feh... how can anyplace be listed even in the top 100 if they don't serve steak???
Posted on 05/01/2012 1:22:10 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Chef David Kinch's Manresa is world-class in Los Gatos.
The food isn't good at Manresa in Los Gatos. It's world-class good -- the 46th-best restaurant on the globe, as a matter of fact.
Chef David Kinch's spin on local California cuisine -- where ingredients come from a Santa Cruz farm that grows vegetables exclusively for the roasted stone fruit or the slow-roasted duck in a hay-and-salt crust -- last made the list in 2006, and is one of only two California eateries to make the exclusive list, compiled by sparkly-water purveyors San Pellegrino, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
The French Laundry clocked in at 43, though chef Thomas Keller's New York effort, Per Se, was deemed sixth-best restaurant, according to reports.
Keeping its strangehold on the top spot at www.theworlds50best.com is Noma, a Copenhagen, Denmark-based eatery where the ingredients are all classic Nordic products, like moss. Really.
Kinch's status as a premier purveyor of food products is merely due to the hard work of his staff, he said in an e-mail.
You didn’t address my specific objection to these “ratings”, just an insult, folowed by a dose of ignorant, and so predictable, culinary snobbery.
Wow, even better than Ruth’s-Chris (hate that name)? (LOL - I’ve never bothered to go to 1, yet - I hear it’s overrated by people I trust, at least for the money.) I’d think Rush would be on this by now....
Frankly, you started it. A bit of a sneering, sarcastic attitude from the outset. And random’s comment was a bit weak, if you want to be honest. No worse than yours.
Well let’s see.
I have been to:
11 Madison
Le Bernadin
Latelir - Saint German - only went there because a hotel I was staying at was the Saint German on Rue Du Bac. Great food. Great experience. Need to go back.
Daniels - Been plenty of times. 1st time we ordered a $3,000 Screaming Eagle. They poured and my friend said “fine”. So I got my glass and as I brought it up to nose thought it smelled funny. Well, when it hit my tongue it tasted like dust.
I told my friend to hold on and have another taste. He had another swallow and blew it off saying he’d worse.
I laughed and said “not $3,000 worse”.
So my other friend who is a celebrated chef took a taste and she told both of us not to drink another drop. She called the Somalier over and had him check it out.
This guy must have some idiot loser. He said that it seemed fine.
My Chef friend said “You wouldn’t drink that! Take it back and give me the wine list”.
She was pretty sharp and the must have figured he needed to enlist higher authority, especially for some jerks who just wanted to sip an expensive bottle of wine(LOL, had a wine the night before that was $20,000 and found in some shipwreck) I lost all respect for Somaliers right there.
So the Somalier returns with this really nice looking guy and I think he’s the manager.
All I heard was his last name and I just shut up. My friend introduced herself as Chef”**” and he said he had heard of her when he passed through San Francisco a week ago.
She goes on tells him about her wine cellar, at her restarunt and describes the incredible selection and that it cost over $2 million to stock.
She tells him we know wine and that our other friend was fine with it but we aren’t.
So they get to pleasantries and after a few sentences he takes a sip.
I have never seen a look like that on any of the respected chefs I met.
But, he smiled and said we could not drink this wine.
He excused himself and came back with an Auraju and asked to enjoy it on him.
Just the nicest guy and we finished off another bottle of wine with a Howell Martin Volcanic Hill(favorite, favorite, favorite)
Everytime we went back we said hello to Daniel and I still think that is one of the best dinning experiences I have ever had.
Been to Aqua, not that one but the one in San Francisco so many times. My friend designed the restaraunt for another friend of ours. They liked it so much they had him design “Charles Nob HIll”. Sadly Aqua is closed and I believe they will open in a new location.
Michael Mina replaced Aqua and every restaurant he has ever opened is just great.
Been to the French Laundry. Greta dinning experience and Chef Keller is terrific. Not my thing though. Too many courses. But if someone else is buying?
