Category: Reviews

Michelin Guide L.A. Given The Gold(en) Raspberry

Before we leave the Michelin Guides for good (or at least for another year), we thought you might like Jonathon Gold’s not-so-kind take on the Los Angeles Guide and how wrong-headed he thinks some of the ratings are.

The difference between Los Angeles and Vegas is that L.A. has ten million people, has been a thriving metropolis for 150 years, and only twenty-one starred establishments, whereas Vegas has two million people, a culinary scene for less than ten years, and seventeen of the little gems. We’re happy just to have the attention, and L.A. (food writers) want to fuss and fume over such things.

Here is his article, thanks to Lesley Balla and all the good folks at www.eaterla.com.

 

Michelin Ratings Revealed

Here they are sports fans….the 2009 restaurant ratings of Las Vegas swanky eateries from the mother of all guidebooks Le Guide Michelin. ELV will be commenting more on these ratings in the near future, but for now:
Notable changes from last year: Mesa Grill lost its star.
Biggest disappointment: Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare and RM Seafood not gaining one.
Biggest surprise: Andre’s and Alize keeping theirs.
Most satisfying “I told you so:” The too-good-for-this-world DJT being recognized for its short-lived excellence.
MICHELIN RESTAURANT RATINGS
ONE STAR (*) (by neighborhood)
ESTABLISHMENT NEIGHBORHOOD HOTEL
Alize West of the Strip Palms
Andre’s (Downtown) Downtown
Aureole The Strip Mandalay Bay
Bradley Ogden The Strip Caesar’s Palace
Daniel Boulud Brasserie The Strip Wynn
DJT The StripTrump InternationalHotel & Tower
L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon The Strip MGM Grand
Le Cirque The Strip Bellagio
Michael Mina The Strip Bellagio
miX The Strip Mandalay Bay
Nobu East of The Strip Hard Rock
Restaurant Charlie The Strip Palazzo
Wing Lei The Strip Wynn
TWO STARS (**) (by neighborhood)
ESTABLISHMENT NEIGHBORHOOD HOTEL
Alex The Strip Wynn
Guy Savoy The Strip Caesar’s Palace
Picasso The Strip Bellagio

THREE STARS (***)

ESTABLISHMENT NEIGHBORHOOD HOTEL

Joel Robuchon The Strip MGM Grand

NORA’S (The Original)

Daniel Gonzalez and Antonio Trillo are the two best reasons to go to Nora’s on West Flamingo. Having trained under uber-cocktail maven Gaston Martinez, they can conjure up a cocktail with the best in town. Best of all, those drinks (all made with fresh-squeezed juices and house-made mixes), are bargain priced; only $9 for an array of tasty libations that run the gamut from a Pisco Blast (Barsol pisco, M.B. Peche, yuzu and fresh sour) to a Pilgrim’s Passion (Plymouth gin, Elderflower Liqueur, passion fruit coulis, fresh sour, mint).

We’ve had their Luscious Leopard (Absolut Mandarin, Cruzan Mango tequila, mango coulis, Remy Red) and a Ruby Delight (Absolut Ruby Red, Lychee Liqueur, cilantro and blood red orange juice), but what really whets our whistle is their Spicy Daisy, a blackberry-lime-green-chile-tequila-Absolut Kurrant concoction that flirts with the pain/pleasure principle possibly as perfectly as any potent potable.

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