By Sumathi Reddy
According to the latest edition of the Michelin guide, dining in New York got a little finer over the last year.
The city is now home to seven restaurants that earn the French dining guide’s three-star designation, its highest rating. Last year, the culinary guide said that five New York restaurants merited three stars.
Restaurateur Danny Meyer’s Eleven Madison Park, which has made dramatic changes to its menu under chef Daniel Humm, is arguably this year’s biggest winner, jumping from one to three stars in Michelin’s view. The new guide, to be released Wednesday, also bestowed three stars on Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, an 18-seat restaurant that is part of a Downtown Brooklyn grocery store. Chef’s Table was last year’s sleeper surprise when it earned two stars. Other restaurants in three-star territory include Daniel, Jean Georges, Le Bernardin, Per Se and Masa.
Now in its seventh edition in New York, the guide’s anonymous inspectors review hundreds of restaurants. This year 62 city restaurants received stars, up from 57 last year. The guide is closely watched by chefs and food-world insiders. While chefs frequently grumble about the guide’s sometimes arbitrary designations, celebrations nearly always ensue when a restaurant receives a star.
Cesar Ramirez, chef at Brooklyn Fare, was still in disbelief when reached by The Journal Tuesday. “We really put all our hearts and souls into it and to do it right, to cook the best things with the best ingredients and the best techniques and really to do it very simply and very minimalist with a lot of care and love,” he said. “Never in my wildest dreams would I believe that this would happen. I think it’s a great thing for Brooklyn.”
Other notable winners this year are L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon and SHO Shaun Hergatt both of which rose from single to two-star status. A number of ethnic restaurants received stars for the first time, including a trio of fine-dining Indian restaurants: Junoon and Tulsi, which opened last year, and Tamarind Tribeca. Japanese restaurants – which have long had a strong showing – earning one star included David Bouley’s Brushstroke and Tori Shin and Rosanjin. Danji, a new, modern Korean restaurant, received one star, as did Heartbreak, an East Village eatery that highlights dishes from Continental Europe.
The only losers were Picholine, which lost one of its two stars, and Shalezeh, a Persian restaurant on the Upper East Side, which lost its sole star.
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