The great duel for the pinnacle of gastronomy
The Laurent-Perrier ran last night at the Palais Brongniart in Paris. A nice gala that surprised by its relaxed atmosphere and its unpretentiousness , where restaurants from ten countries and four continents collected their awards from The World Restaurant Awards , the latest media phenomenon around gastronomy.
However, the genesis of the lists dates back to 2002, when the Bulli It won the first world number one in The World's 50 Best Restaurants, an invention of the English publisher William Reed. From that moment the alternations in the first position of elBulli with The French Laundry, The Fat Duck and Noma catapulted the notoriety of the list.
The most visible phenomenon in modern gastronomy was born ; to some, evidence that models based on paper guides and anonymous inspectors seemed outdated.
AN EXTRAORDINARILY PROFITABLE VICIOUS CIRCLE
they soon arrived defenders –the countries benefiting from the ranking- and detractors , led by France , cradle of refined cuisine and systematically ignored by the British list.
Years passed and The World's 50 Best Restaurants franchise acquired a greater global presence, either by opening new geographical products ( Asia's 50 Best, Latin America's 50 Best ), from other categories ( The World's 50 Best Bars ) or raising new players from emerging areas to the Olympus —Noma in 2010, Eleven Madison Park in 2017— while the organizers opened new commercial paths and glittering institutional sponsorships.
The justifications and arguments taken to exaggeration —even resorting to the auditor Deloitte— have not served to silence the criticism of the transparency of the list, its voting process, the weighting between geographical areas... But, above all this, there was an underlying issue: Was the best restaurants and chefs really voted for and awarded, or was it those with the greatest media relevance?
Judging by the results, being in the top of mind of the 1,040 judges around the world weighed more.
A paradox that has favored the race between chefs with the sole objective of gathering attention and votes around the world . Any excuse is valid: dinners with four hands, congresses and talks... a traveling circus where those affected are precisely the customers of their restaurants. Drawn in part by the media phenomenon, they feel frustrated when they don't see their idol cooking for them. A vicious circle: the better the position on the list, more work to maintain it via trips, covers, retweets and gigs of any kind.
THE LISTS AS A REFERENCE IN THE ERA OF IMMEDIACY
Credit 50 Best for the paradigm shift , a list as a unique instrument for measuring and capitalizing on talent and skills, the absolute synthesis in a time where we need immediacy, instant prizes.
Similar models appeared in its shadow, such as Opinionated About Dining , the global classification directed by Steve Plotnicki, or La Liste , a list of lists that brings together and weights more than 650 different fonts . Until the holy michelin guide looked at the pattern of The World's 50 Best Restaurants by organizing presentations of their guides with important doses of spectacle and glamour. And it seems that the red does not want to stay in cosmetics, but evolve your evaluation system with a more dynamic, lively and contemporary criterion , judging by the latest moves in its ratings, including the revolution in the latest French edition.
And now, The World Restaurant Awards . Nothing more and nothing less than the almighty img (world leader in sports and fashion representation, behind the Euroleague, the ATP and NYC Fashion Week, among others) has opted for the creation of an alternative global list , improving the errors —opacity, inequality, interests, partiality…— of the pioneer.
The association with the gurus **Joe Warwick** (international culinary chronicler) and Andrea Petrini (key ideologue of world gastronomy in the last quarter of a century) protects it for credibility and prestige, to which it is necessary to add a large group of experts and international opinion leaders disenchanted with The 50 Best.
A NEW PLAYER THAT WILL REVOLUTIONIZE THE INDUSTRY
The personality of the awards of ** The World Restaurant Awards has not left anyone indifferent**. A pattern inclusive and equitable that rewards lesser-known restaurants (“ Best restaurant off the map " either " No need to reserve ”), to a cuisine that emphasizes freshness (“ best new restaurant ”, which fell last night to the South African wolfgat ), honesty and responsibility (“ ethical cuisine ”) .
Kobus van der Merwe (Wolfgat's chef) receives the award for Best New Restaurant
Traditional models are also rewarded (“ best classic restaurant ”) , even primitives (“ best restaurant cart ”) .
There are nods to modernity (“ advanced thinking ”, “ original approach ”), even to parody it (tell that to M. Ducasse , who came out to collect the award for “ Best chef without tattoos ”) .
And, how could it be otherwise, the first edition was held last night in Paris, capital of the country that created modern cuisine . A declaration of intent that is supported by a jury with parity, selected by their criteria and from 37 countries.
Known the landing of The World Restaurant Awards , the response from The World's 50 Best Restaurants was immediate, communicating three novelties: the announcement of the new criterion of parity among its voters yes, the creation of Best of the Best , a kind of hall of fame where the restaurants that have already reached first place are removed ( elBulli , The Fat Duck , Celler de Can Roca , The French Laundry , Eleven Madison Park , all except Noma, which stays to give luster to its rebirth).
Appealing to "the generosity and sense of community of gastronomy, it will allow the new generations to obtain their leading role in the future", It's a win-win solution : on the one hand, more income for the organization, advantaged when running the ladder; also relief for restaurants withdrawn from the competition, which will not suffer the pressure of each year. And the latest novelty is the creation of a content platform where all The World's 50 Best addresses will be brought together, including restaurants and cocktail bars in what looks like a rematch with Joe Warwick (creative director of The World Restaurant Awards) and his celebrated guides _ Where The Chefs Eat: A guide to Chef's favorite restaurants _ , published by Phaidon publishing house.
Asked last night by this chronicler, Warwick answered relaxed: "We don't want to talk about The 50 Best, ours is something different".
Lara T. Gilmore collects the award for 'Ethical Cuisine'