One Star Michelins

[deepfry7]

Now that people have had a week to calm down and reflect on this year's list, what restaurants would you add to the list or take away. Let's limit to the one-stars.

The exclusion of Babbo every year is a real travesty, IMO. I guess the silver lining is that it'd be slightly harder to get a reservation than it currently is. :)

Here's this year's list:

Adour
Ai Fiori
Aldea
Annisa
Aureole
A Voce Columbus
A Voce Madison
Blue Hill
Bouley
Breslin
Brushstroke
Cafe Boulud
Casa Mono
Danji
Danny Brown Wine Bar & Kitchen
Del Posto
Dovetail
Dressler
Gotham Bar and Grill
Gramercy Tavern
Heartbreak
Jewel Bako
Junoon
Kyo Ya
Laut
Marc Forgione
Minetta Tavern
The Modern
Oceana
Peter Luger
Picholine
Public
River Cafe
Rosanjin
Rouge Tomate
Saul
Seasonal
Spotted Pig
Sushi Azabu
Sushi of Gari
Tamarind Tribeca
Tori Shin
Tulsi
Veritas
Wallse
wd~50

[fooder]

I would classify a recent meal at Minetta Tavern as one Michelin star http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/832273
And it leads me to my criteria for what I think a one Michelin star restaurant should be. And certainly by my criteria the actual list is way too long.

One of the very best restaurants for its type of cuisine. This would either be a global "best" evaluation or at least the best of a bunch of similarly high quality restaurants in the region. It still needs to be special, but not special or unique enough to warrant a detour while vacationing. But if you are vacationing and craving this food especially, it's the place to go. If you are a local, it's worth trying to be a regular if you can.

[PesachBenSchlomo]

I'm so glad to hear about Minetta Tavern; it was my neighborhood restaurant many years ago, and I haven't had the good fortune to get back there.

[peter j]

I think the one star list is too big. It could be trimmed by a third and agree with most of the recommendations for drops. I'd add Lincoln and Ciano rather than Babbo (to me Babbo is a very good neighborhood place rather than a culinary destination). 15 East, Kurumazushi and Sushi Yasuda are puzzling omissions.

WD 50, well it's interesting but if this were my list I'd drop it as well.

Picholine, I have a theory that it was demoted to one star because the portions have become so small relative to the hefty a la carte prices. I think I read on another thread that value is a consideration for Michelin rankings?

-----
15 East
15 East 15th Street, New York, NY 10003

Babbo
110 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10011

Sushi Yasuda
204 E 43rd St, New York, NY 10017

Picholine
35 West 64th St., New York, NY 10023

Kurumazushi
7 E 47th St, New York, NY 10017

Ciano
45 E 22nd St, New York, NY 10010

[Ricky]

drop:
Jewel Bako
Sushi of Gari
Tamarind
WD-50
Laut
Danny Brown
Avoce
Aureole

Add\Upgrade
15 East
Hecho en Dumbo - Chef's table
Craft
Craftbar
Babbo
Manzo

[loratliff]

Drop wd-50, but add Manzo and Hecho en Dumbo? Not even in the same class!

I would add Roberta's.

-----
Hecho en Dumbo
354 Bowery, New York, NY 10012

Manzo
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

[Ricky]

Wd-50 is pretty awful for a molecular place, does it get a star because its the best and only full on molecular gastronomy restaurant in ny? Had some very good meals at Manzo, as good as meals I've had at Babbo. The chef's table at Hecho en Dumbo puts out some great modern mexican, of course theres a miss here and there, but the food is inventive. Did have a few bad meals at the regular table though, I guess it should be consistent in both parts of the restaurant.

[Spiritchaser]

Not a big fan of the Michelin stars but if it is going to be use as a qualitative measure then here are some of the changes I would like:

Picholine, The Modern, Cafe Boulud - 2 stars
Aureole, Rouge Tomate, Seasonal, Spotted Pig, MInetta Tavern - No stars

-----
Cafe Boulud
20 East 76th St., New York, NY 10021

Spotted Pig
314 W 11th St, New York, NY 10014

Picholine
35 West 64th St., New York, NY 10023

Rouge Tomate
10 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022

[ellenost]

Agree with you about Picholine and Aureole (maybe the Michelin reviewer is basing his/her review on the original Aureole when it was in the townhouse on E. 61 St. when it initially received 1 star). I think Bouley deserves 2 stars.

