New Michelin Director

[fresh_a]

Gastronomie.com reports that the new director of the Michelin guide prioritizes what's "on the plate", and downgrades the importance of decor. Could this be a new direction?

[milla]

Could this be a new direction?

It certainly would be a welcome direction. It would be great to lose the upgrades and one-upmanship in money spent trying to impress inspectors that most in the Michelin game feel that is neccessary if one wishes to participate.

Now if someone would have the courage to downgrade the dinosaurs that have been undeserving at the highest level over the past several years...

[robert brown]

A friend of mine knows him and expressed a bit of surprise at the appointment because he comes from the ranks of hotel management, not from the restaurant side. Perhaps it doesn't really matter, but it's interesting nonetheless since Derek Brown, for example, was a Michelin restaurant inspector.

[Ptipois]

(from the article)

"Il faut qu'on s'habitue à des plats étoilés dans des décors hors norme, par simplicité, épure ou décalage", explique-t-il en référence à la Grande-Bretagne "où personne ne s'étonne qu'un pub soit étoilé".

This sounds like great news. If this could mean less satin lampshades on Ming jars (or contemporary art), more research on the food and more consideration for less pretentious places, what could be better?

In one three-star restaurant I know, the (designer) cutlery is so heavy that your forearms ache before the cheese course.

[vserna]

It can only improve things, IMHO. The Derek Brown era has been a catastrophe. Standards were inconsistent and capricious, and the little explanatory texts that were added to each hotel and restaurants were so poorly written and inconsequential that they only added size and weight to the book, plus (I guess) added costs. Of course the scandal of the inspector who got away and told the inside story didn't help either...

[robert brown]

De-emphasizing decor is no big deal. Restaurants have cut back in everything else, so one would expect a non-culinary expense such as fixtures and fittings to be held to a minimum. What really drives editorial direction and emphasis in the print medium, including guides, as much as anything is chauvinism, which is why you get such manifestations as New York food writers and editors calling New York "the restaurant capital of the world" and why Michelin is parsimonious when it comes to giving out stars in Spain and Italy.

[John Talbott]

Well, you all beat me to it. Congrats! This was to have been my read on the story:

Michelin Guides: New Chief Interviewed

Le Figaro lobs him softballs

In Saturday-Sunday’s Figaro, Thierry Bogaty, head of the “leisure” section and Alexandra Michot, their #3 or #4 restaurant critic, depending on how you count*, interviewed Jean-Luc Naret, new head of the Michelin Guides. One has to read between the lines (or perhaps I’m just paranoid) to see what’s in store for us. Naret’s history is almost totally one in the hotel biz, e.g. educated at the Paris hotel school, 20 years in deluxe hotels, most recently running those of the Aga Khan. Naret knows the demography of his readership: 35-65 years old professionals and the plans for the guidebooks: next French edition out March 3rd; New York one just a “project.” He defends the Michelin system’s anonymity, visiting protocol and principle that stars belong to the giver not the receiver and that nothing is carved in stone. Strangely to me and perhaps tellingly, he refers only occasionally to food, stating (in answer to a query) that desserts are integral to the assessment of the place, that everything from the amuse-bouches to coffee are “X-Ray’d” and that the guides judge the business menus on their own. He insists that all places are visited every 18 months, once a year if “starred,” sometimes up to 12 times a year (verifying what the much maligned Pascal Remy maintained about one perq of the inspectors.) Also in an attempt to refute critics’ charges, he says that the Michelin has about 15 French inspectors not 5 (as Remy suggested) and all are male – but of their 70 inspectors in Europe, 2 are women (that must have been a criticism I missed). He stresses that the guides are evolving: through Internet site access, a newsletter and a PDA version.

In a companion piece on the same page, an unsigned article addresses the innovation instituted by the new Director of mailing a questionnaire to its 45,000 listées, asking, among other things, if they are content with their rating (Gosh, wonder what the responses will be?). The article also notes that ironically they receives 45,000 letters a year and wonders if the establishments might be interested in their critiques.

*Why is this important, you might ask? Because, to not have Emmanuel Rubin or François Simon do the interview tells us something about Figaro, Michelin and/or the more senior food guys relationships with both.

