The Michelin Guide

The 2008 Michelin Guide: NYC was released today and as usual I just don't get it. Spotted Pig received one star which puts it in the same category as Aureole, L'Atelier Joel Robuchon, and WD-50. Spotted Pig is basically a bar that tries to do pub food well, but fails miserably. Aureole, Joel Robuchon, and WD-50 are fine dining joints that are in the upper echelon of NY restaurants. My other gripe is that I've been to both Daniel and Jean Georges and Daniel 100% deserves to be 3 stars if Jean Georges is.

Our country in general loves rankings - watch VH1 anytime of the day and you'll probably see some top 100 ranking for Celebrity Disasters or Celebrity Sex Tapes. Even the weather channel has the 100 worst natural disasters. The problem with these rankings are they're a matter of opinion. Everyone's opinion differs and most of these rankings or lists, Michelin and Zagat included, don't give you enough information to decide which ranking/list aligns with your tastes.

I get asked a lot about where to go eat or what lists to use. In general, I try to stick to the Chowhound website since you get a wide sampling of what people's opinions are and these food geeks are super detailed on their reviews. If you need a place to start, try the local newspapers to get some opinions from the locals. Obviously, we hope our website will provide you a detailed glimpse of what to expect. Also, something I've learned is regardless of what people say, if you really want to go check a place out - go do it. Your taste might be different from someone that despises a place...

Oh ya - don't use the Michelin Guide in Italy. Love the French and their food, but the French based Michelin Guide has no idea what they're talking about when it comes to Italian food...