Dining bargains abound on NYC ‘cheap eats’ list
MICHELIN handed out its coveted stars to 76 restaurants in New York City in its 2019 guide on Tuesday, four more than last year, boosting the Big Apple’s reputation as a global destination for its diverse and innovative culinary offerings.
The new city restaurants that achieved the distinction included two named after legendary French chef Joël Robuchon, who died in August.
Michelin praised the first-time “starred” establishments for topnotch techniques or innovative twists on Asian, French, and Mexican cuisines.
“New York is one of the leading culinary cities worldwide,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide. “It has a very vibrant culinary scene.”
Michelin will release the latest edition of its New York City eating guide on Thursday.
Michelin’s grading system uses anonymous reviewers in 28 countries. Some argue it is rigid and overlooks some restaurants that critics and diners praise.
The restaurant rater awarded its highest ranking of three stars to the same five New York establishments as last year for their “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”: Chef ’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin, Masa, and Per Se.
But New York will still likely lag San Francisco in the number of three-star restaurants for a LAST WEEK, Michelin released the 14th edition of its Bib Gourmand list for New York — also known as the acclaimed guide’s “cheap eats” list. The five boroughs scored 129 restaurants, including 27 new spots. That compares with last year’s 127 Bib Gourmands and only 14 new spots, which means a lot of places were taken off the list because they either closed, weren’t worthy, or moved up to Michelinstar status.
Among the most notable restaurants to drop from this year’s list is the Spotted Pig, which has made headlines for sexual harassment allegations.
The list also stands out for the number of new restaurants in Manhattan, at a time when Brooklyn and Queens account for most of the city’s dining buzz. Manhattan boasts 14 additions, representing more than half the newcomers. Among them is Una Pizza Napoletana, from pizzaiolo Anthony Mangieri and rising
second year. San Francisco and the wine-producing regions of Napa and Sonoma had seven of last year, the most of any US cities.
Michelin will release the 2019 San Francisco guide later this month.
Michelin’s three-star rating, coveted by chefs and restaurateurs, is rare with just over 100 establishments around the world holding that distinction. star chefs Fabian von Hauske and Jeremiah Stone.
In fact, Michelin demoted Brooklyn: The borough now claims only 35 Bib Gourmands, down from 37 last year. Although part of the fun of a Michelin list is picking it apart, some of its entries are unassailable, like the explosive Thai spot Ugly Baby in Brooklyn.
Another fun thing about the Bib Gourmand list is seeing how quickly it can become out date. In this case, the answer is instantaneously: Salt & Bone Smokehouse, known for its Fred Flintstone-style beef rib, has already closed in Queens and intends to operate a “ghost kitchen” for delivery only — a development in line with the dual trends of shrinking restaurants and virtual restaurants. (Some barbecue experts won’t be sorry; John Brown Smokehouse has better smoked meats and it fell off the list.) The Bib Gourmand list also includes Brooklyn’s Prime Meats, which has announced its closing in November.
Fifteen New York restaurants earned Michelin’s two-star rating for their “excellent cuisine, worth a detour,” up from 11 last year.
Aquavit, Aska, Atera, Blanca, Daniel, Jean-Georges, Jungsik Ko, Marea, The Modern, and Sushi Ginza Onodera kept their two-star status. They were joined by Gabriel Kreuther, Ichimura at Uchū, and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon.
The number of destinations in Queens shot up to 19, from 15, with seven new Bib Gourmands when you take Salt & Bone off the list.
The chief criterion for Bib Gourmand winners is that $40 per person can get you a meal that includes two courses plus dessert or wine, before tax and tip. (Although, if you put that to the test at several of these places, you’ll find that you’ll need a bit more cash if you want full rein of the menu.) The list is determined by anonymous Michelin inspectors who visit the restaurants in the course of determining their famous star rating system.
This year’s number of relatively inexpensive spots in the city gently bucks the trend of a slow but steady decrease in notable new places. The Bib Gourmand guide included 132 restaurants in 2017 and 133 in 2016. Meanwhile, the price of an entree in New York continues to rise — witness the $92 lamb chops at the Grill. —
Tetsu Basement, which Michelin gave two stars, was closed in October in a conversion to a raw seafood restaurant from a meat-focused eatery.
Michelin’s reviewers placed 56 establishments in the onestar category for their “high quality cooking, worth a stop,” the same number as the year before.