-----
Picholine
35 West 64th St., New York, NY 10023

[Spiritchaser]

Yes, based upon last visit, agreed, Bouley deserves two also. I also agree the "old" Aureole would deserve a star(s) but the new location has brought everything associated with Aureole down, it reads soulless corporate to me now.

[foodwhisperer]

I have not been to all of those on the list.
I would eliminate , Gramercy Tavern,Marc Forgione, Rosanjin,Suahi Azabu,Tamarind, Tori Shin,Laut, Casa Mono, I am not sure who to add, as perhaps some of the ones i like have 2 michelin stars. In any case, I think they are killing the value of Michelin stars by giving good but not amazingly exceptional restaurants Michelin stars. In Europe they seem a bit more strict. I like Laut but a Michelin star, No way. I hate Tamarind, I've had better food in very inexpensive indian restaurants, definitely no star here. Casa Mono is good, but Michelin star? lets give Porchetta a Michelin star. Just ridiculous who they give these stars to.

-----
Casa Mono
52 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003

Laut
15 E 17th St, New York, NY 10003

Porchetta
110 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

[Charles Yu]

Eliminate Gramercy Tavern from even a 1* when its rated #6 out of 100 in this thread??! After EMP, Bernardin, Per Se, Momofuku Ko, Craft
http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2011/12...
Most interesting!! Love to hear your reasoning! Since GT is on my April visit eat-list!

Fellow S'pore Cher Fourseason and myself had a very elaborate dinner at Babbo a while back. The food and experience was most underwhelming and disappointing! Not surprise by its demotion!

[RGR]

I'm with foodwhisperer with regard to Gramercy Tavern. I don't care if it's No. 6 on that list. I have never had a meal in the dining room that ever came close to being rave-worthy, and it had the dubious distinction of serving me my worst meal of 2009. While my husband had better luck than I had, my first and main courses were truly awful. A close friend of mine just ate there and said while he found the food to be competently prepared, it was boring. It's possible, of course, that you will like it. But I'm done with dining there. Btw, I do like the food in the Tavern Room, which is quite different in style from the dining room.

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

[Charles Yu]

Gramercy Tavern:

A restaurant with a Michelin star. Rave review by Time-Out magazine. #6 out of 100 in the Platt101 list . Gayot's/Gault Millau gave it the same rating as Le Bernardin. An executive chef that had worked in the kitchens of 3*s Michel Guerard, L'Arpege, L'Astrance and Daniel.

And yet, in the opinion of fellow chowhounders, not even worth a mentioning and in some cases, the source of some of the worst meals they ate recently?!!

Go figure?!!!

Right now, I am confused, I am lost and I think I am going to give up reading reviews!

May be I'll ask my one year old baby nephew to pick me a few choices for my upcoming NYC trip instead??!! Who knows, the result might be turn out to be absolutely fantastic??!! Ha!!!

[foodwhisperer]

Some restaurants do not live up to their reputation. Also, different people have different tastes, so go to GT , review , and let us hear what you think. I recently had an amazing meal at Jean Georges, some people have negative things to say about JG, i love it. Bouley , I had a bad meal, I haven't been back yet. I loved the old Bouley so I'll try this one again. I usually try a place 3 times before I really decide if it is good or bad. Maharlika I hated the first time, now i love it. Jung Sik had terrible service at first but now it is good and the food is amazing. Platt hates the place, I hate Platt. I don't agree with most of Sam Sifton's reviews, he hated Brushstroke. Brushstroke is excellent. As far as Michelin goes, Michelin has become a joke. Brooklyn Fare received 3 Michelin stars and they don't even have table cloths, wait, they dont even have tables, waiters, anything. Hmm, the little dishes are good , not amazing, the price is very high since they got their stars. The point is, judge for yourself, Chowhound is here to guide you. The Manhattan board people have the most exposure to excellent food, as Manhattan has the most good restaurants in the country. We don;t all agree, that's what makes the board fun. But there are some you can trust . I love all you guys, but RGR, Kathryn, I trust their judgement. Lau I trust for Chinese food. Thew for other asian. Simon for japanese. there are others sgordon, Steak rules, i can't name you all ,,Just go with your gut and report back .

[RGR]

foodwhisperer,

I'm truly flattered by your trust in my opinions! :)

I agree with your advice to Charles that he should go to Gramercy Tavern and decide for himself.

