TarponChaser said:

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Tex117 said:

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TarponChaser said:

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Tex117 said:

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Yup. That list looks about right.

(And if yall haven't been to BCN, yall really should....its my favorite on that list).

Houston also cleaned up on the BiB Gormand (sp).

Also, the Dallas snub (only one michlien star, and less BiB), is hilarious.

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BCN is outstanding. I think MAD might be better.

I also wonder how Feast and/or Underbelly would have stacked up back when they were new'ish and ongoing.

As an aside, I'd love to hear the inside story of how/why Chris Shepherd exited the restaurant group he founded and made such a force. I would have put the OG Underbelly up against every high-end restaurant I've been to in NYC or Chicago except Le Bernadin (3 Michelin stars). It was definitely worthy of a star if Blackbird or Atelier in Chicago are.

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I don't think MAD even got a nod. I prefer BCN over MAD, but reasonable minds can differ on that. (The people watching at MAD at the bar is outstanding though).

I thought the same thing while watching last night. I was never a huge Chris Shepherd fan, but the early days of Underbelly was indeed excellent.

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It's been a minute since being to either MAD or BCN and I might be skewed because of one dish but MAD had an appetizer of mini-tacos made from confit duck tongues that was absolutely amazing and it's what stands out to me the most from those two places.

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Ah, the Tortured Quacko Taco. My favorite.

I believe the Michelin designation is valid but I do think their financial model is interesting.

The whole thing was originally devised to get people to travel so they could sell tires. Then they sold the books themselves.

Now they're charging states and cities to come grade their restaurants.

I get there's an obvious lift to the places that get these designations but is it worth it as a whole to the entities that paid the money?

Texas Monthly has done similar with their BBQ rankings but to the best of my knowledge they don't charge anyone anything on the front end. Sure, they have subscriptions and advertising to sell so they're able to monetize it. They also have their annual BBQ fest which I'm sure does really well.

Michelin has every right to their business model as they've established a very prestigious designation. They shouldn't do it free.

I never realized it took a million dollars a year to get them to grade certain areas.

It does have a shakedown element to it.

But so do a lot of things in life.

Chewy said:

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I get there's an obvious lift to the places that get these designations but is it worth it as a whole to the entities that paid the money?

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When I went to Alinea earlier this year everyone in the main dining room during our seating was from out of town. I don't see a lot of people traveling for a bib gourmand or even a one star, but people will travel for a three star experience. I'm going to NYC in December, and the deciding factor for going there was eating at Le Bernadin.

Chewy said:

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I believe the Michelin designation is valid but I do think their financial model is interesting.

The whole thing was originally devised to get people to travel so they could sell tires. Then they sold the books themselves.

Now they're charging states and cities to come grade their restaurants.

I get there's an obvious lift to the places that get these designations but is it worth it as a whole to the entities that paid the money?

Texas Monthly has done similar with their BBQ rankings but to the best of my knowledge they don't charge anyone anything on the front end. Sure, they have subscriptions and advertising to sell so they're able to monetize it. They also have their annual BBQ fest which I'm sure does really well.

Michelin has every right to their business model as they've established a very prestigious designation. They shouldn't do it free.

I never realized it took a million dollars a year to get them to grade certain areas.

It does have a shakedown element to it.

But so do a lot of things in life.

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I guess it might but I haven't seen it reported that Houston was spending that. It was $90K/year.

Or are you referring to another area?

TarponChaser said:

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Chewy said:

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I believe the Michelin designation is valid but I do think their financial model is interesting.

The whole thing was originally devised to get people to travel so they could sell tires. Then they sold the books themselves.

Now they're charging states and cities to come grade their restaurants.

I get there's an obvious lift to the places that get these designations but is it worth it as a whole to the entities that paid the money?

Texas Monthly has done similar with their BBQ rankings but to the best of my knowledge they don't charge anyone anything on the front end. Sure, they have subscriptions and advertising to sell so they're able to monetize it. They also have their annual BBQ fest which I'm sure does really well.

Michelin has every right to their business model as they've established a very prestigious designation. They shouldn't do it free.

I never realized it took a million dollars a year to get them to grade certain areas.

It does have a shakedown element to it.

But so do a lot of things in life.

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I guess it might but I haven't seen it reported that Houston was spending that. It was $90K/year.

Or are you referring to another area?

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It cost $2.7 million.

https://www.star-telegram.com/entertainment/restaurants/eats-beat/article295311374.html

https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/michelin-ceremony-recognized-texas-restaurants/

It's $2.7 million over three years is what I read. I rounded to $1 million per.

