2008 Michelin elevates restaurants

[SiseFromm]

Not so in Vegas based on my experience. Salmon rilletes bland, fries an abomination, profiteroles icy and completely flavorless. I think Michelin nailed this one.

This is precisely why I've completely avoided the Vegas incarnation. For me, Bouchon is Yountville. That tiny, main street town plucked from a storybook is the only place I'll ever associate with the restaurant. Going to the Vegas version would be a sort of blasphemy to me.

[rjwong]

LA Times did an article on the Michelin ratings for both Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The article link is here.

Below is the list for: Los Angeles

Two-star restaurants

Mélisse, Santa Monica

Spago, Beverly Hills

Urasawa, Beverly Hills

One-star restaurants

Asanebo, Studio City

Cut, Beverly Hills

Joe's, Venice

La Botte, Santa Monica

Matsuhisa, Beverly Hills

Mori Sushi, West Los Angeles

Ortolan, Los Angeles

Patina, Los Angeles

Providence, Los Angeles

Ritz-Carlton Huntington Dining Room, Pasadena

Saddle Peak Lodge, Calabasas

Sona, West Hollywood

Trattoria Tre Venezie, Pasadena

Valentino, Santa Monica

Water Grill, Los Angeles

[SG-]

Not so in Vegas based on my experience. Salmon rilletes bland, fries an abomination, profiteroles icy and completely flavorless. I think Michelin nailed this one.

This is precisely why I've completely avoided the Vegas incarnation. For me, Bouchon is Yountville. That tiny, main street town plucked from a storybook is the only place I'll ever associate with the restaurant. Going to the Vegas version would be a sort of blasphemy to me.

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My one and only experience at the Yountville location is more along the lines of this article (see last couple of paragraphs)

Bloomberg Article on Keller's empire

[SiseFromm]

I've been to Bouchon (Yountville) over a dozen times in the last two years and I can't recall a single problem we had with service or food. It's the most consistent restaurant I've ever been to and I'll sing her praises all day long to anybody that will listen.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I've been to Bouchon (Yountville) over a dozen times in the last two years and I can't recall a single problem we had with service or food.  It's the most consistent restaurant I've ever been to and I'll sing her praises all day long to anybody that will listen.

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You've been lucky -- when I lived in Napa (two years ago), it was suffering horribly to the point where *most* of its clientele were tourists who didn't know better. It was just wildly inconsistent and most of us would simply avoid it, not knowing if it was going to be a good day or bad...

Perhaps they are back on the consistently good as I fondly recall saffron mussels from one of their better days.

[SiseFromm]

Mussels with saffron, white wine, and dijon was among the many dishes we ordered last week. Other standouts included Garlic Sausage with Lentils and Pearl Onions, Salmon Tartare with Egg, Capers and Creme Fraiche, Shortribs with Potato Puree and Glazed Vegetables, and Salmon Rilletes with Toasts. All are classic staples of the restaurant but they were all delicious. Perhaps our experiences have been so pleasurable and memorable because we sit at the pewter bar 75% of the time and make nice with the bartenders. Several freebies made their way to us, including a bevy of beautiful Atlantic oysters and some stunning 1991 Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Perhaps our experiences have been so pleasurable and memorable because we sit at the pewter bar 75% of the time and make nice with the bartenders. 

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That is actually my S.O.P. 99% of the time (as it is 99% of the time I eat anywhere). I think in the dozen times I have eaten there (usually for business meetings), I have only sat a table once. But despite the nicey-nice with the bartender, two years ago the kitchen produced a lot of problematic dishes and even my favored mussels were often not fresh and the frittes limp...

[SiseFromm]

Interesting notes and seemingly contrary to our experiences. The mussels were fresh and we had frites on three separate occasions . . . all were crisp and golden with a crunchy exterior and fluffy interior. A compound of sorts in the form of lower-income apartments/condos is being built directly behind Bouchon. According to one of the bartenders at Redd, Keller is building them to help offer housing options for his employees and to set up better cross-training among his staffs in New York, California, and Las Vegas. Has anybody heard about an exchange program between all of the various Keller institutions? Is there a policy in place for continuous training and re-training if you work in his kitchens? Was the bartender at Redd off his rocker?

This conversation is moving away from the Michelin results, but I suppose it's still relevant given we're talking about consistency among a 1-star restaurant.

[SG-]

Ok some serious star inflation going on in LA. Dined at Watergrill last weekend and Saddle Peak Lodge yesterday. Neiter are star worthy in my opinion especially when compared against places like Ortolan.

Average food and poor service at both places. Saddle Peak's service was notably atrocious.

[rjwong]

Ok some serious star inflation going on in LA. Dined at Watergrill last weekend and Saddle Peak Lodge yesterday. Neiter are star worthy in my opinion especially when compared against places like Ortolan.

Average food and poor service at both places. Saddle Peak's service was notably atrocious.

