Good Food and the Search for The Best Restaurant in New York

Good Food and the Search for The Best Restaurant in New York

Now that the Fancy Food show is over and Restaurant Week is upon us, we can ponder what is Good Food and what does it mean, “The Best Restaurant in New York”?

Good Food

Everyone has an opinion about food. We have to; food is not something we can avoid until we are dead. Regardless of how much time we put into thinking about, preparing or consuming food, we can all work up an opinion. Some of us hate liver, others adore it; some of us are vegetarians, others omnivores; some love spicy foods that others deplore. There is an opinion from everyone about everything that they put into their mouths.

Note: I went to see a gastroenterologist the other day (I’ve been having a few “issues”), and he looked me straight in the eye and said, “Ninety-nine percent of women have an eating disorder. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. It’s all in your head.” How does one respond to a comment like that? I let out a little laugh. After all, I’ve been living with my gut for many years. But he pressed on. “If we scratch the surface deeply enough, we’ll find out what event from your childhood has caused you to have this eating disorder.” I left his office with the distinct impression that he believes me to be bulimic.

I do not waste good food in such a way! If I am going to pay upwards of $400 for dinner, I certainly will not intentionally force an expensive regurgitation!

Good Food is much too precious for such a perverse fate. But how do we define good food? What is it that compels us to say, “Oh, that’s good!”

There are four basic things that drive our opinion: aroma, taste, texture and visual appeal. And these are all complex reactions to whatever goes in our mouths.

Aroma activates highly primitive parts of the brain, vestiges of a much more scent-driven mammalian past. Have you ever gotten a rush from the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans? Have you ever sniffed at milk and been repulsed? Always smell your food! It’s hard to enjoy things that can’t get past the sniffer.

Texture is something we don’t often talk about, but it is often the reason that children reject certain foods. I never liked oatmeal – it felt slimy to me, no matter how much butter and brown sugar my mother put in it. I have never like that texture and never will. One of my nephews eschews potatoes because he does not like the way they feel in his mouth. Even as an infant he would spit them out with a grimace. He is very consistent.

Visual appeal is certainly important, but let’s face it, some of us will wolf-down the crappiest looking burger and fries. But food with the head on, bone in, eyes staring up at us is hard for some people to take because it too closely resembles the animal and that makes us feel guilty. We shy away from colors that do not seem natural, like blue or bright orange.

Taste is the most complex indicator of what we consider "good". Basically there are four tastes that combine together in infinite ways – sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. According to Food Experts and Gurus, Good Food is that which balances these elements of taste. Of course, the balancing act is a matter of opinion, and also of skill. I find that in many restaurants there is too much emphasis on the bitter; I have even had a conversation with a chef regarding the heavy pour of balsamic vinegar that he prefers; his reply is that the greater percentage of the population prefers the heavier balsamic pour to the light. I am outnumbered, it seems.

But what about Nature? Sometimes, a single fruit or vegetable can be the most beautiful thing on the Earth. A few weeks ago I had the most wonderful watermelon for breakfast. It was Good Food. And Good For me.

Good Food should be: Fresh, Well Pre-Prepared and Healthy




The Best Restaurant In NYC

Like Good Food, Best Restaurant has many meanings for many people. It is unfair to compare the many classes of restaurants that abound all over town. Holes-in-the-wall cannot be compared to the likes of Per Se. But if we break it all down into too many categories, we make the whole thing too complex and make too many rules; then it’s no fun anymore.

Here a few notes on what I think are the best at what they do, that I like to frequent and that do not disappoint me.

Vong– I always have fun here, enjoy the food and the wine; I do not expect 4 star service, and the best thing about the service is that is is appropriate and non-intrusive. They don't give out names or talk to me while my mouth is full; they don't interrupt conversation with some ridiculous request for more bottled water.  In short, I am happy as a clam when I arrive and when I leave.

Fiamma– If I know Michael White is in the kitchen, I will run down to SoHo and grab a drink and a snack at the bar, which is a great place to sit and chat.  Michael has a great touch and when he creates something, I want to try it.  He has never disappointed me. Nor has the wine list.

DuMont Burger– I just love this place and the burgers, and the cheeses to put on the burgers, and the bar, and the vibe. So simple, yet so fresh and so good.



Queens Hideaway– I have to say that half the fun here is seeing what Eliza will do next. And that smoker she has out back really does remind me of so many tasty treats from the past. Some of her dishes work out better than others, but what fun it is to see her in action.

According to the Restaurant Critics, none of these restaurants would be worthy of Best. But I am not judging based on mistakes; I don’t approach a restaurant looking to see what will disappoint me. I want to have fun and to enjoy. I am very convivial, which brings me back to the Gastroenterologist who told me that my stomach issues were ‘all in my head”. I got two words for you Doc….

Our own Chef Pierre, whose recent editorial rates Le Cirque the virtual best (http://www.nyc.com/people/Chef_Pierre/blog/4689/Dining_Review_Le_Cirque ), makes many fine points as to how he arrived at his rating, and certainly his review makes me want to go and splurge.



Having recently dined at Per Se, I am interested to check out Le Cirque and do a little comparison, since these are two venues that do ineed merit head-to-head comparison.

I thought Per Se was great – everything finely prepared, professionally presented, carefully attended to. But there was a little something missing, that tiny piece of the puzzle that I can’t quite put my finger on.



As for "The Best", I just don't think it is possible that one restaurant can make that claim. Still, Americans are fixated on the whole concept of "Number One!", so there will continue to be ratings. However, "Best" for me is a mood thing.

Tags:   best restaurants in new york, DuMont Burger, Fiamma, good food, Le Cirque, Michael White, Per Se, Queens Hideaway, Vong

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Posted on 7/13/2006 ( Permanent Link )
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