Crown Shy

[joethefoodie]

I have to say that I really don't get this opposition to general, cumulative evaluative statements.

 

If I said "the weather is nicer in Los Angeles than in New York," would you guys come back and say, "what, you've never seen a nice day in New York?," or, "I've been in Los Angeles when it was raining!"?

I'd actually say it's too hot and smoggy a great deal of the time.

[Orik]

Would today be one of those times? 

[Orik]

I think in terms of difficulty running a good upper-mid-range restaurant, from the culinary side, I would rank (easiest to hardest)

 

Tokyo > Madrid > Paris > New York > Mexico City > Tel Aviv

 

If I had to give scores from 1 to 10, they'd probably be: 9, 7, 6.5, 5, 3.5, 2.5

 

I'm not talking about who has the longest razor clam here, and how in some theoretical world you could compose an absolutely smashing meal in each locale, just looking at a combination of factors that make for a great experience running a commercial kitchen. This is based on more than a little research and on practical experience in some cases. 

 

Note that opening a restaurant might be a different story - it's very hard to do anything in Paris, as I'm sure Sota would tell you.

[Wilfrid]

 

 

 

 

Methinks if you ate in Europe as often as you ate in the USA, you would find the same variances.

I've eaten in just about all the so-called best restaurants of the Northeastern U.S. over the last 20 or 30 years -- many of which I like(d) quite a lot -- and I've never found one that has the ingredient quality of a middling restaurant in France, Spain, Italy, etc. Not one. (Franny's was closest.)

Should I go to Franny’s?

[Sneakeater]

May be a little late for that.

[Wilfrid]

Never too late for the same old joke.

[Neocon maudit]

Franny's had better ingredients than the Michelin three-stars? Or than the Craft-y restaurants in their prime?

 

Not sure about the proteins, but -if- memory, rather than nostalgia, serves, the fruit and veg at the Elm in its first few glorious months were shockingly good for the price. That, in conjunction with the technical execution and casual [and of course borough] location was a big part of why I felt it was actually what New Brooklyn promised but rarely delivered.

 

Edited: I've never been, but what about Blue Hill?

[Sneakeater]

Franny's had better ingredients than the Michelin three-stars? Or than the Craft-y restaurants in their prime?

Yes. No.

 

(Note that Franny's did not co-exist with Craft at the time Craft had its best ingredients.)

 

Not sure about the proteins, but -if- memory, rather than nostalgia, serves, the fruit and veg at the Elm in its first few glorious months were shockingly good for the price. That, in conjunction with the technical execution and casual [and of course borough] location was a big part of why I felt it was actually what New Brooklyn promised but rarely delivered.

Agree about ingredient quality -- but not sure The Elm ever seemed very Brooklyn to me (which is not to say I didn't love it).

 

Edited: I've never been, but what about Blue Hill?

Ingredient quality notwithstanding, to me Blue Hill is emblematic of our sick restaurant culture: what happens when Puritans front as Hedonists.

[AaronS]

the elm was not a new brooklyn restaurant in mff parlance.

[Rich]

Could you clarify (a bit) the Blue Hill reference?  Thanks.

[Sneakeater]

The food is supposed to be Good For You and Good For The Earth.  If it's supposed to Taste Good or be Compelling or Satisfying, they've lost that on me.  It seems to me like it's almost made to have the opposite effect:  that you could go out and eat expensive food without being burdened with the guilt of having enjoyed yourself.

 

To me, it's cuisine for people who are not interested in -- or maybe opposed to -- physical pleasure.

[Neocon maudit]

I think I may understand what Sneak is implying. In fact it's probably why I've never been super-keen on visiting Stone Barns. Well, that and the trains...

[Sneakeater]

Although, just so I don't seem like a total hypocrite, BH food to me also isn't intellectually interesting the way New Nordic or natural wine can be.

[Rich]

 

To me, it's cuisine for people who are not interested in -- or maybe opposed to -- physical pleasure.

Wow - sounds like the nuns who taught me in grammar school.

[Sneakeater]

I think I’ve seen them there.