by Michelin in 2021
Author: JEREMY REPANICH
A temple of molecular gastronomy
Alinea’s modernist cuisine is strongly influenced from the time he spent at Ferran Adrià’s El Bulli.
The restaurant is a showcase of advanced technique where food is dehydrated, subjected to liquid nitrogen, and you may even be fed an edible balloon.
A soulful, artistic take on modern French fare
The guide wrote that “The current menu displays a wonderful balance of grace, artistry, technical ability and taste.”
With the honor, Crenn became the first woman to run a Michelin three-star restaurant in America.
Praised for his technical ability and refinement of dishes
Lee has merged flavors from Korea, China and Japan with techniques he honed as the French Laundry’s chef de cuisine for four years.
The result is a lauded tasting menu that will feature dishes like an oyster with pork belly and kimchi; or smoked quail, lilies and fermented pepper.
Tasting menu of French-Japanese fusion cuisine
Diners sit arrayed around a counter, the chefs in full view preparing them a multi-course tasting menu of French-Japanese fusion cuisine.
April of last year, Ramirez introduced takeout, eschewing a tasting-menu model in favor of a la carte dishes like chicken soup with truffles and foie gras, and veal shank with fingerling potatoes.
the former #1 restaurant at the World’s 50 Best, gone almost fully Vegan
In May of 2020, Daniel Humm worried about whether he’d ever reopen EMP, and when he finally decided it was time, the restaurant that reemerged this past June was markedly different than the one that came before.
EMP has gone mostly vegan, with Humm saying at the time of the announcement that the “current food system is simply not sustainable.”
Showing the importance of nostalgia in food
Around since the early 1900s, the French Laundry was transformed by Thomas Keller into a leader of American fine dining after taking it over in 1994.
Rooted in his love of French food and technique, the nine-course menu features dishes like a cauliflower velouté with toasted marcona almonds, john dory with creamed black trumpet mushrooms, squab with sunchokes, and venison with caramelized Brussels sprouts.
opened in a former garage, building it into a temple of gastronomy
Nestled near the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in a town of less than 200 people, he opened in a former garage, building it into a temple of gastronomy over the last four decades.
The self-taught chef pioneered American farm-to-table cooking, while leaning on modern French technique that the Gallic food guide especially loves.
Exceptional seafood, simply prepared.
“This restaurant dedicated itself to exploring the bounty of the sea and to challenge and change the way diners were used to not only cooking and consuming, but also purchasing seafood.”
It’s an experience Ripert didn’t think translated to DoorDash and Postmates. “I don’t think our experience can be formulated into a takeout experience,”
A pioneer in developing vegetable-centric, contemporary California cuisine.
Utilizing the bounty of Golden State produce, he’s inspired by the region, making dishes like Tidal Pool, which mimics the rocky coasts of the Bay Area.
It’s a rich broth that poaches a raw slice of foie gras and is accompanied by uni, butter clams, mussels, oyster, pickled kombu, toasted nori and shitake mushrooms.
Fish from Japan is flown in directly to him from Tsujiki Fish Market
One of the most expensive tasting menus in America, chef Masa Takayama serves up an omakase sushi experience at his eponymous restaurant in New York’s Time Warner Center on the corner of Central Park.
The Japanese-born chef moved to Los Angeles in the late 1970s and eventually opened Ginza Sushi-ko, which helped establish the city’s love for sushi.
In 2004, with encouragement from Thomas Keller, he moved to New York to create Masa.
Bringing Francophile cooking to New York
As Thomas Keller prepared to bring his Francophile cooking to New York after much success with the French Laundry out in Napa, he was asked how his new restaurant would compare to the one that had established him as an iconic American chef.
He’d respond, “It’s not the French Laundry, per se.” The name stuck. Like the French Laundry, Per Se serves a nine-course menu, replete with his take on modern French.
Evolving classics like tortellini into modern American fare
As with fellow pillars of contemporary California cuisine in the Bay Area, Quince is devoted to sourcing the best product.
Tusk has created a partnership with Fresh Run Farm—an early adopter of organic farming—to grow heirloom fruits, vegetables and flowers exclusively for the chef.
The Japanese-inflected food is informed by Kyle’s time as a chef around the globe.
Husband and wife duo Kyle and Katina Connaughton wanted to open more than just a restaurant when they debuted SingleThread in Sonoma in 2016.
From the inn above the restaurant to the farm to the 11-course tasting menu, the two create an immersive and comprehensive experience.
A Robb Report’s culinary editor
Jeremy Repanich is Robb Report’s culinary editor. He joined the magazine after stints at Good, Playboy, and multiple publications at Time Inc.
His writing has also appeared in Vice, Deadspin, Esquire, GQ, Sports Illustrated, Outside, Wired and more.
Prior to becoming a journalist, he worked for Microsoft and the dearly departed Seattle Sonics, and is an alum of the University of Washington and Northwestern University.