Here’s where dining guides step in.

Since the Times’ “How We Eat,” the field has broadened to include major players such as the Michelin Guide and the ubiquitous Zagat. As more diverse fine dining establishments have opened their doors throughout America, publications have stepped in with diverse methods intent on naming the elite.

The New York Times

The eater(s): Frank Bruni since 2004, NYT’s metropolitan reporter turned restaurant critic. Bruni visits the selected restaurants four to five times, sampling extensively from the menu, to gather an overall impression all while maintaining the utmost anonymity.

Weighing in: The New York Times uses a zero to four star scale: Poor, Good, Very Good, Excellent, and Extraordinary. The stars awarded are based on food, ambience, and service—adjusted respectively for price. 

The chosen ones: Merely five restaurants have been recognized as extraordinary, the highest accolade a restaurant can receive: Jean Georges, Le Bernardin, Masa, Per Se, and Daniel.

What it means: Four stars are akin to legendary status, while a “Poor” rating can be the kiss of death in the fragile NY dining world.

Beyond the fork:  Bruni has expanded the formerly singular focus on fine dining to consider less renowned places for review—he seems to rely, like many of us, on the recommendations of trusted friends. Case in point: he propelled midtown’s Szechuan Gourmet and a BYOB Thai takeout place in Queens onto wishlists by giving them each two stars. Bruni also revisits more established places to check up on their quality.  

The Real Deal: Most of the Times’ reviewed restaurants are inaccessible to modest budgets. A single star for fine dining can be damaging, while it can elevate a casual spot to newfound glory. Don’t ignore a poor rating, reserved for only the worst offenders, but don’t blow off a two-star place either.

Take a bite: Bruni’s scathing review of Ago and his “Poseidon Adventure” wine spill, and his praise of Jean Georges where “eating is seldom this absorbing, this bracing.”  

Zagat Guide

The eater(s): They’re called surveyors: people with an affinity for dining out can participate in questionnaires designed by Zagat editors. Members then go to Zagat.com and can participate in featured surveys to express their opinion; over 132,000 diners participated in America’s Top Restaurants 2008 guide.

Weighing in:  Food, Décor and Service are rated 0 – 30, 20-25: very good to excellent and 25-30: extraordinary to perfection. Zagat also asks surveyors to provide “descriptive, witty and pithy” descriptions.  Snippets of comments from participants are then included in direct quotes.

The chosen ones: Top food rankings by area and popularity list the most consistent favorites. Michy’s of Miami, Philadelphia’s Fountain, Cali’s French Laundry, Rosemary’s in Las Vegas, and Atlanta’s Bacchanalia take top spot for food in their respective cities. Most popular destinations include Seattle’s Wild Ginger, Denver’s Frasca, DC’s Kinkead’s, Chicago’s Charlie Trotter’s,  and San Diego’s Georges California Modern.

What it means:  General consensus is relatively reliable and brief descriptions illustrate what numbers can’t. 

Beyond the fork: 2008’s guide included 1,415 restaurants in 42 American cities. 

The Real Deal: Zagat is a good lead but consider that anybody can weigh in and the editors are limited to piecing together from whoever chooses to participate. Although there’s power in numbers, people’s preferences give the opinion of the type of crowd attracted to that particular establishment.  Think of Zagat more as a popularity contest than critique. The best bets? Special Z designations are given to places with “high ratings, popularity, and importance” by Zagat editors.

Michelin Red Guide

The eater(s): Professionals. Seasoned food critics with hospitality training are sent to designated restaurants and based on their experiences, restaurants are included in the guide. The mystery of the process guided by unpublished criteria lends an air of exclusivity to Michelin guides. 

Weighing in: The most notorious starring system of them all, Michelin stars go only by food: quality, flavors, technique, personality, value, and consistency. One star = stop by if it’s around. Two stars = first class experience. Three stars = worth a significant journey to eat there.  There’s also a comfort rating and little grapes designate an impressive wine selection.

The chosen ones: Europe has the most three-starred restaurants, but Michelin finally arrived stateside in 2006 where three NYC restaurants and one Las Vegas restaurant pulled in the coveted trio. Guy Savoy in Paris, Rome’s La Pergola, and Gordon Ramsay in London (the sole three star holder in the UK) are some notable winners.

What it means: Michelin’s global presence bestows a three-starred restaurant worldwide glory. Restaurants struggle to grab and keep the elusive three stars year after year.  No restaurant being reviewed for the first time can receive three stars.

Beyond the fork: The allocation of stars draws much ire in the restaurant world. From accusations of prompting a three-star chef’s suicide with its unrelenting standards and favoritism for French cuisine (only one Chinese restaurant, for example, has been given three stars) these ratings always cause a stir.

