Digg this
| 
Post to del.icio.us
| 
E-mail to a friend
A copy of The 100 Best Restaurants of North America and Europe, New York-based food blogger (Opinionated About Dining) Steve Plotnicki's new self-published guide, arrived at the Reader office yesterday. Chicago doesn't feature prominently in the ambitious attempt to move into Zagat and Michelin's territory, to say the least. Alinea does show up in slot six with an impressive score of 106 out of 120 (which puts it in the category of "worth planning a trip around"), but the only other Chicago restaurant that makes it in is Avenues, and its score of 99 only qualifies it as an "important local choice."
With California and New York taking up 32 out of the 50 slots for North America, though, there's not a lot of room left for other areas, and nowhere else in the midwest even ranks in the slim volume. Plotnicki didn't intentionally neglect the Chicago area, as evidenced by a post on LTH forum soliciting participants in his survey. The guide is aimed at "destination diners," or people who arrange their travel plans around dining out, and maybe Chicago just isn't enough of a culinary destination. But it seems more likely that the survey is unintentionally skewed towards New York City because most of the restaurants Plotnicki reviews are there, so most of his fans (read: survey participants) are also likely to be there.
The survey weights the opinions of "experienced diners"--those who review the most restaurants--more heavily than those of less experienced ones, an attempt to add more authority to the populist approach of a survey. (The 100 restaurants included in the guide were whittled down from a list of 1,600, based on the opinions of 900 participants.) Reading Plotnicki's blog, there's no question that he believes that more experience with eating out equals more authority, especially on his part (see his culinary CV, for example). In a blog post yesterday, he slams New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni for overrating Dovetail: "Let me tell you, I have been to a lot of restaurants in my life (likely many more than Mr. Bruni) and I could sense that the restaurant didn't warrant the 3-star review as soon as I walked in." Really? Before even tasting anything?
According to the New York Sun, Plotnicki makes no attempt to dine anonymously--his goal, he says, is to "elicit the best possible meal that a restaurant has to offer and in that context anonymity actually hurts instead of helps." Of course it does. That's the point--if you're reviewing a restaurant, you should try to have the experience most diners are likely to have. Even if the quality of food and service are likely to vary from customer to customer, seeking preferential treatment is pretty sure to skew a review. Or a restaurant guide.
So I think the most that can be said of your book is it's the list of the places your limited number of probably mostly New York based-New York centric "reviewers" like best given their limited experiences traveling both in the US and Europe.
Finally - as you know - I totally disagree with you about "being known" to a restaurant to get good meals. We fought about this (and other things) to such an extent that you kicked me off your chat board quite a few years ago. Perhaps you and others who share your philosophy are afraid to leave the beaten path where you are "known". On my part - I go anywhere and everywhere with my husband - armed only with reservations - some appreciation of the local culture and cuisine - and as much knowledge of the local language as my husband can learn in about a year (he did a good job with Japanese on our trip to Japan and a great job with German on our trip to Germany). Although you and Steve Shaw (eGullet) have your differences - you both seem to think that you have to know someone to get a great meal at a great restaurant. I disagree with both of you. If I can't get a great meal at what is supposed to be a great restaurant - then I believe it isn't a great restaurant.
FWIW - we will be in Chicago in July (family wedding). Dining for the first time at a couple of places - including Tru (which somehow didn't make your top 50). We'll have a reservation. Luckily - we won't have to learn a new language :). And I expect to get the best meal the restaurant is capable of serving even though I don't know a soul there. Robyn
And how exactly are you supposed to get "known" in a restaurant in a place you've never been before - especially when there are language barriers. I can tell you that Chef Muller cooked a terrific meal for us (yes - there are still famous chefs who are in the kitchens of their eponymous restaurants) - but we could barely express our appreciation during his after meal "walk around" because our German is limited - and so is his English (I will note that we were the only English speaking people in his fully booked restaurant the night we dined there).
And if Germany is daunting - how about Japan - where many of the best restaurants don't even admit diners who don't speak fluent Japanese (which is why we arranged to dine with some people who do speak fluent Japanese in Japan).
IOW - I believe in getting out of your comfort zone - that predictable restaurant route where you only meet English speaking people who frequent food chatboards - and exploring. I will note that in a country like Japan - noted English-speaking food writers mention the same 5 or 10 Tokyo restaurants again and again - even though there are over 100,000 restaurants in Tokyo. The Osaka metro area - which has a population about the size of the NY metro area - is entirely off the radar screen.
Anyway - let's get practical. Since this is a Chicago blog - how do you suggest that I become known to a restaurant like Tru before I dine there? What would you do (I don't think you've dined there before)? If you have dined there - what *did* you do? Frankly - all I was planning to do was call up and make a reservation - and note that our guests will be my nephew and his fiancee (their marriage is the reason for our visit) - and perhaps requesting a nice wedding thought written in chocolate during the dessert course (I'm not very imaginative). Robyn
FWIW - I don't pay much attention to anonymous statements - whether they're in your book - or Zagat's. Because I don't know anything about the people who are writing them. It can be something as simple as a matter of taste - what kinds of foods and preparations people like or don't like. Or something more important like very little in the way of food knowledge (just because some nouveau 20 something has criss-crossed the US and Europe going to all of the most trendy restaurants - putting notches in his belt - doesn't mean he knows beans about food). Sometimes when I read postings on food chat boards - I swear the people wouldn't know the difference between a 3 knife and fork restaurant and a 3 star restaurant as long as they had lots of foie gras.
Anyway - that's why I'm interested in your personal dining experiences. I have a good sense of what you like and dislike. Although sometimes we agree - Troisgros - and sometimes we don't - Gordon Ramsay RHR.
FWIW - I never would have given the ratings your participants gave to both Jean Georges and Per Se because we did - like you suggested in your book (your second rule) - trust the sommelier - and the wines were expensive and lousy. We also almost always follow your first rule (let the chef do the choosing).
As for your third rule - BYOB - since I am a true destination diner because of where I live - and almost always travel by air - I'm not going to pack some bottles in my suitcase - or start shopping for wine in a strange city before I dine at a fine restaurant. So we stick with your rule number 2 (trust the sommelier).
Anyway - I'm interested in hearing why you didn't like Tru. I still haven't made my reservation (it's too early to book it). Robyn