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Show E15 _TheSalt Lake Tribune RESTAURANTS Friday, March 21, 1997 Michelin Guide Still Packs Star Power DINERS ANONYMOUS Editor's note: Salt Lake Tribune reviewers evaluate anonymously only upon publication Their identities are known to the restaurate! of their reviews. This helps equalize their dining experience with yours. Reviews below are coincidental to any advertising or promotion in this or other Tribune sections n Pina W. 200 South, Salt City officials ought to think about renaming west 200 South “Restaurant Row.” Renovation place-to-be-seen opensits doors The area westof State Lake Degins at 10:30 @Reservations: | | continually treated to new food eloths and pots of fresh flowers dress it back up again The owners sp lot of time planning the menu. as well. It may be the only food list in town that requires table of contents, running a full nine pages and offering more than 200 items. First-time visitors are often overwhelmed and a cheerful waitstaff advises that it takes several visits to work | ® Liquor: Full service hild’s menu: Yes @Wheeichair access: Yes @ Credit cards:All ma and fashion ideas The newest entrant on this down, while flowing white linen Yes || oo aon seale and fun, and Salt Lakers are large, open, sunny space Thoughts of the tropics loom large here, with lots of thriving plants. distressed plaster and Paul Gauguin-inspired art. Wicker furniture dresses the place | City, 355-7462 tollpm.Sondaybranch am Street be- interior, which is rebuilt into @ | jor cards warned — the pie hereis good but ¢ like your grandmoth- er makes) Jamaican bread pudding and coral-reef pizza mov‘ over for macaroni and cheese. C conut curry chicken, blackenedis: land ahi and the Andouille special make room for old-fashioned la sagna In other words. there are numerous fancy items to be had, as lenty of reliable comfort menu also includes a od children’s section There are a couple of standouts that merit special mention. If you wantto impress next table, order asizzling whole catfish. As promised. the fish ar Tives whole. complete with head tail and skin. Indeed, it also siz ales, on a bed crunchy cellophane noodles. vou can get past Whatever you order will arrive big (the white crockery place set- that. andif youlike catfish to be gin with. you're in for a treat tings are designed for Brobdingnagians) and beautiful. The pre- sentation is superb. and it is not overstatement to describe the entrées as small works of art. Diced vegetable confetti, sour-cream for the celebrated Guide Mich lin and, each yearat this time. the French culinary establishment nervously awaits the verdict of their taste buds. For nearly a century, the nar row red-covered guide, whos 1997 edition went on sale last week in France for 145 franes (about $26), has been thetravel er’s bible in what is arguably the most demanding, finicky rest ~ There are three Caesar salads put the wise diner will choosethe Caribbean over the Toscana and thetraditional. This is a Caesar —_jjke no other. studded with shreds lattices and mashed-potato sculptures might decorate your dinner United States, the guide will be available later this month In its pages, a restaurant is marked with a star if the inspec: torsfind it to possess a “very good table in its category” and 423 were so judged in the 1997 guide (down from 437 in 1996. Two stars mean “e cooking, guides n tor Fr the! Putert Wares www. michelin-travel.com tars: excellent, worth a detour tars: one ofthebest. worth special trig In 1996, there were 438 1-star restaurants, 76 2-stars and 2( 3-stars By the way, the bulbous little man made up of tires whe symbolizes the Michelin company has 2 name: Bibendum and rant market in the world. (In the tion out the dynamics of food selec- restaurants the door The anonymous, waistline-cha lenged customers are inspectors Hours: Daily 11 am comes ever more trendy and up- scene is Pifia, which has taken over the old Twirl Town To: Building. The owners spent more than a year on the makeover, retaining the exterior’s brick and sandstone dignity and gutting the whatever the weather he season. Twice a day bistros, sample the foodand wine pay their checks and vanish out TO THE TRIBUNE ng tar: very good of its kind, a good place to stop | | gastronomy” taketo the roads of France, eas We ally look more like daisies) to signal restaurants average quality The rankings reflect th LOS ANGELES TIMES BY MARGARETGODFREY fast and furious, and everyother month, or so it seems, another For many decades, the Guide Michelin has usedstar symbol PARIS — For 15 days at a time the men nicknamedthe “monks of Something for Everyone the old warehouses onthe block is @ What's in a Star? BY JOHN-THOR DAHLBURG Pina: Massive Menu Has SPECIAL r A Positive Review Can Put Eateries In the Fast Lane worth a detour 4 places rate such praise this year. down from 76in 1996 And three stars. the supreme tempts a comeback Bernard wouldn't be here now asking m Loiseau was a raw forit kitchen apprentice of s master re Troisgros of Roanne, was awarded Michelin’s highest honor. “Since that day. And seriousness” In one case Michelin inspectors anonymous! visited a two-star res fewer than17 times bef getting the celebrated third sta: became my life’s goal,” Loiseau recalls. “Every day when I put on my socks. I told myse those three stars cted once