What, are we a bunch of losers?

Gayot.com just came out with its annual list of top restaurants and Food & Wine announced its best new chefs for the year. Check them out below. What is wrong with this picture? Not a single Florida restaurant or chef represented. What gives? Is it just bad p.r., or does this fair state really not have a single restaurant that can go mano a mano with those in Chi-town or Philadelphia (!?!)?

ATLANTA
• Bacchanalia

BOSTON
• L'Espalier

CARMEL VALLEY, CA
• Marinus

CHICAGO
• Avenues
• Alinea
• Charlie Trotter's
• Everest
• TRU

HEALDSBURG, CA
• Cyrus

HONOLULU
• Chef Mavro

LAGUNA BEACH, CA
• Studio

LAS VEGAS
• Alex
• Joël Robuchon
• Picasso
• Restaurant Guy Savoy

LOS ANGELES
• Mélisse
• Patina
• Providence
• Sona
• Spago Beverly Hills

NEW ORLEANS
• Restaurant August

NEW YORK
• Bouley
• Daniel
• Eleven Madison Park
• Jean Georges
• Le Bernardin
• Le Cirque
• Masa
• The Modern
• Per Se

OGUNQUIT, ME
• Arrows Restaurant

PHILADELPHIA
• Le Bec-Fin

SAN ANTONIO
• Restaurant Le Rêve

SAN FRANCISCO
• The Dining Room
• Gary Danko
• Michael Mina
• Silks

WASHINGTON, D.C.
• CityZen
• Michel Richard
Citronelle

WASHINGTON, VA
• The Inn at Little
Washington

Food & Wine Best New Chefs (and where they cook):
April Bloomfield--New York, New York
Gabriel Bremer--Cambridge, Massachusetts
Steve Corry--Portland, Maine
Matthew Dillon--Seattle, Washington
Gavin Kaysen--San Diego, California
Johnny Monis--Washington, D.C.
Sean O'Brien--San Francisco, California
Gabriel Rucker--Portland, Oregon
Ian Schnoebelen--New Orleans, Louisiana
Paul Virant--Western Springs, Illinois

Comments

[Richard Guzinya]

Is that because the food critics have scared off the bold restauranteurs? Or, could it be that the large settlement of senior citizens sent back one too many dishes not prepared to their liking? Or, does Florida just prefer fried cheese sticks and buffalo wings? Come on Florida, enter the culinary race. RG

[nick hander]

I have never been to a restaurant in Florida that competes with the best of NY, San Fran, Chicago, Etc. Generally, just like LA, it is more about the scene than the food. Every top restaurant that opens in Miami that concentrates on great food ends up closing or changing within a year.

Simply, I don't think they exist.

[Hank]

I have dined at approx. 2/3 of the restaurants listed above, several of them regularly. I do believe that there are several restaurants in Florida that can compete with the majority of them; Barton G.'s in Miami Beach and closer to home, Norman's (Van Aken) at the Ritz in Orlando Grande Lakes. There are several restaurants in each of these respective markets that are obvious in thier exclusion. Notably Joel's (Antune) in Atlanta, the Green Zebra in Chicago etc. Where in Florida are you going to go to compete with Daniel in NYC?

Contrary to the statement posted above, restaurant critics can actually raise the level of awareness and educate patrons in a given area. Narsai David in San Francisco was instrumental along with Alice Waters (Chez Panisse) and Thomas Keller (French Laundry)in elevating the awareness of Natural/Organic/Sustainable foods.

There are hidden jewels right here in Tampa Bay, just not on the scale of these major cities. The fun is finding them and enjoying them for what they represent.

[A. Smedley]

Hank, if you're holding back on some "hidden jewels," please share with The Mouth ... because as one of her occasional dining companions, I can attest that a lot of less than stellar meals have been choked down all in the hopes of finding one that espouses devotion to pristinely fresh ingredients locally procured, prepared with creativity and deftness, and presented flawlessly by a knowledgeable, professional staff. It may be unreasonable to expect the likes of an Alice Waters or a Thomas Keller right here in our backyard, but the array thus far makes me personally wish for better!!!