The Real Deal: If you have the chance to dine in a three-star location, you’d be crazy to pass it up. Long considered the gold standard of ratings, Michelin will guide you to the finest places where you will pay dearly for the immaculate experience. Michelin is clearly Euro-centric but their pedigree is irresistible to those looking for the best of the best.

 Take a bite: Andy Haler keeps track of all the three starred restaurants in the world.

New York Magazine

The eater(s): Adam Platt, NY Mag’s chief restaurant critic.

Weighing in: Two rating systems are used: solid red stars for upscale restaurants and outlined stars for casual dining. Upscale dining ratings judge the experience as a whole, ranging from good to “ethereal, almost perfect.” Casual dining focuses on the food instead, from “noteworthy” to “the best in its category.”

The chosen ones: Only three of almost 800 critic’s pick restaurants have been given five stars: Le Bernardin ($$$$), Masa ($$$$), and Thai 101($), an outlier for its low price.

What it means: Visit a four or five star upscale restaurant and you’ll find New Yorkers in search of the city’s latest and greatest—and getting it. 

Beyond the fork: The “Scratchpad” elaborates on the stars and reading the “Note” is bound to enhance your experience. NY Mag’s approach to food spans upper-crust to dollar dishes, reflecting the variety of tastes and wallets in NYC .

The Real Deal: NY Mag’s more grounded approach to reviewing makes their top picks far more accessible than other ratings, even though high-rated upscale restaurants will still be really pricey. They try to incorporate more types of restaurants than stuffy white tablecloth places and this leads to a more diverse set of choices. As far as five star casual: unbeatable deliciousness. 

Take a bite:  Platt’s review of “ethereal foodie heaven” for $300 at Masa.

LA Times

The eater(s): The mysteriously named S. Irene Virbila, Times’ Restaurant Critic.

Weighing in: Zero stars (satisfactory/poor) to four stars (Excellent on every level) based on food, service and ambience, with price factored in.

The chosen ones: No restaurant currently holds four stars. Three and a half stars were given to Picasso and Spago.

What it means: Virbila rarely bestows three stars and four is basically impossible. La Veranda shut down within a few months of her pan and a fall from four to one stars prompted a revamping of Bastide.

Beyond the fork:  A Best Table (“in the corner of the outdoor veranda”) and a Service section (such as “polished” or “eager but inexperienced”) are singled out in each review. Virbila’s longtime position has also compromised her anonymity: some restaurants have descriptions of the critic posted in the kitchen and pictures have surfaced on the internet.

Real Deal: Nobody expects four stars out of Virbila anytime soon, so you the three starred places for exceptional dining. Her strong focus on ambience (her reviews usually start off with setting the scene) sometimes forgives a sloppy dish, so pay attention to what she discusses more in the review if you want truly exceptional food. Virbila also tends to select trendier upscale places.

Take a bite: The LA Times also published a Diner’s Bill of Rights which caused a fuss on the blogosphere, including mandates such as “Salt on the table” and “Your daily bread.” Virbila’s rave review of Lucques still only gets three stars.

And the eating continues.

 In the relentless pursuit for the best, the James Beard Awards (considered the “Oscars of the food world”) have honored restaurants since 1991. Categories include Best Chef, Outstanding Restaurant, Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Service and Outstanding Restaurateur. Past winners include Bastianich and Batali’s Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca and Alinea for Grant Achatz’s work. Gramercy Tavern, Central Michel Richard, Naha, and Delfina took away some other top prizes. Another industry-based award is Restaurant Magazine’s 50 Best Restaurants in the World which polls critics from all over the globe. Wine Spectator recognizes eating establishments as well, giving a Grand Award of three glasses to restaurants with extensive (1,500+) and outstanding wine lists.  

DC annually anticipates Washingtonian’s 100 Best Restaurants, complete with slideshows and sorting by cuisine. The Miami New Times is aimed at a hip nightlife crowd, while the Miami Herald hops from one genre to another to please Floridians in search of something new.  The Chicago Tribune sticks to the Times’ model of one star as “good” with few reaching four star “outstanding” and also makes an effort to include cheaper eats, though not as choices for reviews. The SF Gate has blurbs on the newest restaurant and revisits previously reviewed restaurants to check in.  The Gate is a bit more lenient about giving out one star (meaning fair) but humorously rates the noise level in the restaurant from One Bell (65 decibels) to Bomb (80 + decibels). Anonymous reviewers visit the restaurant at least three times at least a month after the restaurant has opened to write a review. The SF Chronicle Magazine also comes out with the 100 top restaurants in the Bay Area each year.

Written by Carolina Perez