re: A certain dining guide written by a tire company is sniffing around NOLA

quote:

---

Do people really care about “service” this much?

---

Depends. Walking into a place and having everyone greet you by name, knowing the occasion you are there for, bringing you things before you even realize you need them, and then having the knowledge of food and techniques that go into making the dishes is truly amazing. Lazy Bear was our anniversary dinner and the staff left us a card signed by the whole crew. Those are the little service things that separates the multi-stared places. Sure it's mostly for show but it separates them.

That said, if it's just a Friday night and I'm going somewhere that's going to be like $100-150 for food and drinks I don't need the spectacle. This is the range NOLA thrives in, and it coincides with what a lot of Bib and one star places offer.

quote:

---

Walking into a place and having everyone greet you by name, knowing the occasion you are there for, bringing you things before you even realize you need them

---

This right here is why, no matter what amazing restaurants are opened in NOLA, Irene’s will be my favorite place to go.

quote:

---

For starters, the old guards with “career” waiters. Commander’s, Clancy’s, Gautreau’s, Galatoire’s, Brennan’s, Broussard’s, Antoine’s etc.

Off the top of my head Bayona, Compere Lapin, Maypop, Brigtsen’s, GW Fins, August, Luke, Herbsaint, Dakar, Shaya/Saba, the two in the Four Seasons, Zasu

The ethnic places are always in play. Not really enough upscale ones here to be considered probably. Saffron, Luvi, Mais Arepas, Addis, Lengua? Prob too causal

---

I don't see the vast majority of these places coming close to a Star.

Bib Gourmand, sure.

Compere Lapin, Gautreau's, and Brigtsen's are good calls.

Paladar wouldn't get a Star but I do like it a lot.

Anyone been to Galit in Chicago? It has a star.
The chef is Zachary Engel...cut his teeth under Shaya.

Is he doing it better than Shaya? Doing it better than Saba?
Or is he doing a great job , but not any better than these two restaurants?

If they’re coming here, someone has to get star(s). May need to take a step back and look at these places from a different lenses. They check a lot of boxes for domestic 1 stars - at least compared to the ones I’ve been to

Your Dooky Chases, Moscas types are ripe for gourmand accolades

quote:

---

Absolutely. They also weigh on how trendy/ hip the chef de cuisine is vs the actual product. Which is why I could see Compère Lapin getting a star due to Nina's popularity. Or he'll even Bywater.

---

I can’t wait for their heads to explode when they try to give one turkey and the wolf with no level of nice service or white table cloths

quote:

---

So you could have a Florida guide,

---

I only learned this week that Michelin branched out to Florida in 2022. Some deal with the tourism board. Imagine something similar would happen here.

Interesting thread. Thanks for the scoop. I've eaten at several 1-star restaurants but have only recently started searching them out when I travel. I agree you'd have a few in consideration for at least 1 star here. But that would be where the current restaurant scene caps out. Would definitely elevate the competition around here I would think.

That’s a big effect it would have. People chasing stars would have to up their game.

That list is trash

quote:

---

and if you ever get to compare Stella! to Le Bernardin, I can promise you will know they aren't similar.

---

Eaten at both (10 years apart). Besides a shift in cuisine over the years, and Le Bernardin filling the role of fish only, Stella! certainly held its own.