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50 Best Restaurants in The World

YumSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 12:31:38 -0700

Last night Restaurant Magazine announced their annual list of the world's 50 best restaurants and I am ridiculously embarrassed to say that even though two of them are really close by (Chez Panisse and the French Laundry), I have not been to any of the ones on the list. While I go hang my head in foodie shame, you can check out the list. Oh and it's worth noting that the top 6 are the same as last year and there are only 5 new entries and one that has re-entered. And finally, if you don't recognize him, that's El Bulli's head chef Ferran Adria in the photograph.

1 - El Bulli, Spain - Best in Europe
2 - The Fat Duck, UK
3 - Pierre Gagnaire, France
4 - The French Laundry, USA - Best in the Americas
5 - Tetsuya’s, Australia - Best in Australasia
6 - Bras, France
7 - Mugaritz, Spain
8 - Le Louis XV, Monaco
9 - Per Se, USA
10 - Arzak, Spain

To see the rest of the list, none of which I've eaten at either, read more

11 - El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
12 - Gambero Rosso, Italy
13 - L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, France
14 - Hof van Cleve, Belgium
15 - Noma, Denmark - The biggest climber - up 18 places from last year
16 - Le Calandre, Italy
17 - Nobu London, UK
18 - Jean Georges, USA
19 - Hakkasan, UK
20 - Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, France
21 - L’Astrance, France
22 - Can Fabes, Spain
23 - L’Ambroisie, France
24 - Restaurant Gordon Ramsay UK
25 - Troisgros, France
26 - Le Bernardin, USA
27 - Martin Berasategui, Spain
28 - Le Gavroche, UK
29 - Le Cinq, France
30 - Charlie Trotter’s, USA
31 - Dal Pescatore, Italy
32 - Daniel, USA
33 - Rockpool, Australia
34 - St John, UK
35 - Chez Dominique, Finland
36 - Alinea, USA - Highest New Entry
37 - Bukhara, India - Best in Asia
38 - DOM, Brazil
39 - Oaxen Skärgårdskrog, Sweden
40 - Chez Panisse, USA
41 - Enoteca Pinchiorri, Italy
42 - Cracco Peck, Italy - New Entry
43 - L’Arpège, France
44 - River Café, UK - Re-Entry
45 - Oud Sluis, Netherlands - Biggest drop - down 26 places from last year
46 - Combal Zero, Italy - New Entry
47 - Le Quartier Français, South Africa - Best in Mid East & Africa
48 - Taillevent, France - New Entry
49 - Bocuse, France
50 - Les Ambassadeurs, France - New Entry

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Got the Travel Bug? Check Out Food & Wine's Go Lists

YumSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:23:11 -0700

Every year, Food & Wine magazine puts out their Go List. It's actually a series of lists containing the best places for food-crazed travelers to check out. If you're planning a trip soon - or need an excuse to do so - you should definitely check out their recommendations.

This year, in addition to listing the World's 10 Best Restaurant Cities they've also included lists for the next world superstar chefs, up-and-coming cities, best new restaurants, restaurants for sightseers, and more. If you're planning on being jet set, these lists are a must read. To find out which cities topped their lists, read more.

Food & Wine's Best Restaurant Cities

Tokyo, Japan
Paris, France
New York, United States
London, England
Barcelona, Spain
Sydney, Australia
Madrid, Spain
Chicago, United States
Stockholm, Sweden
Vancouver, Canada

Other noteworthy mentions include Beijing as the top of the restaurant cities to watch list, and although it made the best city list, none of the best new restaurants are in New York.

I don't know about you, but I've definitely got the travel bug! How long do you think it would take to visit all of the travel-worthy recommendations on their Go List?

Food Section Sampler - Nov. 4, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:30:07 -0800

Isaac Mizrahi is now hawking plaid cheesecakes for QVC. - Women's Wear Daily
Did Gourmet magazine die by trying too hard to be all things to all people? - Los Angeles Times
One Brooklynite re-creates the famed St. Louis gooey butter cake. - New York Times
The economy hasn't quelled America's appetite for luxury foods. - San Francisco Chronicle
The science behind how gelatin works. - Boston Globe
Look forward to enjoying new cocktail classics. - Washington Post
Restaurants have a new way to cut back: Re-creating recipes to conserve on ingredients. - Wall Street Journal

Would You Care if Tipping Didn't Exist?

YumSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:30:59 -0700

A provocative article that appeared in a recent issue of the New York Times Magazine broaches the question of whether America should still require tips.

The idea behind tipping is that it improves service by rewarding good waiters and punishing bad ones. But advocates for eliminating tipping say this logic is false, and they believe working for tips discourages teamwork. What's your two cents?

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Restaurants Are Dirtier Than You'd Like to Know

partysugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:15:15 -0700

A recent study by the Center For Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has shown that restaurants are incredibly dirty. From moldy refrigerators to live cockroaches to unsanitary prep and cook surfaces, the study illustrates the huge number of restaurants that are cited with health-code violations. Sarah Klein, an attorney for the CSPI, explains why most restaurants have a long way to go before they meet the Food and Drug Administration's health codes:

Restaurants aren't motivated to pass a very high safety bar. A restaurant may commit violations that the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention would classify as most critical - improper holding temperatures, poor employee hygiene, food bought from unsafe sources, food that is not thoroughly cooked, or food surfaces that are not properly disinfected - without much fear of being shut down. Even violations that involve rat infestations or unwell employees (restaurant workers tend not to get paid sick days) also may not lead to closure. Restaurants only have the incentive to do what they need to do to stay open. The consumer would never know how close they were to being shut down.

While opposition is quick to point out that the inspectors could have been too harsh, I have a feeling the study's disturbing conclusions may be true. After all, Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares takes an insider's look at such kitchens. Although the findings don't list the restaurants' names, it does provide the public with a breakdown of the worst and best cities in terms of health expectations. To find out how your city ranked, read more.

Austin, Texas: 58 violations in 30 restaurants

Boston: 63 violations in 30 restaurants

Milwaukee: 27 violations in 20 restaurants

Colorado Springs, Colo.: 46 violations in 30 restaurants

Kansas City, Mo.: 41 violations in 30 restaurants

Pittsburgh: 40 violations in 30 restaurants

Denver: 35 violations in 30 restaurants

Las Vegas: 30 violations in 25 restaurants

Washington, D.C.: 27 violations in 25 restaurants

New York: 32 violations in 30 restaurants

Atlanta: 19 violations in 20 restaurants

Portland: 25 violations in 27 restaurants

Baltimore: 14 violations in 14 restaurants

Minneapolis, Minn.: 31 violations in 29 restaurants

Chicago: 22 violations in 30 restaurants

St. Louis: 17 violations in 27 restaurants

Seattle: 16 violations in 30 restaurants

Philadelphia: 16 violations in 23 restaurants

San Francisco: 15 violations in 30 restaurants

Tucson, Ariz.: 14 violations in 29 restaurants

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Food & Wine's Best New Chefs of 2008

YumSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:48:11 -0700

Yesterday we mentioned Forbes' Top 10 Up-and-Coming Celebrity Chefs, and today I'm ready to tell you about Food & Wine's Best New Chefs. The annual award was handed out to 10 of the nation's most creative new chefs, and this year's list features chefs who specialize in everything from modern Italian to completely vegetarian meals. Dana Cowin, F&W's editor in chief, said:

Food & Wine has been scouting extraordinary chefs for the past two decades, and I expect this year’s winners to make us as proud as any of the chefs who have preceded them. These great cooks come from all around America, from California to Missouri to Vermont, and I’m excited to introduce them to a national audience. They are incredible talents.

Previous winners - this is the 20th anniversary for the award - have included Thomas Keller, Rick Bayless, Daniel Boulud, and Tom Colicchio. To see who's joining them in the Best New Chef fame, read more.

If any of these chefs are in your area, be sure to make a reservation now! These folks are only going to get more popular as time goes on!

Jim Burke, James; Philadelphia, PA
Gerard Craft, Niche; St. Louis, MO
Tim Cushman, O Ya; Boston, MA
Jeremy Fox, Ubuntu; Napa, CA
Koren Grieveson, Avec; Chicago, IL
Michael Psilakis, Anthos; New York, NY
Ethan Stowell, Union; Seattle, WA
Giuseppe Tentori, Boka; Chicago, IL
Eric Warnstedt, Hen of the Wood; Waterbury, VT
Sue Zemanick, Gautreau's; New Orleans, LA

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Tyler Florence Hosts Search For the Greatest American Recipe

YumSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:00:47 -0700

Tyler Florence may be slated to open several new restaurants and stores, but he's certainly not letting that get in the way of what he does best - TV. In addition to Tyler's Ultimate, his current show on Food Network, he's also teamed up with Lifetime and Parade magazine to host a new show, Search For the Greatest American Recipe.

