In 1900, French industrialist André Michelin created what has become the most important rating system for exclusive restaurants. The first Michelin Guide was published in 1920 as an evaluation of the best restaurants in the most relevant cities. Today, the yearly recommendations and awards, praises and accolades given by the Michelin Guide have become a much-awaited gastronomic event of great importance.
The 2014 Michelin Guide to New York recently arrived in bookstores around the country. The Big Apple, America’s largest and most diverse city is one of the three areas in the U.S. where the guide places greatest emphasis. The other two American cities deserving their own book are San Francisco and Chicago.
The New York Guide for 2014 includes 930 restaurants located in the five boroughs that make up the city. These highly regarded gastronomic enclaves feature up to 61 types of cuisine from around the world, which demonstrate New York’s culinary hegemony and the cultural diversity of this cosmopolitan metropolis.
The list of restaurants worthy of a 3-star rating, the highest award by Michelin, tends to remain intact as these honorees continue their commitment to excellence year after year. New York restaurants could not be the exception, and the list of three star restaurants has not changed much in the last two years.
Chef’s Table Restaurant.
The best and most select restaurants in the city, according to the 2014 Michelin Guide New York, are: Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare under the direction of chef César Ramirez, Per Se by Thomas Keller, Daniel by Daniel Boulud, Jean Georges by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Le Bernardin with master cook Eric Ripert, Eleven Madison Park led by chef Daniel Humm and Masa restaurant under the creative talent of acclaimed Japanese chef Masa Takayama.
Three-Michelin-stars are considered the highest international award given in the gastronomic universe; a little over one hundred restaurants worldwide have earned such coveted distinction.
Daniel Restaurant.
Among the restaurants that received two stars, we should highlight the meteoric rise of Jungsik, serving contemporary Korean cuisine. The restaurant, which received its first star last year, is located in the artsy neighborhood of TriBeCa. Jungsik has turned out to be a true culinary discovery in a city that hosts the most diverse culinary traditions in the Western Hemisphere.
We were also surprised by the plummeting and consequential loss of a star of the always-popular Gordon Ramsay at The London, owned by the famous British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, an event that caused great commotion in the Big Apple’s gastronomic scene.
Something similar happened to Corton on West Broadway. However, this was expected after the renowned British chef Paul Liebrandt suddenly left the restaurant in July. Therefore, New York has only five restaurants with two stars: Soto, Momofuku Ko, Atera, Jungsik and Marea. The latter is considered the best Italian restaurant in town.
Eleven Madison Park Restaurant.
Our congratulations to the nine restaurants that received their first Michelin star this year: Aska, Carbone, Babbo, Caviar Russe, Ichimura, Le Restaurant, The Musket Room, Telepan and Lincoln. The discordant note in this selected group is Alain Ducasse’s Adour restaurant. Ducasse, one of the most celebrated chefs in the world, lost his Michelin star after the restaurant closed its doors at the end of 2012.
Currently the list of one-Michelin-star recipients consists of 55 restaurants, three more than last year. The Michelin Guide stands out for its rigorous rating system, which is quite easy to understand while at the same time providing important information such as price range, comfort level, accessibility for the disabled, wine and spirits lists, as well as availability for lunch or breakfast.
The experts appointed to rate the catering business in New York have particularly highlighted the increased creativity and originality of the chefs this year. Once again, the borough of Manhattan earned the highest number of stars in all categories. In Brooklyn, there are four restaurants with one star, and in Queens’s there is only one restaurant rated by Michelin.
As it has been the norm in recent years, the 2014 Michelin Guide recognizes some of New York’s best restaurants in the Bib Gourmand category, restaurants where the cost of a fine meal does not exceed $25. ■
