The End of the Fine Dining Restaurant?

The trend toward fewer high quality and many lower quality restaurants has been going on for at least 100 years. The reason is mainly economics. Even most of today's top rated restaurants in major cities are only a shadow of what they once were. A meal in a restaurant up to the standards of Escoffier likely would now have to sell for about $US 1000 without wines. One must have a staff considerably larger than the number of guests. Everything must be prepared fresh every day, and most standard dishes should be available on demand, not just a few menu selections. This means the kitchen must have a huge staff with basic stocks, sauces, etc always on hand. A large service staff is needed. Using top silver, crystal, and china is very expensive in a restaurant setting. Some food items such as truffles and top caviar are much more scarce and expensive than in the past. Truffles were once used as a side dish.

In the US we have long had a glut of chains. Some have fairly decent food for everyday eating at good value. At one time we had many diners. Some well earned the name of "greasy spoon" and some had excellent home and diner cooking. If you were in a new city, eating at a diner was somewhat like playing Russian roulette with your food. More likely than not you would get something heavy and rather plain tasting. The chains take some of the chance out of dining on the road. Few are outstanding, but then few reach the lows of the worst "greasy spoons".

There likely will remain a place for a very few top restaurants in major cities of the world, although they still will not compare with the best of the past. Even most of the very top restaurants in the US are now much less formal than in the past. Within my memory, there were many restaurants that would not let you in without at least a coat and tie and good shoes. Some of the top restaurants in New York and a few other major cities even required proper black tie dinner dress in the evening. White tie dinner dress and formal day dress in restaurants was before my time.

And yet a good greasy spoon can be great. Actually one of the few food experiences I miss -- along with great NY Jewish delis -- from the US. I remember a place outside of Boston (in Watertown) very fondly from my Uni days, open 24/24, a fine breakfast served at any hour. Or during the same period, I went to the "Grecian Yearning" in Allston for pre-exam breakfasts, always ordered the same thing, and eventually could just grunt a greeting and expect my frenchtoastabacon to be served without further ordering.

Anyone remember the name of the famous greasy spoon on upper California Street in SF? "Ma ..."? We were trying to remember recently, all I could come up with was "Pearl's" which of course was the name of the now sadly defunct jazz club.

On the end of the spectrum I don't mind a bit getting dressed for dinner, and I'm a little miffed to see no honor done to the establishment by some buffoon wearing a track suite at a 2 or 3 star dinner. My club in SF required a suite and tie, and I thought this was a fine rule for the gentlemen of the establishment (ladies were only occasionally invited.) At the Friars club a closet of jackets in all sizes is kept for those members who may have forgotten to dress appropriately.

-E

But waiters everywhere are striking back!

IMHO, the Michelin star ratings have long ago outlived their usefulness. What I find most ironic is that Ramsay, cited in the article, has made a career out of creating restaurants that quickly earn one or more stars (kudos to Ramsay). But in his show "Kitchen Nightmares" he preaches a simple but important philosophy "local foods, simply and well prepared, for a reasonable price". That may not earn a Michelin star, but will pack a restaurant every night.

While I abhor chains, I do think that the 'better dining' trend is towards small, quality-food restaurants at affordable (not cheap) prices. In my hometown of San Francisco we have many dozens of these. But only about one dozen Michelin star or multi star restaurants (in the city, not counting the outlying areas, such as Napa).

For me, it's kind of like wine rating systems. The points don't mean as much as the content of the review - and my past experience with reviewer is essential if it is to mean anything at all. When I'm looking for new restaurants to try in SF, I don't look to Michelin - I look to reviewers whose past reviews have proven meaningful to me.