Cultural differences.

No, this is not about the differences between the way DSK and Bernie Madoff were treated, or the “perp” walk for all regardless of income versus the back door for celebrities, nor the presumption of innocence or conspiracy theories, not even the different philosophies of equality and egalité.

No, it’s about how food criticism is different in the USA and France. Or is it?

In general in the US food critics for publications such as the New York Times or New York Magazine will not judge a restaurant until they and their minions (in the case of the NYT) go several times, because as one explained to me “it’s only fair to judge a place on its entire menu, on several days,” whereas many French critics for the biggest circulation media, read Le Figaro or Le Monde, go once to a place and that’s it; as one of the biggest guys explained – “that’s the way you see how the average citizen is fed and treated.”

Now, supposedly, the critics doing the yearly French food-guides may rely on stringers to do the initial cut but they go to the biggies or winners of awards. But as an ex-reviewer for the Michelin Red Guide revealed, some places are visited only once every 5 or 6 years.

Another difference is how soon after places open they are visited; in France, time after time, I hear stories about a restaurant's first meal being packed entirely with critics, whereas Yankees sometimes wait until a place has “mellowed or matured”; one colleague of mine waits up to nine months.

Finally there’s the sheer number of folks reviewing in Paris versus New York. I figure that with the big daily national papers, weekly magazines, radio stations as well as A Nous Paris and Le Fooding and the bloggers, at least two dozen critics are hitting places, whereas in New York it’s far far fewer.

And while the big boys at Figaro/Figaroscope certainly weigh in strongly, the New York Times reviewer has a uniquely powerful voice.

Does all this really make a difference? Certainly the Times’ reviewer, whoever it is at that particular moment in time, can make or break a place with a single review, whereas the French ones are, because of their number and styles, more diverse and nuanced. This, as far as I’m concerned, makes for more interesting reading.

 

Comments

[Truong]

Hi John,

I will travel to Chicago (esspacially for Alinea to be honest but I heard that it is harder than Noma to get a table...so sad) and NY ( I will probably do Per Se that is also very hard to get or Blue Hill Stone Barns) in November.
I would love to get your advice on some restaurants for these 2 cities.
-For Chicago, I found on blog and forum interesting: Next (new Grant Achatz restaurant), Avec, The Publican and Schwa.
-For New York I found Roberta's but I heard that it is needed to be 4 for the big menu and not pizzas, Momofuko Ko, noodles, Sam...

What do you think about this selection and can you suggest me some others. As said before I would love to get your feedback and advice. Esspacially in middle range restaurant as the one you usually choose in Paris and same level and price as Sola, Spring, la régalade, Kei, Septime, Le dauphin, Le Baratin, L'Ami Jean, Rino etc...

Thank you so much in advance.

Truong

[John Talbott]

It's embarrassing when you think you've replied to a comment on your own blog and then see it never was posted.
Truong
1. I continue to think that meals at the sort of price/quality you've mentioned in Paris cannot be had in the US.
2. I cannot comment on Chicago because I haven't been in 2-3 years.
3. But, Colette and I did eat well last week in NYC at Maialino and Rouge Tomate and a few weeks before at Ma Peche (David Chang), the Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto (charcuterie) and Co. aka Company (pizza).
4. It's ironic that the day you wrote this I'd just finished an essay commenting on French critics' stereotypes of American food that centered on Francois Simon's focus on hamburgers and pizza in which he never seemed to have heard of Grant Achatz or Dan Barber, whom you and I clearly like.