[The Mouth]

Hank, I'm with Smedley. Don't hold out on us. What are your faves around here? I eat out multiple times each week and am always hopeful that that next meal will blow my mind.

It seems like there's a dense enough concentration of wealth and sophistication to warrant a world-class restaurant or two.

[Hank]

First of all, I would not want to be labeled a "shill". So I will reserve some of my comments, if I knew how to contact you aside from the blog, I would be more than glad to share a number of jewels. I define a "jewel" in this instance as an item or several items on a given menu that transcend competion in the area or demonstrate a mastery of culinary expertise.

I will state that to this day, one of the best dishes I have had in the Tampa area was a Wild Mushroom Risotto

[Hank]

As I was stating, a Wild Mushroom Risotto at Masimmo's in Palm Harbor. I had this with a 2002 Darioush Cab. This may be the best meal I have experienced here in the Tampa area. $90 for the wine and under $20 for the risotto.

What we are all seeking is value. We have a price/value expectation when we dine out. If I spend $7 at Pipo's for a pork sandiwch my expectation is that I receive a $7 value. My value expectation does not change if I am eating at Altier or Spoons for $250. I expect that my value expectation will be met or exceeded. In Tampa, this is my primary disappointment. Value is illusive.

[Jimbo]

Here's a big part of the problem:

Tampa had a nationally-known restaurant. It started its downhill slide 10-12 years ago. Another in SoHo, while nowhere national caliber in its heyday, is now absolutely pathetic. There are a few others, too, that are riding reputations but have not maintained their service and/or cuisine.

It's correct that Laura can uplift the caliber of fine dining in the Bay area. God knows she's got the knowledge and writing ability. The only obstacle that I detect is that she is a little too kind in her reviews, mentioning shortcomings but more or less glossing over them, probably because she doesn't want to ruffle feathers as the new kid on the block.

There are some nuggets in the Bay area. They are not national class but they are overlooked and better than many of the "mainstream" restaurants that get most of the ink hereabouts.

The Mouth mentioned Chicago and Philadelphia. I can attest that Le Bec Fin is not only unmatched by anything in Tampa Bay but can truly hold its own with anything nationally. I have to question the list which has four Las Vegas restaurants and one from New Orleans and one from Boston.

[The Mouth]

Hank, I absolutely agree. A restaurant sets our expectations by price, decor, menu, etc., and our most important assessment is how well the restaurant meets those expectations. If you want to contact me directly, zap me e-mail at lreiley@sptimes.com.

[FoodSnob]

I agree with Hank in that we have gems that must be discovered. This can be a long and painful process. I moved to St. Pete from San Francisco two years ago. In SF I ate out 8-10 times a week between lunch and dinner because the food, even in the little mom and pop joints, was exceptional. Fresh ingredients thoughtfully prepared with very little deep fried anything. In the Tampa bay area, after trying too many of the go-to restaurants and eating mediocre food, my husband and I decided to renew our interest in home cooking. What we found in restaurants here were prices similar to San Francisco with a greater quantity of food but very little quality.

That said we still, on occasion, try new restaurants in our effort to support establishments that offer a higher quality meal. Sometimes we're disappointed but then other times we are wonderfully surprised. This past Monday, we had an exceptional dinner at Savannah's Cafe on Central Ave. The flavors were fabulous, ingredients fresh, excellent value for the money and definitely worth another visit. My hope is that others will find this gem so they’ll have a long, successful run.

[Feinschmecker]

Best in the world: Drei Husaren, Vienna, Austria.

[Hank]

Jimbo, if you are in Philly and cannot get a reservation at Le Bec Fin, try the new restaurant in the Westin near Independence Hall. They have undergone a $5MM renovation and have adopted a "Grange" concept restaurant in the hotel. I thought it was a wonderful dining experience, an interesting concept and should be considered an excellent second choice. I would also recommend the Oceanaire, which is nearby. Not Le Bec Fin, but the ambiance is exceptional and the food is consistently very good. One of the better if not the best of the Oceanaire properties.

