Grant Achatz is a god, maybe even God himself. Which makes Alinea heaven or at least the best restaurant in America (and I’ve dined at Alinea, French Laundry, Per Se, Daniel, etc., etc., as well as served in Danny Meyer’s empire). So check out this video of 24 Hours at Alinea and prepare to be overwhelmed at the detail that goes into the operation of heaven, err, the country’s greatest restaurant.
The annual San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants rankings has been leaked and it contains some interesting developments from 2009’s list. El Bulli is no longer #1 after four consecutive years atop this set of rankings, perhaps not surprising as Ferran Adria recently announced he would be shuttering El Bulli for two years. El Bulli is now ranked #2. Alinea, previously #10, is now #7, but more importantly has garnered the top American spot overall. This on the heels of being named the best…
Champagne for breakfast? The Michelin guide for 2010 has awarded Daniel Boulud’s Restaurant Daniel a third star. Daniel, the French restaurant on the Upper East Side serving dishes such as black sea bass with Syrah sauce and foie gras-stuffed Scottish grouse, today becomes the fifth establishment in New York to win three Michelin stars. Daniel Boulud’s venue joins Jean Georges, Le Bernardin, Masa and Per Se on the guide’s top tier. Alto, chef Michael White’s northern Italian Midtown restaurant, wins…
Daniel, perhaps my favorite restaurant in the United States, was awarded four stars by the NYTimes Frank Bruni, a reaffirmation of its previous review. Keep in mind, there are just four restaurants in the entire city that hold this distinction, so this is a big deal in the restaurant world. “It’s for coddling…that lovers of fine dining turn to restaurants like Daniel, which safeguards a graciousness that deserves to survive any change in fashions and fortunes.” Unless you have eaten…
After introducing myself to the hosts at Per Se and asking if I could just take a peek at the dining room during the evening’s service, I was invited to have a seat at the anteroom/bar and enjoy a drink. I was wearing a rather dapper outfit, the highlight of which was a camel hair sport coat from Brooks Brothers, so I decided to head to the bar. Just looking at the wine list is enough to make any oenophile’s…