[Bux]

Given that the the forks and spoons already rate the decor, ambience and service, it's not unreasonable to restrict the stars to an opinion of the food. Given that the stars over time have become the raison d'être of the guide, it's very surprising that the new head is from the ranks of hoteliers. Personally, I can understand why an administrator might be better suited to the job than a food critic, I would have preferred seeing someone with administrative talents coming from outside the hospitatlity industry who would leave the food to the experts. As always, time will tell. Michelin remains perhaps the most useful guide to restaurants in France, but yearly it is becoming less influential and less significant in my opinion. The world is changing and along with it, France and French food is changing in a way that renders the Michelin system less viable.

[bleudauvergne]

..., that everything from the amuse-bouches to coffee are “X-Ray’d” and that...

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Reminds me of that funny film l'Aile ou la Cuisse, when Monsieur Directeur of the Guide Duchelin goes into that roadside joint and hides in little glass beakers samples of the food and wine he is served -

[paulbrussel]

Isn't the nomination more stressing the business side of Red Michelin Guides, since they are in crisis because of the negative publicity by Pascal Rémy and Olivier Morteau?

Besides, I wonder whether Michelin will be able to create Europe wide consistency in their criteria for rewarding restaurants with stars. In every country guide of Michelin, three star rewards for example are so different, that they are not comparable. For Spain and Italy, the Red Michelin Guide is not even the best standard, as has been argued very often on eGullet.

[Bux]

For Spain and Italy, the Red Michelin Guide is not even the best standard, as has been argued very often on eGullet.

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Even in France I wonder if the Michelin Guide is as strong as it once was in spite of the fact that GaultMillau is less competition than it was. What I find surprising is that rather than strengthen the guides to Spain and Italy, Michelin is considering a New York guide. It's possible that's in recognition of the sales pattern of the Spain and Italy guides. I wonder if American's don't put more trust in Michelin over all of Europe and buy more of the non-France guides than do Europeans. There are many business plans. One can improve one's product to appeal to a more discriminating audience, or one can find something else to sell to those who already buy the old products.

The American Michelin market would make an interesting study. I believe America sends many gourmets to Europe with a strong interest in eating in the best restaurants and that these diners have a good appreciation of getting a great meal, but I also doubt the depth of their interest is anywhere near that of European gastronomes. This is not to say that the average diner in any European country is a gastronome and I've met my share of Europeans who profess a great dedication to food, but whose interest is quite shallow or limited to local considerations.

[robert brown]

Now see what you've started, Bux. I think gastronomic interests take different forms in different countries. My anecdotal hunch is that American diners have the most curiosity and are anxious to try a much wider gamut of restaurants than people in France, Spain and Italy. (Perhaps the Swiss, Dutch and German are more like us, too). If you go to a really expensive restaurant in France, say a three-star, foreigners appear to outnumber French. Italy is interesting because there's this phenomenon of the guys going out for lunch or dinner. I see large tables of men eating with great enthusiasm and ordering lots of wine and discussing it, although I don't understand Italian very well. As for a Michelin Guide for NYC, I bet it's foreign tourists who would use it the most.

[Bux]

Correct, of course. Just as each individual is different, there's likely to be a discernable difference between any cohesive group of diners and certain differences between diners from one country and another. I'd also agree with your generalization of American diners being more open to trying different things, especially in the context of those interested in foods at all. Foodies often tend to look down their noses at their fellow countrymen who have a very limited palate, but the truth is that it may be as bad or worse in other countries than it is the US. Then again it can be misleading if we look at the diners in destination restaurants. There are so many factors.

It's a good question who would most use a Michelin Guide devoted to NY. It's more than just an issue of who buys the most of the current guides. Do Parisians use the red guide for Paris. Although it's the guide whose stars are most bandied about by diners and by chefs, I doubt that a Madrileño uses the Guia Roja when selecting a restaurant in Madrid.

[robert brown]

My impression is that French people mostly use the Michelin because it's a French-based guide. It's the first (sometimes only) guide that the less-committed r4estaurant-goers buy. I think that a French person who has the Michelin and the Gault-Millau and/or Pudlo, Bottin,etc. takes eating out with some seriousness or does a lot of business dining. Outside of France, I agree that the locals for the most part don't even buy the Michelin of their country; but if that is indeed the case, why not publish all the Michelin Guides in French? Speaking of guides, do any members use the Zagat Guide for Paris?

[John Talbott]

Speaking of guides, do any members use the Zagat Guide for Paris?

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Yes, for a quick alpha listing; never for reviews, days closed, etc.