[Stephanie]

This ranking doesn't surprise me at all. Tampa (and Florida in general) has a multitude of average restaurants. Average. I love to cook at home now because I know it will taste better and will be cheaper than anyplace around! (With the exception of Gio's on Dale Mabry - try it for a lovely atmosphere with good food and wine.)

[jim webster]

i've been to enough of those restaurants to maintain that i see no reason why cafe ponte can't be in that conversation. i think it's spectacular. if they had a tasting menu as a regular option, i might INSIST that it should be in this conversation.

i completely agree that it is reasonable to grade an individual meal based on the value, but i think it is ridiculous to take the price/decor/attitude thing into account when ranking restaurants, which it sort of feels like may be going on a bit on this list. "best" should not be mistaken for "most elaborate."

norman's, michy's, bistro aix. i think all are worthy of consideration. and might be if they took themselves too seriously. frankly, i prefer they remain accessible and serve great food. i hear good things about victoria & albert's and hue in orlando, tho haven't been.

i find the list itself a little strange. a couple are dinosaurs that i keep reading are past their prime, and there are a couple of strange omissions. i mean, how is per se on the list but not french laundry? they're the same restaurant.

[Jimbo]

Thanks for the tips, Hank...I expect to be in Philly this spring and will try the Westin even if I can finagle my way into Le Bec Fin on another night.

As for the Bay area again, I'm most resentful of restaurants that charge big city prices but don't deliver the goods. The new Malio's is the most obvious example. There are several others as well. No one that knows great food minds paying the price for same.

[Victor Morgan]

We deserved a non-rating...it shows the utter disinterest of local restaurant owners in providing top quality food. Because of the miniscule paychecks offered by business owners, few except the new Cadillac, Mercedes, Ferrari and Porche set can afford expensive restaurants. And they spend wisely...a big name bad food restaurant can't hide behind high prices for long. I'm darned glad for what we have and I don't worry a tad about what we don't have. Retired and enjoying it!

[Jimbo]

That certainly is a healthy attitude. Yet it was nice to live here when we had a national class restaurant.

Agree that high prices don't equate with great food, Victor, but I wish I could share your optimism about bad food joints not surviving. I could give you a list of six or eight Bay area restaurants with 4-5 star prices with one star food and service. They have survived way, way too long.

[ABnorml]

If you think Florida is a culinary wasteland (and it is compared w/ NYC, Chicago, Philly, San Fran...), you should have seen it when we moved here in 1982 (From Jersey shore east of Philly). If it wasn't a burger or a grouper sandwhich, diner beware! There have been DRASTIC improvements but the thing is, we are 5-10 years behind the breakwater (so to speak). I have managed restaurants, bars, and nightclubs for 10-plus years and the clientele is largely to blame. If a high-caliber restaurant opens up, it won't last because no one supports it. Unless the proprieters know how to buzz the place into being "the place to be" (Think Ponte's) good food does not make it in the land of chicken wings and busch light. Tell the truth... we sophisticated eaters are a HUGE minority in this area and we probably only hit the high end restaurants of our choice once a month per establishment. It's simple math. Unless the place is positioned as an endless write-off, it's hard to survive.

[Vernon]

Maybe all of the chefs at all the hoity-toity restaurants have to do is add a little more color to the food and add yet more obscure ingredients that do not compliment the food whatsoever.

Perhaps try adding some sun-dried mango wasabi to the 2-1/2" diameter $50 filet mignon.

Or add some twice-stewed Belarussian cherry tomatoes to the french-named $20 salad with a teaspoon of unknown blue dressing.

And whatever you do, make sure both the customer's wallet and the customer's stomach are empty at the end of the night.

[Old Chef Dude]

Bravo ABnorml!! You can only take the client by the hand and guide him step by step for so long.After many many years of trying to educate and present proper cuisine to guests I completely agree.