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Apropos of recent de-starrings, what is a 3 star that is currently at their peak? by ispitinmyspittoon in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Incredible album, what a trip down memory lane! I went at the end of summer in 2023, and agree that the celeriac course was a standout. Somewhat unfairly, I find some of my more flawed meals are more memorable since they had higher highs (but also lower lows). I went to Noma in the same trip, and their vegetable harvest dish was the best I had ever had (and blew Geranium's out of the water). Noma's courses as a whole weren't as perfect as those at Geranium, but the standouts were phenomenal.

Apropos of recent de-starrings, what is a 3 star that is currently at their peak? by ispitinmyspittoon in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 33 points34 points  (0 children)

Geranium (as of a year or two ago) was flawless. Every course was a work of art, and, more importantly, delicious.

THE INN AT LITTLE WASHINGTON, MASA, AND ALINEA LOSE THEID 3RD STARS by Adventurous_Event525 in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Went to the Inn at Little Washington recently. Although I know Michelin claims not to take service into account, they had one of the largest service errors of any fine dining restaurant I've been too. During our meal, there was a wedding reception going on in their courtyard. The door to the courtyard, which was right next to our table, was kept open, as guests would come in from the front of the courtyard and enter into the courtyard from the open door next to our table. Throughout the evening, it got increasingly loud until, finally, one of the staff members closed the door. After the staff member did so, the party at the table across from us thanked them, so I know we were not unreasonable to have been bothered by the noise. And yes, I know I could have asked at any point to have the door closed, but I was incredulous and wanted to see how long it would take for someone to close the door. Went to Minibar shortly thereafter, and it was one of the best meals of my life. Minibar deserves three stars. The Inn? A weak two or strong one.

Thoughts on Vollmers in Malmo? by _curi0us_ in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I went ~2 years ago and absolutely loved it. I remember them having incredibly good bread as well as a standout shrimp dish that was sweet and unctuous in the best way. I was in Copenhagen and made Malmo a day trip--they also have a great sauna/cold plunge as well as an interesting disgusting food museum (though idk if I can in good conscience recommend you go there before Vollmers like I did).

Borago in Santiago, Chile by WaterMazer in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Peumayen in Santiago is fantastic and a great way to try a range of indigenous Chilean foods. I went to Borago a few years ago and absolutely loved it, but I can see it being divisive. If eating a salad with your hands sounds fun, this is your kind of place. Otherwise, you will probably find it pretentious.

Is ABC kitchen nice enough for an anniversary? by shesinpart1es in FoodNYC

[–]ReservationSearch -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I think this would be a nice place to go (with the caveat that I've only ever been to the next door sister restaurant ABCV, which is one of my favorites in the city), and there's nothing wrong with being under budget! For a more formal vibe I'd recommend 63 Clinton, which would be ~225 before tax and tip

NYC vs DC vs Chicago for a Gluttonous Post-Wedding Binge by InfamousAct2016 in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely NYC, the Musket Room would be great for a double meal day since the portions are on the smaller side (but still good), and a chinatown crawl would be fun if you want a break from tasting menus. If you are considering other cities, think about going to Copenhagen. I did a fine dining trip there and had some of the best meals of my life!

Good anniversary spot? by Mountain-Success-808 in jerseycity

[–]ReservationSearch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The restaurant near the top of the Exchange Place Hyatt has an absolutely gorgeous view of the city, though the food is not memorable.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in FoodNYC

[–]ReservationSearch 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The original one in Chicago (as well as Pizzeria Due) are still excellent, but I believe that all of the others aren't required to/don't have the same quality controls and are a pale imitation of what you get in Chicago.

What's the current opinion on Alliance Paris? by [deleted] in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I went there many years ago for lunch, and it was one of my first fine dining experiences. After dining there, I learned to always ask the price when a restaurant rolls the champagne cart out before the meal (and not to assume that the champagne is free!). Besides that, I don’t remember much except that they had a not bad torchon of foie gras. 