The pilot, which begins production Sunday in Los Angeles, "will follow Florence as he travels to seven regions of the country to find unique homegrown recipes. Regional finalists then compete in a cooking competition that would lead to winning 'Greatest American Recipe.'"

In addition to hosting the show, TyFlo will also play the role of one of the show's judges. I'll be interested to see how the pilot pans out - after all, it sounds a bit like Food Network Challenge meets Chopped. Does Greatest American Recipe sound like something you'd watch?

Sam Sifton Is New York Times's Next Food Critic

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:00:22 -0700

When Frank Bruni announced he'd be stepping down as the New York Times's restaurant critic, readers were left with a pressing question: Who will step up to the dinner plate? The food world waited collectively with bated breath until the answer was announced today: Sam Sifton, the paper's current Culture editor, will begin reviewing in October.

The blogosphere wasted no time compiling critical stats on Sifton, and Gawker has already come up with a slew of potential dining guises for him. One thing's for sure: The role of restaurant critic is evolving. Even execs at the Times admit critics don't wield the power that they used to, and with photos of him already abundant on the web, dining incognito will be virtually impossible.

Sifton may be new to the position, but he's no novice - in fact, he was rumored to have turned down the job once before. In addition to being the culture editor at the Times, he's contributed to the $25 and Under column, reviewed restaurants before Bruni's arrival, and even served as Dining editor. In last month's New York Times Magazine, he detailed making meatloaf for Nora Ephron. What do you think of the news? At a time when media is evolving so rapidly, does the role of restaurant critic still have a place in the food world?

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Yummy Links: From Brian Boitano to Meryl Streep

partysugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:00:42 -0700

Check out the trailer of Brian Boitano's new Food Network show. - New York Magazine
Possible disguises for Sam Sifton, the New York Times new restaurant critic. - Eat Me Daily
Give classic caprese salad a stone-fruit twist by making it with peaches. - Serious Eats
Bon Appétit has named the nation's best new restaurants. - Bon Appétit
10 of Julia Child's most prolific quotes. - Chow
Learn how to turn a strawberry box and strawberries into a beautiful centerpiece. - Design*Sponge
5 reasons that explain why Meryl Streep played Julia Child perfectly. - The Hungry Beast

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Ramsay Missing From the World's Best Restaurants List

partysugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:15:44 -0700

Yesterday Restaurant magazine and S. Pellegrino announced its famed list of the world's 50 best restaurants. The list is developed by a large panel of well-regarded international judges consisting of 806 chefs, restaurateurs, food critics, and journalists.

For the fourth year in a row, Ferran Adriá's experimental Spanish restaurant, El Bulli, has been named the best eatery in the world. Coming in at sixth, Thomas Keller's Per Se is the highest-ranking US restaurant.

The most shocking news, however, is that Gordon Ramsay's flagship London establishment, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which was number 13 on last year's list, is totally absent from this year's. To check out the complete list, read more.

El Bulli, Spain
The Fat Duck, UK
Noma, Denmark
Mugaritz, Spain
El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
Per Se, US
Bras, France
Arzak, Spain
Pierre Gagnaire, France
Alinea, US
L’Astrance, France
The French Laundry US
Osteria Francescana, Italy
St. John, UK
Le Bernardin, US
Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville, Switzerland
Tetsuya’s, Australia
L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, France
Jean Georges, US
Les Creations de Narisawa, Japan
Chez Dominique, Finland
Ristorante Cracco, Italy
Die Schwarzwaldstube, Germany
D.O.M., Brazil
Vendome, Germany
Hof van Cleve, Belgium
Masa, US
Gambero Rosso, Italy
Oud Sluis, Netherlands
Steirereck, Austria
Momofuku Ssam Bar, US
Oaxen Skaergaardskrog, Sweden
Martin Berasategui, Spain
Nobu UK
Mirazur, France
Hakkasan, UK
Le Quartier Francais, South Africa
La Colombe, South Africa
Asador Etxebarri, Spain
Le Chateaubriand, France
Daniel, US
Combal Zero, Italy
Le Louis XV, France
Tantris, Germany
Iggy’s, Singapore
Quay, Australia
Les Ambassadeurs, France
Dal Pescatore, Italy
Le Calandre, Italy
Mathias Dahlgren, Sweden

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