Comment
Rate
Star Power
 |
| David LeFevre, executive chef at Water Grill. The Grand Avenue seafood restaurant was one of 15 establishments in Los Angeles to receive a Michelin star. Reservations immediately increased. Photo by Gary Leonard. |
Patina, Water Grill Score Coveted Michelin Guide Ranking
by Kathryn Maese
Buzz in the restaurant industry had been building since March, when Michelin announced it would expand its highly regarded restaurant guide series to include Los Angeles in 2008.
Last week, the suspense came to an end when it was revealed that 18 restaurants received one or two of the coveted Michelin stars, which represent the height of culinary achievement, and often bring about a major business bounce as well. For two Downtown restaurants, the stars aligned.
The seafood bastion Water Grill and Cal-French restaurant Patina each received one star, which means "a very good restaurant in its category," according to the 107-year-old Michelin Guide. No restaurants in the entire city were given three stars.
The star power also serves as a major acknowledgement that the Downtown Los Angeles culinary scene, which for years was regarded largely as a destination for pre-theater and business diners, is gaining traction - particularly in fine dining.
While a star carries respect from industry peers, a ranking from the Michelin Guide can also translate into a serious boost in the bottom line. Many restaurants that have been ranked by the organization have seen a dramatic climb in business, as both national and international gourmands come to sample the cuisine.
Though the guide only hit stores last Wednesday, reservations for both restaurants began spiking in the preceding days, as news of the star allocations spread on the Internet. At Water Grill, Executive Chef David LeFevre said dinner seatings have more than doubled from 100 to as many as 220 per night at the Grand Avenue eatery. His tasting menu with wine pairing can cost as much as $150.
"We've seen a really big increase since Saturday but the amount of people has been a little bit surprising," said LeFevre, who has helmed the kitchen for three years. "The true test will be over the next three to four months to see if it continues to increase and stays that way. Sometimes people will check it out and make a special trip, but if it's long lasting, then that means people are believing in what we're doing."
Like many L.A. chefs, LeFevre heard rumors of the designation in the days before the guide's publication, when a glitch on the Michelin website inadvertently leaked the list of local restaurants that would receive stars. Still, he said, he didn't believe it until Michelin President Christian Delhaye called him Saturday morning with the news.
LeFevre credited his kitchen crew, 35 in all, with the success. "The team is really excited, especially the cooks," he said. "It's such a team-oriented thing, and if you do not have great people to carry it out it's not possible. That's what I'm proud of."
Joachim Splichal, who founded the Patina empire of restaurants, including several in Downtown, said he was on a fishing boat in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico when he got a phone call that his flagship restaurant on First Street and Grand Avenue was honored (Theo Schoenegger is the executive chef).
"Everyone called me and asked if I saw the news," he said. "All I saw was the sea and the fish. Naturally, I was excited because it's a great thing for L.A. We got a lot of letters and phone calls congratulating us."
Splichal, who in 2004 moved Patina from Hollywood to the ground floor of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, said business will definitely rise. He referenced a chef in Los Gatos, Calif., who saw a 30% boost after his restaurant earned two stars.
"From an international standpoint we will get more traffic," he said. "A lot of Europeans have gone by this guide for years and years so it will increase our European and Asian clientele."
The Holy Grail
While the importance of earning a star is lost on many Americans, Michelin is considered the Holy Grail of fine dining abroad. In 1900, André Michelin published the first edition of a guide to France, and since then the influential culinary ratings have expanded to cover 21 countries over two continents. Only recently has the guide begun to make a big move into the U.S., with Los Angeles and Las Vegas debuting in the 2008 publications. They join guides for New York City and the San Francisco/Bay Area.
Still, there is some division over just how big of an impact the guide will have on Los Angeles, particularly in Downtown. "Everyone is already aware of how good places like Water Grill and Patina are, and maybe the guide will help reach some tourists," said Joan Luther, a longtime Los Angeles restaurant publicist and consultant. "But the impact here? I don't think so. As far as Downtown, what's killing [the food scene] is traffic."
The Los Angeles guide features 290 establishments representing 29 cuisines types. Of those, 15 received one star and only three earned two stars, which means "excellent cooking, worth a detour." None received three stars, "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey."
Water Grill and Patina, as well as every other restaurant in the guide, were rated on product quality, preparation and flavors, the cuisine's personality, value for money and consistency.
Few realize how difficult the ranking is to secure, and how devastating it can be to lose. In 2003, one of France's most celebrated chefs, Bernard Loiseau, shot himself in the head over what some speculate was his fear of losing his third Michelin star. One French insurance company even offers to cover a restaurant or hotel that suffers the humiliation of being demoted by the guide.
While that level of frenzy has yet to take root in Los Angeles, the competition is nonetheless ratcheting up. Already, Splichal said he is setting his sights on securing a second star next year.
"There's definitely pressure," said Splichal, who apprenticed in two- and three-star kitchens in Europe. "The most important thing is to keep the standard up."
Contact Kathryn Maese at kathryn@downtownnews.com.
page 1, 11/19/2007
© Los Angeles Downtown News. Reprinting items retrieved from the archives are for personal use only. They may not be reproduced or retransmitted without permission of the Los Angeles Downtown News. If you would like to re-distribute anything from the Los Angeles Downtown News Archives, please call our permissions department at (213) 481-1448.
