Demystifying Fine Dining and the Michelin Star system
“Fine dining, pronounced dead time and again, is enjoying a golden age in New York” — Steve Cuozzo, NY Post
I agree with the quote but it does make me question: What exactly is Fine dining? According to Wikipedia: Fine dining restaurants are full service restaurants with specific dedicated meal courses. Décor of such restaurants features higher-quality materials, with establishments having certain rules of dining which visitors are generally expected to follow, often including a dress code. I don’t think its a bad definition, but, I definitely think it needs some context. Let’s discuss Fine Dining, the Michelin star system, how establishments earn these titles, and what they mean to you as a diner If you learn nothing else from this post, remember this, Not all Fine dining restaurants have a Michelin Star, but pretty much every restaurant with a Michelin Star is considered fine dining.
Keeping it a buck… there is no clear definition for fine dining. Here I submit to you, the four criteria I would use to designate a restaurant as a “Fine dining” establishment:
Price : Fine dining restaurants are generally more expensive than casual restaurants for a myriad of reasons. Notably, it’s not just about the food, these establishments take into consideration the entire dining experience. Dishes tend to be created with seasonal and sometimes rare ingredients. The raw materials for the menu items are chosen on principles of quality as opposed to price. You won’t find any frozen or pre-prepared food in these kitchens. Everything is carefully sourced to ensure the dish that is placed in front of you fully expresses the best of each and every ingredient. The recommendation is almost always as pre-fixe, but a la carte options are almost always available.
Quality of preparation : These kitchens are manned by culinary professionals! Most of the team (if not everyone) is classically trained and brings to the kitchen a culinary repertoire that includes experience with a wide range of cuisines, ingredients and techniques. They fully understand the rigorous standards expected…correction …required in a professional kitchen. They possess a level of creativity that is evident in both the execution and presentation of each dish. These are the establishments where you are likely to be presented with a plate of food that looks almost too good to eat. Since you are likely to be eating in courses, portion sizes will be noticeably smaller, but the courses will be plentiful and under no circumstance will you leave hungry.
Quality of environment: Cloth tablecloths (sometimes), cloth napkins, high quality flatware, stemware and dinnerware are standard. Deliberate thought goes into the design of every aspect of the physical space. Again, these restaurants focus on the entire dining experience: the furniture, the colors, the lighting, the music etc. Every element of how guests experience is examined with almost scientific precision. The service is impeccable thanks to a service team composed of well-trained hospitality professionals. Each table is generally served by a team as opposed to on waiter or waitress, so that guests never need to “flag down” a person to get something.
Beverage program: The cocktails, spirits and wines available are phenomenal. Rest assure, at any fine dining establishment in NYC, even the cheapest bottle of wine on the list is a solid bottle. There is always a (hopefully) knowledgeable sommelier available to help you navigate the list if needed.
So boom… you feel “fanicer” already right…? Yaaassssss!!!!! So now that you’ve got the idea of fine dining down pat, in the words of Ciara, you are ready to “level up” and step into the amazing world of Michelin Stars!! To be clear, yes, the same company that evaluates and rates the best restaurants in the world also makes quality all-weather tires (now we understand why the Michelin Man is portly….LOL) Second, these restaurants should never intimidate you. Every single human being in these restaurants are committed to you having an amazing dining experience. See something on the menu…. don’t know know what it is?? ASK! Food and wine geeks love NOTHING more than going into border line annoying detail about every aspect of a menu or wine lists. If ANYONE even makes you feel like they are being condescending or rude… ask for the check and email me immediately… LOL! Anywhere that doesn’t make you feel welcomed does NOT deserved you patronage or your hard earned money! Third… these places will cost you a little coin, but in my opinion, you get what you pay for. Now that we have some parameters, let’s get into what makes these restaurants “Stars”!
Every year a team of about 80 Michelin inspectors fan out all over the globe to evaluate restaurants all over the world. Imagine that, your job is to travel and eat at the best restaurants all over the world…talk about #goals!! To maintain the independence of their opinion, the inspectors always dine out anonymously, pay for their meals, and subsequently rate their experience according to five publicly acknowledged assessment criteria:
Quality of the products
Mastery of flavour and cooking techniques
The personality of the chef in his cuisine
Value for money
Consistency between visits
Once all the evaluations are complete, restaurants are awarded 1, 2 or 3 Michelin stars. Let’s be very clear .. 1 star is EXTREMELY difficult earn and a challenge to maintain. Earning 3 stars is damn near impossible, yet a handful of restaurants have not only earned 3 starts but have held onto them for many consecutive years. A few places have had their star count downgraded over the years. Everytime that happens, the culinary world clutches its pearls and lets out a collective gasp, wondering if a chef can boot and rally and earn their standing back the next year. Here is what the stars technically mean:
One star: A good place to stop on your journey, indicating a very good restaurant in its category, offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard. (This is your intro. You love great food, you like to eat, and you have no issue paying for quality!)
Favorite Michelin 1 Star in NYC: Bâtard
Two stars: A restaurant worth a detour, indicating excellent cuisine and skillfully and carefully crafted dishes of outstanding quality. ( You’ve been to a 1 star and you are thirsty for more! You want more courses, more rare ingredients and more exquisite plating!)
Favorite Michelin 2 Star in NYC: Daniel
Three stars: A restaurant worth a special journey, indicating exceptional cuisine where diners eat extremely well, often superbly. Distinctive dishes are precisely executed, using superlative ingredients. ( Man listen… this is the creme de la creme! Paying for food doesn’t get any better. This is an experience of a lifetime! These places are for those OBSESSED with food, people REALLY trying to impress someone or a life event you REALLY want to celebrate! These restaurants are extremely expensive (relatively speaking), like $300 + per person expensive NOT including any alcohol. Personally, I think these are worth experiencing once in a lifetime, but I am not counting anyone’s coins! LOL)
Favorite Michelin 3 Star in NYC ( and best meal of my life … ): Eleven Madison Park; Favorite 3 Star outside of NYC: The Restaurant at Meadowood
WHEW!! That was a lot right? LOL. But now, you have had a crash course in high end dining. I really do believe everyone (interested) should experience one of these restaurants at least once. My Pro tip- Go for lunch! Great way to experience the food and service for a fraction of the cost. Want to go and don’t have anyone to go with? Shoot me an email, I am happy to join you and be you dinner buddy! Are there any restaurants on your culinary bucket list that you are dying to visit in 2019? Let me know in the comments!
Happy eating!
Kera
