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Gourmet Top 50


ulysses

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The last time they did this format was in '01. Then no. 1 was Chez Panisse, no. 2 Jean-Georges...no.50 Obelisk.

At the time the list was very California heavy: Lucques, Spago, Zuni, Valentino, Campanile. This one is all over the place.

Highlights:

1.Alinea

2.Chez Panisse

3.French Laundry/Per Se

4.Spago

5.Joel Robuchon at the Mansion

6.Le Reve

7.Masa

8.Alan Wong's Restaurant

9.Daniel

10.Le Bernadin

11.Magnolia Grill

12.Citronelle

13.Trotters

14.Arrows

15.Cyrus

16.Striped Bass

17.Babbo

18.Locke-Ober

19.Canlis

20.L'Auberge Carmel

21.Barolotta Ristorante Di Mare

22.Restaurant August

23.Inn at Little Washington

24.The Dining Room in the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead

25.Vetri

26.Fore Street

27.Jean Georges

28.Higgins

29.Da Marco

30.La Belle Vie

31.Parker's New American Bistro

32.Michy's

33.Frasca

34.Gramercy Tavern

35.Providence

36.Restaurant Guy Savoy

37.Zuni Cafe

38.Urasawa

39.Baccahanalia

40.Sanford

41.York Street

42.Manresa

43.No.9 Park

44.Trattoria Nostrani

45.Cafe Jaunita

46.Paley's Place

47.Lantern Restaurant

48.L'etoile

49.Herbsaint

50.Nana

51.Sushi Kappo Kawasaki

I used the '01 list as a yardstick for a long time. I'm pretty pleased with the selections, no blackbird, no WD-50, nothing to hip. Just good food.

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Has anyone been to 80% of those places in the last couple of years ? I'm curious what people who have been to most of those places have to say, not that there's much to say when you are comparing the top rated restaurants in the nation. On another note, I must be the only person in North America who wouldn't think twice about passing up dinner at the Inn at Little Washington. For real, though. I'd rather go to Spain for dinner.

Hey, and how do they (the tire kickers at Gourmet) differentiate the number one from number 10? Is there some sort of an indication of what is being measured? It appears to be fine dining for the most part, no?

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Has anyone been to 80% of those places in the last couple years ?

(Trying not to sound like I'm name dropping here,) but the only ones listed here (eta - of the original nine places in the original post.) that I haven't been to in the last three years are Vetri and Striped Bass (need to get to Philly I guess). Take what I say with a grain of salt in that I've only been to most of them once.

Alinea is an experience and Grant Achatz is doing exciting things there, but what I remember the most about Alinea is the show, not the food.

Chez Panisse is one of my favorite restaurants I've been to (I'm talking about the Cafe here, not the downstairs restaurant). I always have a smile on my face as wide as the Bay Bridge when I sit in the sun splashed room enjoying the fresh, clean flavors. And I admire what Alice Waters has done and continues to do to emphasize fresh, seasonal and local cooking. But as much as I love it, it is not the second best restaurant in the United States. It is too simple to be that highly rated.

These first two places couldn't be any more different.

It is a bit unfair to group Per Se and French Laundry together like they are some mini-Applebees or Wolfgang Puck Express. Each stands on its own and my opinion is that Per Se was the superior experience. At our meal at French Laundry, while technically almost perfect, felt a bit like they were going through the motions. Per Se had more of a buzz about it and the food didn't miss a beat.

Per Se would still be at the top of my list.

Citronelle has every right to be ranked as high as it is. Michel's cooking is still exciting and I get the sense that he isn't standing still. The planned makeover of the room will do even more to solidify its spot.

I still like the Inn for what it is, but what you've heard is true - the cooking isn't making waves any more, the decor is over the top, it is expensive. But it also makes for a lovely evening

Trotter's felt like a place that has been doing the same thing well for a long time. It didn't excite me, but the food was very nice and the service pleasant.

I haven't seen the whole list yet, but the two places that I've been that should be there if they aren't are Maestro and Manresa in Los Gatos, California. Not to sound too much like Joe H (not that there is anything wrong with that) but Maestro has to be one of, if not the best Italian restaurants in the country and is much better than the Inn and easily the equal of Citronelle. When I went to Manresa earlier this year I imagined it must have been like going to French Laundry not long before the secret got out. If it isn't on the list this year, it will be in five years and very high at that.

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Chez Panisse is one of my favorite restaurants I've been to (I'm talking about the Cafe here, not the downstairs restaurant). I always have a smile on my face as wide as the Bay Bridge when I sit in the sun splashed room enjoying the fresh, clean flavors. And I admire what Alice Waters has done and continues to do to emphasize fresh, seasonal and local cooking. But as much as I love it, it is not the second best restaurant in the United States. It is too simple to be that highly rated.