Last week, the suspense came to an end when it was revealed that 18 restaurants received one or two of the coveted Michelin stars, which represent the height of culinary achievement, and often bring about a major business bounce as well. For two Downtown restaurants, the stars aligned.
The seafood bastion Water Grill and Cal-French restaurant Patina each received one star, which means "a very good restaurant in its category," according to the 107-year-old Michelin Guide. No restaurants in the entire city were given three stars.
The star power also serves as a major acknowledgement that the Downtown Los Angeles culinary scene, which for years was regarded largely as a destination for pre-theater and business diners, is gaining traction - particularly in fine dining.
While a star carries respect from industry peers, a ranking from the Michelin Guide can also translate into a serious boost in the bottom line. Many restaurants that have been ranked by the organization have seen a dramatic climb in business, as both national and international gourmands come to sample the cuisine.
Though the guide only hit stores last Wednesday, reservations for both restaurants began spiking in the preceding days, as news of the star allocations spread on the Internet. At Water Grill, Executive Chef David LeFevre said dinner seatings have more than doubled from 100 to as many as 220 per night at the Grand Avenue eatery. His tasting menu with wine pairing can cost as much as $150.
"We've seen a really big increase since Saturday but the amount of people has been a little bit surprising," said LeFevre, who has helmed the kitchen for three years. "The true test will be over the next three to four months to see if it continues to increase and stays that way. Sometimes people will check it out and make a special trip, but if it's long lasting, then that means people are believing in what we're doing."
Like many L.A. chefs, LeFevre heard rumors of the designation in the days before the guide's publication, when a glitch on the Michelin website inadvertently leaked the list of local restaurants that would receive stars. Still, he said, he didn't believe it until Michelin President Christian Delhaye called him Saturday morning with the news.
LeFevre credited his kitchen crew, 35 in all, with the success. "The team is really excited, especially the cooks," he said. "It's such a team-oriented thing, and if you do not have great people to carry it out it's not possible. That's what I'm proud of."
Joachim Splichal, who founded the Patina empire of restaurants, including several in Downtown, said he was on a fishing boat in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico when he got a phone call that his flagship restaurant on First Street and Grand Avenue was honored (Theo Schoenegger is the executive chef).
"Everyone called me and asked if I saw the news," he said. "All I saw was the sea and the fish. Naturally, I was excited because it's a great thing for L.A. We got a lot of letters and phone calls congratulating us."
Splichal, who in 2004 moved Patina from Hollywood to the ground floor of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, said business will definitely rise. He referenced a chef in Los Gatos, Calif., who saw a 30% boost after his restaurant earned two stars.
"From an international standpoint we will get more traffic," he said. "A lot of Europeans have gone by this guide for years and years so it will increase our European and Asian clientele."
While the importance of earning a star is lost on many Americans, Michelin is considered the Holy Grail of fine dining abroad. In 1900, André Michelin published the first edition of a guide to France, and since then the influential culinary ratings have expanded to cover 21 countries over two continents. Only recently has the guide begun to make a big move into the U.S., with Los Angeles and Las Vegas debuting in the 2008 publications. They join guides for New York City and the San Francisco/Bay Area.
Still, there is some division over just how big of an impact the guide will have on Los Angeles, particularly in Downtown. "Everyone is already aware of how good places like Water Grill and Patina are, and maybe the guide will help reach some tourists," said Joan Luther, a longtime Los Angeles restaurant publicist and consultant. "But the impact here? I don't think so. As far as Downtown, what's killing [the food scene] is traffic."
The Los Angeles guide features 290 establishments representing 29 cuisines types. Of those, 15 received one star and only three earned two stars, which means "excellent cooking, worth a detour." None received three stars, "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey."
Water Grill and Patina, as well as every other restaurant in the guide, were rated on product quality, preparation and flavors, the cuisine's personality, value for money and consistency.
Few realize how difficult the ranking is to secure, and how devastating it can be to lose. In 2003, one of France's most celebrated chefs, Bernard Loiseau, shot himself in the head over what some speculate was his fear of losing his third Michelin star. One French insurance company even offers to cover a restaurant or hotel that suffers the humiliation of being demoted by the guide.
While that level of frenzy has yet to take root in Los Angeles, the competition is nonetheless ratcheting up. Already, Splichal said he is setting his sights on securing a second star next year.
"There's definitely pressure," said Splichal, who apprenticed in two- and three-star kitchens in Europe. "The most important thing is to keep the standard up."
Contact Kathryn Maese at kathryn@downtownnews.com.
page 1, 11/19/2007
© Los Angeles Downtown News. Reprinting items retrieved from the archives are for personal use only. They may not be reproduced or retransmitted without permission of the Los Angeles Downtown News. If you would like to re-distribute anything from the Los Angeles Downtown News Archives, please call our permissions department at (213) 481-1448.
 |
 |
|
| Making a School a Masterpiece | Getting Their Kicks |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of ladowntownnews.com.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
Popular Searches
