Best Restaurants in the World
Nowadays, food is all the hype. It's in mainstream media, TV, internet, Twitter, Facebook, IPhone apps and movies. Chefs are celebrities. Restaurants are shrines. With all this hoopla, I ask you, what are the best restaurants in the world? There is the Guide Michelin, but it only rates individual restaurants. On Monday, April 26th, Restaurant Magazine announced its' selections for the 2014 World's 50 Best Restaurants. Sponsored by S. Pellegrino, the awards gala was held at Guildhall in London.
History of the World's 50 Best Restaurants
The list began in 2002, by a then upstart trade publication, Restaurant Magazine, intended solely for chefs and restauranteurs in the UK. El Bulli, the renowned Spanish restaurant, took the top spot in 2002. By the next year, the global demand for the list had intensified. The magazine produced its' 2003 version including a celebratory winners' soiree in London. In 2003, The French Laundry, Thomas Kellers' California flagship was #1. The tradition was established, every spring, the food world buzzes about who will be the numero uno. The current selection process involves a very detailed global participation.The World's 50 Best Academy was established. The world is divided into 26 regions with each region having a chairperson, who selects 30 other participants who vote for the eventual winners. That's 806 people, food critics, journalists, chefs, restauranteurs, and gourmands from around the world, responsible for the yearly rankings. Each academy member has five nominations, two from their own region and three others from around the world. That's 4030 votes to establish the winner!
2010: El Bulli's Reign Is Over
The biggest surprise in 2010 is, El Bulli's four year reign as top restaurant in the world has ended. This years rankings showed a major shuffle, especially in the top ten. Spain placed four and the US had three restaurants in that group. And France, astonishingly, had none. A typical meal in one these establishments could consist of 7-30 courses, take from 2-4 hours and cost anywhere from several hundred to well over a thousand dollars per diner depending on your menu selections.
In the next two years, Noma, a Copenhagen restaurant, took the top honor. Know for using local indigenous ingredients of Scandinavia prepared simply but presented in very imaginative way.
Every year in April, the culinary world waits with bated breath to see who'll be #!!
Behind the Scenes at the World's #1 Restaurant
The World's Best 50 Restaurants 2014
The 2014 Top Five are:
Noma
Located in Copenhagen, Denmark, Noma is pioneering a new approach to Nordic cuisine. Esteemed Chef/Owner Rene Redzepi brings to Noma extensive experience in 3-star Michelin restaurants most notably The French Laundry, El Bulli, and Jardins De Sens.
*Note: NOMA: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine a cookbook by Chef Rene Redzepi has just been released, and will be available in the U.S. in the near future. Pre-order Now! (see below)
El Celler de Can Roca
The logo that represents El Celler de Can Roca is an ‘R’ with a difference. The quirk is that the letter that evokes the family name has three ‘legs’ – each representing one of the three Roca brothers, who have combined their diverse skills to such extraordinary effect. This is a Catalan family restaurant through and through, and yet it is also now the best restaurant in the world.
Osteria Francescana
Tradition and modernity collide in spectacular fashion at Osteria Francescana with chef-patron Massimo Bottura’s sense of fun and headline-grabbing cooking. . Brilliant yet eccentric, Bottura’s artistic, show-stopping food has secured him a fervent following.
Eleven Madison Park
Chef Daniel Humm and general manager Will Guidara’s sleek Art Deco restaurant offers a masterclass in surprise. From the mysterious string-tied box that kicks off proceedings to the waiter affixing a meat grinder to the table midway through the meal, little can be anticipated. What diners can rely on, however, is a dining experience that is as delightful as it is engaging.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
t may have launched as The Fat Duck’s young townie cousin but, since opening in 2011, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal has rapidly grown up to become widely celebrated in its own right. Signature dishes including Meat Fruit and Tipsy Cake with spit-roast pineapple have already gained iconic status around the world and Dinner continues to wow its patrons with ever-evolving creations.
Desert @ Alinea
Best Restaurants around the World
The 2013 awards were significant for U.S.Restaurants. The highest ranked U.S. Restaurant was Eleven Madison Park at #5, followed by Per Se at #11, Alinea at #15 and Le Bernardin at #19. Eleven Madison Park, Per Se and Le Bernardin are located in New York City. Alinea is in Chicago.
There you have it , the best restaurants in the world for 2013. Food journalists, critics, bloggers, chefs and restauranteurs around the world will both praise and debate the rankings, probably until the awards are announced in 2014. I would give up my right arm to dine in any of these temples of haute cuisine. I'm salivating just thinking about it. Well for now, all I can do is dream.