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

[uhockey]

Picking based on Time-Out rankings is insane. Le Bernardin better than Per Se and Craft over Corton?

Per Se > EMP > Corton > The Modern would be more logical.

I will say that my meal at Gramercy was stunning and Nancy Olson pretty much changed everything I thought about dessert in that one afternoon. Not to mention there were circumstances surrounding that meal (both before and after) that gave me more respect for Danny Meyer than anyone can imagine.

Go to Gramercy. It won't top EMP, but it will impress.

http://endoedibles.com

[Bkeats]

Go to GT like others say and make up your own mind, though I would add that go more than once before you rank it. I've been to GT many many times over the years. I don't feel like its ever disappointed me. It may not be the pinnacle of dining in NYC, but it ain’t shabby. I guess my expectations for GT may be different than others. I expect a fine meal, solicitous service and helpful advice on picking my wine. It’s a comfortable place to go. May be a little more worn now since it close to 15+ years I think, but its still a wonderful place. Kind of reminds me of what Montrachet was like before it was closed and turned into Corton. As a frame of reference, I was at Le Bernardin a few weeks ago for a very good Dover sole (but not the best I’ve had) and I have a reservation in a couple of weeks for EMP. The food at GT may not have the same pyrotechnics as those two, but I keep going back for it. I also think its pretty good value (I know that sounds like a ridiculous statement) for what it serves.

[RGR]

My problem with our 2009 dinner at G.T. was not a lack of pyrotechnics. I don't require culinary fireworks at every meal. But the two savory dishes I had were ill-conceived and tasted awful. I tasted the two dishes my husband ordered, and while they weren't wows, at least they tasted good. G.T. is not exactly a cheap joint, and one shouldn't have to "order right" to get a tasty meal meal.

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

[Bkeats]

Its distressing to spend a decent sum for a not so decent meal. I also find it tough to return to a place that was a disappointment and I respect your view. I guess I've been fortunate so far in my experiences at GT. I've had wonderful times there and I hope my streak stays intact but who knows? The end did come for Montrachet too and how we used to love that place.

[RGR]

It really is a shame because the amibiance is very appealing, service is so "Danny Meyer," and the desserts are delicious. But I'm still fine with an occasional meal in the Tavern Room where we've had nothing but excellent food. http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

[fooder]

I'm someone who, much like RGR, likes the tavern room and dislikes the dining room tremendously. In my experience, they're very competent cooks, but when they try to do more, they fail.

To me it goes back to the one star criteria, which is "One of the very best restaurants for its type of cuisine". Is it on the same level as GB&G, Craft, Picholine, Dovetail, etc. for New American? If it isn't, then it shouldn't be on the list. But even if it is, is the value of the list being diluted by the sheer number of representatives?

That being said, Spotted Pig and Breslin are on there presumably for the category "Gastropub", a group I wouldn't mind putting the tavern room of GT in with.

In all, I think when discussing GT it's relevant to specify the tavern room or the dining room, just like I think that distinction needs to be made for restaurants where the bar serves a different menu from the dining room, such as Le Bernardin, the Salon at Per Se, EMP, http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/825873 etc.

[RGR]

I don't know about Le Bernardin, but with regard to the other two restaurants you mention, they don't serve a different menu than the dining room, just an abbreviated verison. The Bar Room at the Modern and G.T.'s Tavern Room both have menus that bear no resemblance to the menus in their respective formal dining rooms.

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

[Cheeryvisage]

Le Bernardin bar does serve the exact same menu as the dining room. The lounge menu is separate, but the items are really small bites that people probably don't make an entire meal out of them....

[fooder]

By Le Bernardin I was referring to the lounge.

Yes you're right RGR they're abbreviated versions, but they feel like such different meals to me.

[RGR]

fooder,

I'm guessing it's not the food itself but where you're having it or more to the point not having it, i,e., the dining room, that makes those meals feel so different.

http://thewizardofroz.wordpress.com

[fooder]

I think the inability to have a long drawn out menu is the big difference. At EMP for example, the canapes are a substantial portion of the meal, but are not available in the bar area (except for regulars).

[foodwhisperer]

Gramercy Tavern has outlived its reputation. I do not care if it is #6 on this thread or #1, I don't like the food there. There are so many better places.