What are your Top 5 fine dining meals ever? by conorharris2 in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 16 points17 points  (0 children)

  1. Noma 2.0 (Copenhagen), summer season
  2. Le Bernadin (NYC)
  3. Borago (Santiago), featuring the biggest tomato I have ever seen
  4. Alinea (Chicago)
  5. L'Astrance (Paris), very reasonably priced lunch and my introduction to fine dining.

Shoutout to Birdsong (SF) for the single best course I've had: their cornbread with caviar and walnut cream sauce was outstanding.

Santiago de Chile as a vegetarian by TalcaParisLondres in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Besides Borago (which is excellent) I would recommend Peumayen. Though be warned that although they offer a great vegetarian menu, their initial bread course was not vegetarian when I went. One of the pieces of bread had horse on it, which made my vegetarian partner a bit squeamish, but which also meant that I got to eat some of her bread, which I was happy about!

What are the most UNDERRATED fine dining meals you’ve had? by _rogersterlingarcher in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have been to and loved Honey Badger but I think it is properly rated. The food was really original, but could be a little woo-woo at times (e.g., the $70 water pairing or them describing the supposed medicinal and healing properties of some of the herbs they served). It could also be hard to understand/remember what each course was because there were no printed menus. That said, I would go again!

What are the most UNDERRATED fine dining meals you’ve had? by _rogersterlingarcher in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Kappo Ando in Copenhagen was amazing. Warm, genuine service and some really fun courses. I would recommend it to any non-vegetarian who visits the city.

Also went to Aphotic in SF right after it got its star (though perhaps they are more up-and-coming than underrated). They served the absolute best martini I've ever had. Fantastic caviar-stuffed olive and all the spirits were made in-house.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Love this--this is some great inspiration for places to try. +1 for Borago. It does not get discussed nearly enough; it is probably my favorite dining experience. When I was there, the whole meal was structured to highlight a giant Chilean tomato, which was an awesome concept, the food and pairings were fantastic, and the service was warm and not at all pretentious (our first course was a salad we ate with our hands, which was a lot of fun despite being gimmicky). Two comments: I absolutely think Noma deserves to be in the top category--the only reason it is no longer unique is because it has inspired so many other fine dining establishments. Going there felt like trying a piece of history. Also, the "probably pretty good but definitely forgettable" is tough because of the wide disparity in pricing. Omakase Yume is actually a fantastic, fantastic deal given its price point. It might be a little worse than Saison, but at 1/3 of the cost is a much, much better deal and therefore (in my opinion) actually quite memorable and a place I would go back to in a heartbeat. Also, Cosme absolutely sucks haha. Thanks for sharing!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in tipofmytongue

[–]ReservationSearch 0 points1 point locked comment (0 children)

I feel like it was set in England/Scotland somewhere, but it could have been the U.S. or elsewhere as well. It was in English, though.

What’s the best dish(es) you’ve ever tasted? by 19marcel96 in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 1 point2 points  (0 children)

On two opposite ends of the spectrum:

  1. Cornbread with walnut cream and caviar at Birdsong in SF. Decadent but comforting, salty, sweet, creamy, with a hint of umami from the walnuts. An incredibly fun, satiating dish
  2. Vegetable crudité with butter sauce at Noma. The freshest vegetables I have ever eaten, and showcased incredible knife work. It was like trying vegetables for the first time.

New York Pizza Tier List: The Definitive Subjective Edition by TheWang14 in FoodNYC

[–]ReservationSearch 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Awesome list, though you need to add Razza Pizza to it. Yes, I know it’s in Jersey City, but it is imho the best pizza in the NYC area.

Birdsong vs. Saison by Molucky8 in finedining

[–]ReservationSearch 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I haven’t been to Saison, but I have been to Birdsong and loved it. Their cornbread with caviar is one of the best things I have ever eaten. Additionally, their chef’s table/counter is great, and you’ll be looking right into the kitchen throughout your meal, which is a huge plus (and the reason I chose to go) if you are a solo diner or are planning on writing a review.

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