Manresa - Terrific place and they have this weird foam drink. Had one once. Not into it.
Coi is an awesome dinning experience and I ate the one in LA first(Koi) before I dinned there.
Speaking of LA Three great restaurants, just go: Patina, Nick & Steffs, Campanile. Thank me later.
Still there are plenty of terrific restaurants such as Jean George, Nobu, Grammercy Tavern, Masa but, my two favorites are Gary Danko’s in San Francisco and Auberge du Soleil in Napa.
I’m going to Gary Danko’s next week and Auberge du Soleil in September.
That’s my two cents worth.
/johnny
I’ve been to the local Ruth Chris 3 times and it was not a good experience...for the price or the reputation.
I can take a bad experience once but not consistently. I love The Palm, anywhere there is one. Palm Beach, San Francisco, LA, Manhattan and Long Island.
I had a not so good experience at the one in LA once. Went back and everything was fine.
Bulli (sp.) closed?
Have you ever worked the line in a fine dining restaurant?
/johnny
I’ll “sneer” at ridiculous elitism and FUNCTIONALLY meaningless ratings as I see fit. It is in keeping with the conservative mindset.
But I’m sure my sparring partner on this issue appreciates your third party, Forum refereeing.
There are objective measurements and tally sheets to determine who is better. As I said, the differences are razor thin.
###
Then call these restaurants the winner of an objective culinary competition, not “the finest restaurants in the world”, ranked by number. I have no problem with competitions such as this, perhaps my issue is with the FOdd MEdia or maybe the headline writer for this piece.
And “razor thin” difference in even a supposedly objective competition are going to be completely indistinguishable to even the most discriminating diner.
I’m just pointing out a fact. It may be helpful as to why you get pointed remarks back at you.
Some people are counter-snobs, like “reverse racism”. I ran into a Wal-Mart snob on this forum not so long ago. Chips on shoulders just because it’s not your thing is not pretty.
Well, I’ve dinned at many of the restaurants on the list but honestly it is a subjective thing.
I like Manresa but I’d probably eat at Forbes Mill, Sent Sovi or The Plumed Horse if I’m buying. Then again there a few other restaurants in the area I like.
And when it comes to the French Laundry I’d rather eat somewhere else if I’m buying, such as Auberge du Soleil.(Mostly because of the Wisteria Trees, the balcony dinning and there is a larger Hunting Dinning Room Table at the entrance which was designed by Michael Taylor and the friend I usually take with me has the same table by him in her home)
Great Restaurants but like for different reasons and I can think of a few that aren’t on here that I would include but I didn’t make the list.
“It’s not an insult to say that your opinion is uninformed.
Have you ever worked the line in a fine dining restaurant?”
###
Internationally, I’ve eaten at some “best in the world” restaurants.
What does me having worked the line at a fine restaurant have to do with me disputing the title of the “World’s Top Restaurant”?
Are these overblown ratings about the patrons or the staff?
I've spent most of my time at restaurants in kitchens, fine dining and USAF both. I was able to take my fine-dining cooking experience to the airmen I cooked for.
Of course, cooking for 1500 airmen, 4 times a day is very different than cooking for 120 covers all night.
/johnny
“Chips on shoulders just because it’s not your thing is not pretty.”
#####
Mirrors are helpful things, too, OlLineAdviceDispenser.
It never made money, but was supported by the cookbooks, lectures, and demonstrations.
They took reservations one day a year for the upcoming season. Had two million requests - could serve 8,000 covers a season. Chefs from around the world would come just to work there. Would have up to 42 chefs working in that small place at a time.
Won Best Restaurant in the World in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, before dropping to #2 in 2010.
feh... how can anyplace be listed even in the top 100 if they don't serve steak???
You know, I saw the Bourdain episode on it, and vaguely remember him saying ‘get here while you can’.
Didn’t get there while I could.:(... did you?
Give me a small restaurant where the owner is the chef and is very much interested in serving you the finest as if it were his home dining room.
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