Michelin Boston

[redelephant]

The Michelin ratings for SF restaurants just came out, while NYC's ratings came out a few weeks ago and Chicago's list is pending. I love the anger and discussions these somewhat meaningless, somewhat fun, somewhat useful lists spur. Along those lines, I was wondering how many stars Boston places might or might not get. Not to be down on Boston, but I don't think we have any two or three star restaurants by Michelin standards. What do you think? Here's my spontaneous ill-conceived list:

3 stars: None
2 stars: None
1 star:
Craigie
Clio
Menton
No. 9
Arrows (San Francisco gets Napa after all!)
L'Espalier
o ya

A la Chez Panisse, I will leave Radius, Salts, and a few other perhaps just-as-deserving restaurants off the list to spur controversy.

[ecwashere7]

When I plan a trip to NYC, I hardly ever consider the Michelin guide for my choices. I first go to the NYT and I also peruse the New York board on Chowhound. My last Michelin star experiences were at the Breslin and Casa Mono, which both received 1 star. I was underwhelmed with both places. Toro blows Casa Mono out of the water IMO and I feel like many places in Boston are better than the Breslin. I do agree that Boston's food scene has a long way to go, but there are certainly some great spots too.

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Toro
1704 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

[dfan]

I was curious what the criteria for the stars actually were, and found this:

"One star signifies a very good restaurant
Two stars signify excellent cooking that is worth a detour
Three stars signify exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey"

"According to Michelin, stars reflect "what's on the plate and only what's on the plate". The five criteria they are judged on are:
· The quality of ingredients
· The skill in their preparation and the combination of flavours
· The level of creativity
· The value for money
· The consistency of culinary standards
Other criteria, such as décor and service, are indicated by fork-and-spoon symbols, and do not affect star ratings."

So according to theory, the decor and service should not factor into the number of stars. I don't know how it is in practice.

[cambridgedoctpr]

i have read that other things do affect star ratings, but times have changed and the guide may also have changed.

[MC Slim JB]

One star looks easier to get than it used to be. Before the new New York restaurant ratings came out, I would have said only L'Espalier and Menton have a shot at a single star, but now I think maybe other restaurants here might qualify. There are NYC restaurants with one star that I don't think are all that amazing, like Aureole and Del Posto.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

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L'Espalier
774 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02199

Menton
354 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210

[redelephant]

And The Breslin.

[CocoDan]

Michelin star ratings aren't what they used to be. Not that heavily sought after by chef/owners as years gone by. I love Aureole, for instance, but I don't see it having a star. Spain has argueably become one of the standard of the food world, and I not sure there are any starred restaurants there. That whole system has become somewhat flawed. Just my opinion.
CocoDan

[Uncle Yabai]

Spain has dozens of Michelin-starred restaurants, and not just recently during the wave of "star inflation" but from back in the day when getting one was a major deal. I remember going on an eating tour of Spain in 1998 and all we did was eat at Michelin-starred restaurants for a week. That was one food trip.

[MC Slim JB]

I suspected the same thing about The Breslin, but haven't actually dined there yet.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[cambridgedoctpr]

11 Madison in NYC is an excellent restaurant with only 1 star; Del Posto also got 1 star. Both of these get 4 stars from the NY Times, by the way.

I am all about the food; I can live with a plain room if the food is good.

[MC Slim JB]

Bruni gave Del Posto 3 stars; Sifton recently gave it 4. I'm one of the many folks who just don't see it: probably the most controversial NY Times rave in a while.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[klm4]

I think Eleven Madison Park is an easy 2-star, possibly 3. I'm definitely puzzled by that Michelin rating (amongst a number of others in NY). (Oh, @CocoDan, there are plenty of starred restaurants in Spain -- they're definitely not being overlooked there.)

When I think of the various 2/3 stars I've eaten at in the States and in Europe, nothing in Boston comes close. I think Boston is terrific when it comes to mid-range restaurants (in terms of price-point), but if I'm thinking high-end, I'd rather go down to NY. H

[hazelhurst]

Careful...people around town will think you are Harry Frazee -; )

[klm4]

I'm Boston-born and bred, and there's plenty I love about my hometown -- but the high-end dining here ain't one of those things :P

[hckybg]

I have no opinion on whether restaurants should get a certain number of stars, but very much enjoyed my meal at the Breslin (oysters, scotch eggs, trout, donuts...excellent service, very nice room). Whether it should have a star or not, I have no clue.