Dude, you can't go hating on Chez Panisse based on the cafe upstairs. That's like saying Palena shouldn't be a big deal because the hamburgers at the cafe are too simple! I've only been to CP once, but their cooking isn't as simple as it seems -- subtle, rather than simple. Alice can certainly play with the big boys. My one dinner there was stunningly good.

My one meal at Babbo was mediocre; I am told (relentlessly) that this was an aberration. I did like hearing The Who and the Grateful Dead during dinner, though.

Because I had the good fortune to sit next to a couple of beautiful and rich Beacon Hill matrons-to-be (in 25 years or so) I fell into conversation with the Chef at Number 9 Park, who sent out a plate of gnocci and truffles (from the bar menu) that were just about the best thing I ate in 2005.

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Dude, you can't go hating on Chez Panisse based on the cafe upstairs. That's like saying Palena shouldn't be a big deal because the hamburgers at the cafe are too simple! I've only been to CP once, but their cooking isn't as simple as it seems -- subtle, rather than simple. Alice can certainly play with the big boys. My one dinner there was stunningly good.

Not hating - it just strikes me as not having the "other factors" we normally associate with four-star places - having poked my head in the dining room a few times, it seems a bit austere and the set menu doesn't appeal to my sensibilities.

But maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way and they are using a different criteria. It really is one of my favorite places around. Maybe I need to forgo the choices upstairs and do a dinner downstairs next time I'm in town.

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Not hating - it just strikes me as not having the "other factors" we normally associate with four-star places - having poked my head in the dining room a few times, it seems a bit austere and the set menu doesn't appeal to my sensibilities.

But maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way and they are using a different criteria. It really is one of my favorite places around. Maybe I need to forgo the choices upstairs and do a dinner downstairs next time I'm in town.

Give it a go. I walked in a skeptic and walked out a believer, though YMMV. I'd like to get out there and try the cafe, myself.

I think if you compare CP to someplace like Alinea or anyplace with a French/Spanish sensibility it's going to look underproduced, as it were. But compared to Babbo or other Med-type spots, where the empahsis is less on technique and more on ingredients, its easier to understand its ranking.

(I liked the Arts and Crafts dining room, myself, but it surely lacks sumptuousness).

Have you been to Zuni, btw, speaking of cafe-type places?

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Have you been to Zuni, btw, speaking of cafe-type places?

I have. It has a different vibe than Chez Panisse Cafe. Chez Panisse is more reserved and food focused -almost reverential, where Zuni is more like a party with good food. Zuni's food is simple. Chez Panisse's food is pristine.

I'm sorry, if there are 41 restaurants in America better than Manresa, then I'm Don Rockwell.

The secret will get out soon enough.

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Interesting to see that Magnolia Grill held the #11 spot both in 2001 and 2006. I love that place.

Was so glad to see my hometown representing, with Lantern as well, though I haven't made it there yet. Magnolia Grill is really fantastic, and I love how casual it is. And it's held strong for so many years.

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This list is absurd. I've been to about one third or more of the restaurants on it and while some such as Fore Street, Arrows and Bacchanalia are understandable local inclusions with distant national reputations others such as Cafe Juanita outside of Seattle totally discredit it. Maestro, Gary Danko and Tru are just a few of the world class restaurants that are inexcusably overlooked by a writer who hasn't eaten around nearly as much as he should have before writing this.

Or perhaps he wanted to make a name by excluding the three I've noted above. Controversy sells magazines.

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When I used to travel to Boston for business with some frequency, I always tried to stop at No. 9 Park. For the solo diner, the bar is a terrific place to dine.
We ate in the restaurant at a family dinner during the holidays last December. The food was wonderful, but the thing I remember even more than the food was the professionalism of the staff.

Shortly after we were seated, a man who was mentally ill and and in obvious distress began yelling/vocalizing and pacing back and forth through the establishment. The staff seemed to know who he was. I wasn't sure if he was a regular patron or someone else they were used to dealing with. It was a very odd experience, but the staff handled it as well as it possibly could have been handled. One of our party runs a social services clinic and was both concerned at the man's condition and impressed with the quality of the staff's handling of the incident. I don't think that's the type of thing that's usually factored into the rating of a fine restaurant, but it said a lot to me about the quality of No. 9 Park as a whole.

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I "ate" at No 9 Park during the Democratic convention (2004). Usually not the best time to see these kinds of places, but they had an amazing spread for the event (fantastic food, great variety, lovely decor). I'm light on details b/c it was a while ago and, well, I was drunk for most of the convention. I remember hovering around the dessert area for a good hour or so. I'll gladly go back next time I'm in Boston...

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Here's Tom Sietsema's take on the Gourmet Top 50 list ...from today's Chat:

The list was truly bizarre. Honolulu's so-so Alan Wong at No. 8? The good-but-far-from-great Arrows in Ogunquit at No. 14? As for Locke-Ober in Boston, it shouldn't have even been on the list, but there she is, at No. 18. Having dined at 32 of the 50 restaurants on Gourmet's Top 50, I'm underwhelmed with the rankings and amazed at the exclusions.