I believe state tourism board or whatever it's officially called put in $1.5 million then the locals made up the difference to get to the $2.7 million.

In another thread, I had quoted that the organization called Houston First put up $270k for three years. That was reported in the Chron, I think. Then the other tourism boards put in cash as well (which I didn't know until later).

And I'm sure its just a coincidence, but not even 48-hours later Houston Chronicle food critic Allison Cook resigns.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/food-culture/restaurants-bars/article/alison-cook-retiring-houston-chronicle-19910687.php

Marauder Blue 6 said:

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TarponChaser said:

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Chewy said:

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I believe the Michelin designation is valid but I do think their financial model is interesting.

The whole thing was originally devised to get people to travel so they could sell tires. Then they sold the books themselves.

Now they're charging states and cities to come grade their restaurants.

I get there's an obvious lift to the places that get these designations but is it worth it as a whole to the entities that paid the money?

Texas Monthly has done similar with their BBQ rankings but to the best of my knowledge they don't charge anyone anything on the front end. Sure, they have subscriptions and advertising to sell so they're able to monetize it. They also have their annual BBQ fest which I'm sure does really well.

Michelin has every right to their business model as they've established a very prestigious designation. They shouldn't do it free.

I never realized it took a million dollars a year to get them to grade certain areas.

It does have a shakedown element to it.

But so do a lot of things in life.

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I guess it might but I haven't seen it reported that Houston was spending that. It was $90K/year.

Or are you referring to another area?

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It cost $2.7 million.

https://www.star-telegram.com/entertainment/restaurants/eats-beat/article295311374.html

https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/michelin-ceremony-recognized-texas-restaurants/

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I must have missed a zero when skimming that info. My bad.

BSD said:

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In another thread, I had quoted that the organization called Houston First put up $270k for three years. That was reported in the Chron, I think. Then the other tourism boards put in cash as well (which I didn't know until later).

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Or that must have been what I read.

Only one I've heard of is Corkscrew.

Seems like the rest are all foreign (or otherwise non-traditional American) fare type restaurants. Is that pretty much the critieria for getting a star?

schmellba99 said:

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Only one I've heard of is Corkscrew.

Seems like the rest are all foreign (or otherwise non-traditional American) fare type restaurants. Is that pretty much the critieria for getting a star?

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Not really.

But Michelin started out as a French company and focused on France so there's probably a legacy bias towards traditional French fine dining. And the French are generally considered responsible for the creation of fine dining and a vast array of culinary techniques.

schmellba99 said:

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Seems like the rest are all foreign (or otherwise non-traditional American) fare type restaurants. Is that pretty much the critieria for getting a star?

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I mean, once you get into the really high end stuff, its not really all that "foreign." The high end techniques (many of which developed by the French), are pretty much the gold standard across all fine dining.

You want the "foreign" stuff, the Gormond (sp) is going to be a better bet.

(Assuming you are staying in the Michelin world, which...I mean...meh).

Of course they dont give many stars to American food, hard to give one for best hot dog

TarponChaser said:

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schmellba99 said:

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Only one I've heard of is Corkscrew.

Seems like the rest are all foreign (or otherwise non-traditional American) fare type restaurants. Is that pretty much the critieria for getting a star?

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And as an aside, what would you consider "traditional American" vs. foreign?

I'd argue that there's very little "American" cuisine which isn't mostly based in what was originally "foreign fare."

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When you get down to it, everything is based on something else, I get that.

But all but Corkscrew in the Houston list are decidedly and unequivocably "foreign" (I'm not using that in a derogatory or bad way, just can't think of a better analogy).

BCN Taste and Tradition - Spanish/Iberian
Le Jardinier - French
March - Mediterranean
Musaafer - Indian
Tatem - Traditional Mexican (Aztec flair?)
Corkscrew - American/Texan/Not 100% based on a completely different culture even though we all know BBQ has roots in the Carribbean

I'm not sure what I'd define as "American" either since I know we are a hodge-podge of a bunch of different cultures. Guess I'd venture to say that a good steakhouse experience (Pappa's, Killen's, V&A, etc.) is probably pretty uniquely American compared to the rest of the world, especially when you look at the entirety of the menu, including most bar menues in higher end steakhouses. But generally speaking, things like BBQ, cajun and creole (yes, heavy french but unique to us), most southern food, etc. would fall into that category.