But to keep this on topic, I guess I always thought of the Michelin as being interesting for the places that get the absolute top ratings, where it seems a lot easier to determine if a restaurant is peerless or not. I would imagine anything under that is extremely ambiguous. I would say that no restaurant in Boston is truly peerless, but we have plenty of great places of all shakes (and it seems most agree with me, given the extremely wide range of places that have already been tossed out as potential Boston one-stars, and the consensus that none get three stars). I guess if you have enough money to enjoy Per Se, you have enough to enjoy a trip to New York too.

[cambridgedoctpr]

MC Slim said it already; Boston is in the triple A league while NYC is in the bigs of restaurants. But i do not require the most elegant decor to enjoy a meal, and Boston has lots of good eating.

[csammy]

Michelin is looking for the total package, food, wine, service and decor. Unfortunatly Boston does not have a restaurant that reaches all these standards.
The closest would be:
L'Espalier:
Very good food (Although some say it is slipping)
Very good wine program (over priced, but Michelin does not care)
Excellent Service
Very nice decor (some people preferred the old location)
I would say barely two stars (could slip quickly if the food does not become more consistent)

Menton
Excellent food
Good wine program (they need some aged wine to be taken seriously)
Excellent service
Nice decor
I would say barely two stars (the wine program hurts them but it could be fixed)

Troquet
Very good food (always consistent)
Excellent wine program
Very good service
Average room but a nice view
I would say barely two stars (the room really hurts them)

O Ya
Excellent food
Poor wine program (sake list is nice but not that special)
Good service
Average room (no table cloths, lacks elegance)
I think one star

No. 9
Very good food
Average wine program (nothing with age)
Excellent Service
Average room (very low ceiling)
I think one star

Clio
Good food(silly small portions and lacks consistency)
Average wine program (nothing with age)
Good service
Very nice room
Barely one star

I would leave Craigie off (very good food, horrible wine program, average service and a loud chaotic dining room.

I don't think anything else comes close.

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L'Espalier
774 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02199

O Ya
9 East Street, Boston, MA 02111

Troquet
140 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116

Menton
354 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210

[teezeetoo]

Adding to Csammy's list, I'd say Rialto and Blue Ginger, Lumiere, Radius and Hamersley might meet one star standards. Possibly Meritage. Possibly Prezza and Lucca on Huntington. I'd give Erbaluce, Bergamot and Salt one star but Michelin wouldn't. There are no 3 stars here IMO, and possibly no two stars. But that's by Michelin standards, not mine. And it's just a guess. I've eaten at Per Se, Ducasse in Monte Carlo, Cote D'Or in Saulieul, and a few other 3 stars: we just don't have that type of leisurely, over the top elegance, or that price point.. We do, however, have some great local joints.

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Prezza
24 Fleet St., Boston, MA 02113

Lucca Restaurant
226 Hanover St., Boston, MA 02113

Lumiere Restaurant
1293 Washington St., West Newton, MA 02465

Blue Ginger
583 Washington St., Wellesley, MA 02482

Meritage Restaurant
70 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA 02110

Erbaluce
69 Church Street, Boston, MA 02116

[Boston_Otter]

Agreed on O Ya. Brilliant food but rather plain and stark atmosphere. Wine service borders on ridiculous: last time I was there, I ordered the wine pairing with my omakase, and the server looked confused and actually said "uh... so you want me to suggest some wines? or what?" and ended up just randomly bringing out a series of wines, sakes, and ports during the meal, with no explanation. They were very nice, but that's not how a wine service works.

[cambridgedoctpr]

I agree with the OP. O Ya has 2 star or maybe 3 star quality food in a very plain space. I would not give any other restaurant 2 stars.

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O Ya
9 East Street, Boston, MA 02111

[Luther]

Alternatively, you could use Hong Kong Michelin standards and pick your favorite small, independently-owned eatery making competent, reliable standards at an affordable price and give them one star.

[trueblu]

For what it's worth I rather agree with you. Definitely no 3 stars anywhere. I've not been to either clio or o ya, but by the raves, either may fall in the 2 star category. L'Espalier is a solid 1 star, no more, as is Craigie.

B.

[redelephant]

Yeah, I thought of o ya as a "maybe" for 2 stars, and I was reminded of that Frank Bruni article from 2008 ranking his favorite new non-NYC-based restaurants, where o ya topped the list, but Ubuntu [in Napa], a close 2nd place according to Mr. Bruni, got 1 star by Michelin this year. Of course, Coi was also on that Bruni list at no. 7 and it just got 2 stars by Michelin, so there you go. I guess none of this is of importance, other than the bigger picture that Boston probably lacks both 2 and 3 star restaurants if you put credence in those sorts of things.