Washington is a top restaurant town, a fact that isn't reflected in the magazine's lineup. Michel Richard Citronelle deserves to be in a list of the very best restaurants in the country. And where were Maestro and Cityzen and Minibar, among other significant destinations?

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I got this hilarious off-the-cuff critique from a (very knowledgeable) buddy of mine - I reprint it here with his permission. Cheers, Rocks.

---

1. Alinea – Chicago, IL* - bizarro Adria wanna-be place.

2. Chez Panisse – Berkeley, CA - roast chicken and salad joint. Good but,

c'mon.

3. The French Laundry/Per Se – Yountville, CA; New York, NY - great.

4. Spago – Beverly Hills, CA - smoked salmon pizza.

5. Joël Robuchon at the Mansion – Las Vegas, NV* - no experience but great

reports.

6. La Rêve – San Antonio, TX - bullshit.

7. Masa – New York, NY* - one of the better sushi places in NYC but I'll

take Yasuda at 75% less.

8. Alan Wong's Restaurant – Honolulu, HI - no experience.

9. Daniel – New York, NY - very good but a bit of a factory.

10. Le Bernardin – New York, NY - very, very good.

11. Magnolia Grill – Durham, NC - a joke; tired theme and a bored

chef/owner.

12. Michel Richard Citronelle – Washington, D.C. - very good.

13. Charlie Trotter's – Chicago, IL - very good but maybe long in the tooth.

14. Arrows – Ogunquit, ME - ask Rockwell.

15. Cyrus – Healdsburg, CA* - good reports.

16. Striped Bass – Philadelphia, PA* - no.

17. Babbo – New York, NY - pasta joint that also serves feet, ears and guts.

18. Locke-Ober – Boston, MA* - no, even with Lydia Shire.

19. Canlis – Seattle, WA - boring, old folk's place.

20. L'Auberge Carmel – Carmel, CA* - no experience.

21. Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare – Las Vegas, NV* - eh.

22. Restaurant August – New Orleans, LA* - very good but not deserving of

this.

23. The Inn at Little Washington – Washington, VA - very good but really affected.

24. The Dining Room in the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead – Atlanta, GA* - good,

stodgy.

25. Vetri – Philadelphia, PA* - Obelisk wanna-be.

26. Fore Street – Portland, ME - no experience.

27. Jean Georges – New York, NY - a factory.

28. Higgins – Portland, OR* - a bar.

29. Da Marco – Houston, TX* - crappy.

30. La Belle Vie – Minneapolis, MN* - no experience.

31. Parker's New American Bistro – Cleveland, OH - boring.

32. Michy's – Miami, FL* - no experience.

33. Frasca – Boulder, CO* - a tavern.

34. Gramercy Tavern – New York, NY - Danny Meyer factory.

35. Providence – Los Angeles, CA* - great reports.

36. Restaurant Guy Savoy – Las Vegas, NV* - great reports.

37. Zuni Café – San Francisco, CA - roast chicken and potatoes. See Chez

Panisse.

38. Urasawa – Beverly Hills, CA* - no experience.

39. Bacchanalia – Atlata, GA* - Outstanding. One of he best in the country.

40. Sanford – Milwaukee, WI - Excellent.

41. York Street – Dallas, TX* - Truly excellent but very spare/simple.

42. Manresa – Los Gatos, CA* - no experience.

43. No. 9 Park – Boston, MA* - very good.

44. Trattoria Nostrani – Santa Fe, NM* - no experience.

45. Cafe Juanita – Kirkland, WA* - good, not great.

46. Paley's Place – Portland, OR* - very good but a neighborhood spot, not

destination.

47. Lantern Restaurant – Chapel Hill, CA* - noodle and dumpling joint.

PLEASE!

48. L'Etoile – Madison, WI - hippy Chez Panisse and Zuni Cafe wannabe. Was

better before sale.

49. Herbsaint – New Orleans, LA* - very good but a gumbo and frog's leg

joint.

50. Nana – Dallas, TX* - Dallas hotel food.

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It looks like the print version of Gourmet may not last the year:

Gourmet will probably not see the end of the year. Its parent company, Conde Nast, can no longer rely on the huge profits of the newspaper portion of the Newhouse family business. The magazine operation needs to go on a diet. Conde Nast reaches the "food" market several ways. It owns Gourmet, Bon Appetite, and epicurious.com. Conde Nast simply owns too many titles in this category. From 2004 to 2008, Gourmet’s ad pages have dropped from 1,364 to 955, with a 24% drop last year. January’s ad pages were down another 32% according to MIN. Gourmet can survive since it has a competitive audience of web visitors to its food site, but it will have to migrate totally to its website.
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