I gotcha.

And I'd argue that New Orleans should have some rated places but Michelin doesn't go there. But as amazing as the food is in that town it's generally pretty one-note in that it's Cajun/Creole.

TarponChaser said:

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I gotcha.

And I'd argue that New Orleans should have some rated places but Michelin doesn't go there. But as amazing as the food is in that town it's generally pretty one-note in that it's Cajun/Creole.

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NOLA generally doesn't need to pay Michelin to come give them stars either. Commander's Palace is still going to be a top end restaurant whether it has some rating or not.

Yeah, it's all pretty much cajun/creole/french based, but guessing that one of the criteria for Michelin is variety, which is kind of silly. But they make the rules.

Imagine building an empire on selling FOMO to poor suckers who think the food tastes better because a couple of tire-selling brothers wanted to publicize travel via automobiles.

I am not hating the player, who are still poor suckers, just hating the game.

"Foodies" are definitely something I don't understand, but I'm sure my hobbies and rabbit holes would be just as foreign to them.

America is a great place!

Not saying the food and experience isn't truly better, but it begs the question - how much of that is perception based on marketing and walking in with certain pre-conceived expectations and notions? 99.99% of the time you walk into a place with 3 stars and you are pre-dispositioned that the experience and food is going to be awesome, which generally means you end up thinking it was awesome.

Kind of like eating clam chowder on the Boston wharves can make people think that it is somehow better than what you can get somewhere else or other similar comparisons.

A cold LSL at the Chicken on a hot summer day is a great example - I know it's going to be cold, I'm at the Chicken and I'm walking in knowing I'll love the ish out of it. It's no different than a cold LSL anywhere else, but somehow it just tastes better there. All in my head, and I"m good with it.

JCA1 said:

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schmellba99 said:

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Not saying the food and experience isn't truly better, but it begs the question - how much of that is perception based on marketing and walking in with certain pre-conceived expectations and notions? 99.99% of the time you walk into a place with 3 stars and you are pre-dispositioned that the experience and food is going to be awesome, which generally means you end up thinking it was awesome.

Kind of like eating clam chowder on the Boston wharves can make people think that it is somehow better than what you can get somewhere else or other similar comparisons.

A cold LSL at the Chicken on a hot summer day is a great example - I know it's going to be cold, I'm at the Chicken and I'm walking in knowing I'll love the ish out of it. It's no different than a cold LSL anywhere else, but somehow it just tastes better there. All in my head, and I"m good with it.

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My experience is pretty much the opposite. When I walk into a place with very high expectations, the food has to actually be exceptional or I tend to leave disappointed.

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Yup, this is how it typically works for me.

TarponChaser said:

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Al Bula said:

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Imagine building an empire on selling FOMO to poor suckers who think the food tastes better because a couple of tire-selling brothers wanted to publicize travel via automobiles.

I am not hating the player, who are still poor suckers, just hating the game.

"Foodies" are definitely something I don't understand, but I'm sure my hobbies and rabbit holes would be just as foreign to them.

America is a great place!

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Considering it didn't start in America but in France it has little to do with it.

And having eaten at a 3* place before (Le Bernadin) I can emphatically say that the ratings are not FOMO. While there are certainly places which aren't ranked that should be the fact is that a Michelin-starred restaurant (when compared to other places in the same market- say a restaurant with stars in NYC vs. one in NYC without stars) will almost always have better food and an overall experience on a much higher plane.

You don't have to understand it and that's fine. Keep on enjoying your TGIMcChiliBee's or whatever.

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Keep enjoying overpriced food and looking cool because some French told you where to eat lol

Al Bula said:

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Imagine building an empire on selling FOMO to poor suckers who think the food tastes better because a couple of tire-selling brothers wanted to publicize travel via automobiles.

I am not hating the player, who are still poor suckers, just hating the game.

"Foodies" are definitely something I don't understand, but I'm sure my hobbies and rabbit holes would be just as foreign to them.

America is a great place!

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I think you have mistaken Michelin for Keith Lee or any other "food influencer" that has the taste buds of a 14 year old but a bunch of followers in sweat pants to hoc products to while telling you how great this deep fried whatever off the back of the Sysco truck is paired with some sugary cocktail from [insert brand].

Diggity said:

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love our "salt of the earth" trolls on this board.

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Tried to play redneck; didn't know where the Michelin name came from.

Wasn't there a Michelin restaurant in an old church in Montrose? Marks?
Anyone remember that place?