every 18 month will get Whenthe restaurateur. many he got French restaur: full-time inspectors. For al f the little red book that monks con Naegeller are too conserv chauvinistic in taste wowedby poshsettings and tardy in recognizing new talent Despite what people here and more mouthwatering prose Michelin gives only bare-bones information even for the establishments to which it there say. what counts above all is awardsstars: the cook's surname, ‘ew trademark dishes, vintages what is on the plate and not the decor. the silverware. the china 0 check Naegellen an: Michelin France's from the wine list, and series of gures and glyphs conveying such vital data as phone numbe’ n't beer The guide. ‘anc, prices, hours. which credit cards 2 honored and whetherpets are automobile and there And n ing ambition to garner atleastone of the guide's stars (actually, Mitypesetters use bumpy 1 tures he whole country The earliest editions of the guides entioned a hotel or twe tic nothing else candles included’) and addresses of bakers dealers and any other meri who solid gasoline in the pre-ser vice station age 3 t very sometimes marvelou: Great wines, impeccable service an elegant environment, prices in consequence. C'est le top du top “Getting three stars is the u: preme consecration. We all try says chef Pierre Gagnaire. whe held the grade from 1993 to 19 in Saint-Etienne and was awarded ‘or the restau two sti atrant he opened in Paris as he ere just beginning t 4.000 ointed rosettes The first starsweredoled outin dorsement of quality that saying h erwise sieur, if body exceptiona prices pares with the guide and reputation for probity It’s totally independent, ser ous.” said aire. “It’s an € must Michelin's independence? the newfa 1926, and the first thre: taurant. the legendary I mide in the Rhone honored Nae- ‘ th rants in all of France are now why isa French cook’s driv- ha tablishme deemed to merit signifies “exceptional cuisine. worth a special journey.” (There were 19 threestars in 1996. Can Michelin be more specific’ “That means that even if you owed though, Changing in oth mes. In @ Te hasis on value f endorsement that just 18 restau are in America, you must come f promote favorit rigor and method of val guides like the GaultMillau the runner-up in sales, offer much fact, = spe will tell you, accept sozzied on Champagne in guide. which lists 5.965 hotels and 3.850 restau rants. sold more than half a mil. In tittle tines 1+ for the day came in 1991 for the ndy oar ing to give a third star. Mos places. said Naegellen. are in The question for ers: Is the ho symbols worth it honey and spice: orang candied nier and sherb: 5 The guide has spawned ‘o bankrupt oth But Mon ar to any reason, you ‘him mous publishi lin prints simil for Germany Miche usiness’ bound book: t Britain anc hr i Order an omelet and see hash browns enhance a monochromatic color scheme. Order chick skewers and see coleslaw asarchi- trave The flavor andfoodcombosrun largely along anisland theme. although eclectic is the overriding impression boasting reggae rock shrimp base is the dressing As for the cakes. jus glad you dic light and perfect sweet-corn tamale them — you'll be Fan ‘Petereter Pan’ Se Ballet West's e @ Continued from E-1 Question Has Wine Lovers Seeing Red astos’ productionis thelaser-con x RIDDER NEWS therest of your life? When Wine Spectator maga zine asked online oenophiles (winelovers) that question, nearly all chose a good red. Specifically 39 percent ch: cabernet sauvig non or medoc. 162 chose pinot noir or burgundy. 96 percent named zinfandel, and 9.1 cent selected merlot 1 St. Emilion. The most white. a char or white ndy. was named by percent of the 1.281 responden “Peter Pan’ will be in Capito presented at the City, tonight. Saturday and and Mart esall ber Orchestra accomp: through fro’ mances. the Salt Lake Ballet Guil ith Peter” with refreshments. f. 50 W. 200 South. Salt Lak 28 and 2 To Ballet West Kona crab cakes and Cajun jam balaya pasta, you will fine shepherd’s pie (traditionalists be What wine would you choose youcould drink only one type f ha @& Capito! Theatre : Flies Back 7:30. Matinees are Saturda Another technical device in An trolled light that portrays Tinker Bell Anastos chose not to cast chil dren in children’s roles “The Lost Boys are supposedtc wouldn't work Tt isnear th let's conclusior founding member be kids in the story, but they're pretty mean little desperados m satiric: ballet ape Les Ballet Trockaderos d MonteCarlo, best shows his sense There's a serious underpinning tc of fun. In the book all this, and children m is th nm Hook gets eaten by a crocodile. On Nana the Darling ‘McManus in Love 7 Cut Cable et NEW SHIPMENT OF LEVI SILVERTAB| SHORTS Costs! Dien “The evenings laugh quotient is almostComedy off the me NPRES? From chart Best Setiing Author Fm Tim Behrens of y Theater os Manicot: Veni armies asagn: $B9e Sgee 8gse 1374 W, Indiana Ave.(850 South 355. Dish Network Package PU a wee AUR network package ee el Rea a LR $100 00 coupon book for Pay Per View Movies etc Se Tie, ee 97 H aE Choose from 5 COOL COLORS and 3 DIFFERENTSTYLES PLAIN, AAOR MASSIVE Available in 13" 11" | PaiessUsama Lew 15" Lengths March 3ist - 7:30 PM | | AT AL Sizes 28 to 42 | OPPER RIVET en —LOCATIONS eS Tickets available at ali Smith'sTix Outiets, Kingsbury Hall, by phone 467-TIXX cleo Lal) eg eeRO a Painerp nn |