsman/former boss. We rarely ate before 9 p.m., unless his kids were around. We just shat the shit and cut broccoli while drinking perhaps too much wine.
