Is there much of a discussion here?  I know the Maisonette used to be the only 5 star restaurant in the state.  Now, that restaurant is not around and I still don't know what the plans are for it in Sycamore or if that got abandoned.  Is Pigall's the only 4 star restaurant in Ohio because when it officially became a 4 star, I thought I read in the Enquirer that it was the only one in the state.  Is this right or wrong?  My friend said there is a French one in Dayton but I said no.  Another friend of mine said there was some Italian one in Y-Town but I said no.  Am I right or wrong?

Found this...

 

OHIO

 

Mobil Four-Star Lodgings

The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland, Cleveland

The Cincinnatian Hotel, Cincinnati

 

Mobil Four-Star Restaurant

Jean-Robert at Pigall's, Cincinnati

 

Here

 

http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2005_4th/Oct05_MobilStars.html

 

I know for a long time L'Auberge in Dayton was a 4 star restaurant. I heard they lost a star, but then got it back, so I don't really know if they are a 3 or a 4? But, it's an amazing restuarant.

 

http://www.laubergedayton.com/

 

 

Yeah, they lost a star the same year Maisonette ended it's reign as 5-star restaurant and turned into an...oh wait...

this topic is a bit of a hobby for me. the truth is no one knows for the usa as they do for europe. the mobil ratings are not universally rerspected for the usa, nor are they worldwide. the diamond rankings are totally disparaged. the zagat guides are just populist tallies of anyone's opinions and fine for most spots, but of no real help for the top places as anyone can vote, it is dining democracy.

 

basically, the only concensus ratings in the world are the michelin guides (1-3 stars) and the food snob gault millau guides (1-20 pts). unfortunately, these are not available for the americas (well, that is not totally true, there is now one tentative michelin guide for nyc, but it's brand new). masionette would never have been a true three star or top restaurant in the european ranking systems as for one example those always only have one seating per evening, etc. 

 

so really your best bet in the usa and all the americas for that matter is getting your restaurant info from local media reviews and the local/national food forums. on the latter especially, you can ask specific questions and hash it out for yourself better there before you go and spend big money on a top restaurant. just like urbanohio for ohio stuff, eh?  :wink:  if you are interested there is often a lot of dicussion about this topic on the food forums like egullet and chowhound.

 

ps -- if you are in nyc and miss the maisonette, one of the main chefs currently works at dbbistro, home of the infamously insane, but insanely good db burger made out of: short ribs, foie gras and truffles.

 

 

Pigalls is hands down the #1 restaurant in Cincinnati right now.  It would probably be followed by Boca & Orchids.

 

 

Anne Heller, the Dayton Daily News food critic, did a retrospective on her years as food reviewer I think in the Friday paper.  One of the things that I didn't know is that L'Auberge is fairly new, dating to only 1979.  I thought the place had been around since the 50s or 60s.

 

For newer restaurants (last five - ten years) I think Eclipse (in the old part of Centerville) is one of the best. 

 

masionette would never have been a true three star or top restaurant in the european ranking systems as for one example those always only have one seating per evening, etc. 

 

Oh, I can see how this would work.  Only one seating means the chef can lavish more time on the dishes, thus very high quaity?

 

 

 

^ not saying i totally buy it, but that's the theory. i think of note in the america's only alain ducasse's fairly new restaurant on central park does that. anyway ducasse would know, he has a couple three star michelin's in europe. the euro ratings are really cut throat vs over here.

 

i had thought the same thing about l'auberge, that it was older than that. i never ate there. i did eat at the old maisonette once tho many years ago.

 

I'm by no means an expert at this, but I believe Classics at the Intercontinental Hotel next to the Cleveland Clinic is the highest rated place in Cleveland.  I have a buddy who works there who once told me that it was a 5 star restaurant, but I have no idea what criteria or rating service he was referring to.  The website below refers to it being a 5-diamond restaurant in one section and a 4-diamond in another.

 

http://www.classicsrestaurant.com/about.asp

Anne Heller, the Dayton Daily News food critic, did a retrospective on her years as food reviewer I think in the Friday paper.  One of the things that I didn't know is that L'Auberge is fairly new, dating to only 1979.  I thought the place had been around since the 50s or 60s.

 

For newer restaurants (last five - ten years) I think Eclipse (in the old part of Centerville) is one of the best. 

 

masionette would never have been a true three star or top restaurant in the european ranking systems as for one example those always only have one seating per evening, etc. 

 

Oh, I can see how this would work.  Only one seating means the chef can lavish more time on the dishes, thus very high quaity?

 

And the servers won't be trying to turn the table for the next customer, or be frazzled by the last group of @ssholes.  The pace would be much more relaxed.

problem is that is diamond, which i think you can pay for (ditto the dubious wine spectator awards, both of these are especially disliked by foodies).

 

i have some local scuttlebutt on the 'new' classics. when it reopened it was earning top raves. however, the chefs left and it has fallen in the eyes of the local foodies (i never ate there). another aside in any top ranking is that the place must offer degustation or chef's tasting menus. this is basically where you put yourself in the chef's hands to pick what you eat. i guess classics offered a knockout tasting menu initially, but no more. you can see how it's tough to keep up with, the food world is ever changing.

 

far as i know besides classics the best locally held high-end places around clev are the century, one walnut, barricelli inn, giovannis and lockkeepers. i'd personally add johnny's on fulton to that, because i think it's the coolest, clubbiest joint around. old timers might still add san souci too.

 

overall clev does not hurt for high end food, in fact most visitors are surprized by what you can get and its much better than similar sized regions around the country. nor does the area hurt too bad for ethnic either. it's the wide middle range variety where the ne ohio region falters a bit. maybe the chains have too big a grip?

 

 

How much more value do you give Mobil ratings vs AAA ratings? 

Personally, I think the mobile ratings for restaurants are a joke (I can't say I've really paid attention to their hotel ratings). They put to much emphasis on thinks like the shape of ice cubes over the quality or inspiration put into food preparation.

 

I've never looked into the details for AAA, but I've always viewed them about the same.

 

I agree completely agree with mrnyc, the Zagat guides are terrible.  All of the reviews are just snippets of "quotes" pulled from various submissions, but there is no way of knowing the background or perspective of the individuals providing the quotes cited in the review (I "also find" all of the "quoted phrases" "strung together" really "annoying").

 

The only thing I've found consistent in the U.S. similar to the European Michelin ratings is the Relais & Chateaux listing.  Every place I've ever visited in the U.S, Europe, or Africa listed in the Relais & Chateaux guide was always a memorable experience (in a good way).

 

P.S

 

I just checked.  Jean Robert at Pigall's is listed.