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I haven't eaten at Saddle Peak Lodge, but based on my dining experiences at both Water Grill and Ortolan, those two are star worthy.

In the case of Water Grill, it took David LeFevre a little while to get acclimated to Water Grill after Michael Cimarusti left to start Providence. And now, I feel that Chef David is coming to his own with his menu & culinary style. It's been a while since I've eaten there. So, another trip to Water Grill ...

Ortolan has always been up there. Chef Christophe Eme is quite creative. The decor is gorgeous and formal. I've always thought of Ortolan, as well as Josiah Citrin's Melisse, as the few carrying the baton for French cuisine now that L'Orangerie is gone. Of course, it doesn't hurt to be French, non?

IMO, Providence got snubbed. When you speculate a bit, would Michelin acknowledge from the beginning that one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles is owned by two ... Italians ...??!! FYI Providence is already working on getting that second star. They just bought new chairs, and I was told that in a couple of weeks, there'll be new uniforms for the servers. I'm going to check this out myself ...

[SG-]

Don't disagree with Ortolan's rating. And I'd certainly give a vote to Providence over Saddle Peak and Watergrill.

IMO Watergrill and Saddlepeak are not in the same league.

[theisenm85]

Not so in Vegas based on my experience. Salmon rilletes bland, fries an abomination, profiteroles icy and completely flavorless. I think Michelin nailed this one.

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Same here.

I was only able to go once since it was a road trip, but my server at Bouchon: Vegas was an only slightly amusing asshole.

I don't use that term lightly. I at one point considered pulling him aside and tell him to cut the ****.... and I wasn't even paying the bill.

The food was ok.

The beef tongue sous vide was almost 1 star, the roast chicken was maybe half a "star", and the espresso pot de creme probably between 1 and 2 stars.

At an average, since both savory dishes were below 1 star to me, didn't merit a star.

Especially when the service was just annoying.

[ulterior epicure]

Not so in Vegas based on my experience. Salmon rilletes bland, fries an abomination, profiteroles icy and completely flavorless. I think Michelin nailed this one.

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Same here.

I was only able to go once since it was a road trip, but my server at Bouchon: Vegas was an only slightly amusing asshole.

I don't use that term lightly. I at one point considered pulling him aside and tell him to cut the ****.... and I wasn't even paying the bill.

The food was ok.

The beef tongue sous vide was almost 1 star, the roast chicken was maybe half a "star", and the espresso pot de creme probably between 1 and 2 stars.

At an average, since both savory dishes were below 1 star to me, didn't merit a star.

Especially when the service was just annoying.

Would a Frenchman think so?

Perhaps, that's not (an entirely) fair question... does anyone know if the Michelin employs French or American judges for the U.S. guides?

[rjwong]

LA Downtown News has an article on Water Grill and Patina, the two restaurants in downtown LA that each received a Michelin one-star rating.

Here's the link to the article.

[mcohen]

Bouchon Yountville did receive a 1-star rating.  Deservedly so.  We were there three times over the last week and they're operating at a very high level.  Amazingly high.

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You have to ask yourself if Bouchon would have earned a star in the first place if not for the association with Thomas Keller? Even if it was hitting on all cylinders, which its not, would it have gotten a star...

[SiseFromm]

You have to ask yourself if Bouchon would have earned a star in the first place if not for the association with Thomas Keller? Even if it was hitting on all cylinders, which its not, would it have gotten a star...

Bistro Jeanty, less than a block away, also received 1-star. It's great and I love the atmosphere, but we've definitely had some service problems in the past and I would say from a refinement standpoint, Bouchon is delivering a more delicate and talent-intensive product. Of course, at Jeanty, I'll eat their roasted bone marrow all night long. I don't think, though, they would plate up salmon tartare with the level of sophistication they're achieving at Bouchon. So my answer is, yes, I do believe regardless of any chef association, Bouchon is absolutely deserving of their 1-star status.

[rjwong]

LA Times has weighed-in on the Michelin guide for Los Angeles with the article, It's amateur hour chez Michelin / by Leslie Brenner

What shocked me wasn't who did and did not get stars; rather, it was that the book that purports to be the bible of fine dining is so poorly researched and lamely written that the ratings have no credibility.

Jean-Luc Naret, director of Michelin guides, was part of a panel discussion last Wednesday night over at Barnes & Noble at the Grove. Here's one of his comments:

The criterion for inclusion or a star ranking is simple, according to Naret: "It's what's on the plate." It's not about the service, the scene, the ambience, just the cooking.

[SG-]

So sad the guide is crap for LA... Ventura county as a culinary hotspot jeeez.

[SiseFromm]

The criterion for inclusion or a star ranking is simple, according to Naret: "It's what's on the plate." It's not about the service, the scene, the ambience, just the cooking.

I thought stars were taken into consideration for food, service, and wine?