Over the last decade, few restaurants in New York have elicited the across-the-board praise that Danny Meyer's Union Square Cafe has received. In addition to earning three stars from The New York Times, since 1997 it has been chosen as the first or second most popular restaurant among Zagat Survey voters, who, in that guidebook's distinctive, quote-laden language, said the "good mood is contagious" at this "paradigm of a NY restaurant" and the cooking is "extraordinary."
But when Michelin published its guide to New York restaurants on Nov. 4, Union Square Cafe was conspicuously absent among the 39 restaurants that received at least one star. In the eyes of many of the Union Square Cafe's ardent fans, the decision seemed to say something not only about the French view of haute cuisine but also about New York itself, since the casual approach to fine dining that Union Square Cafe pioneered has greatly influenced the city's restaurant scene.
Although Lynn Mann, a Michelin spokeswoman, said in an interview, "When it comes to the stars, it's all about what is on the plate," the guide largely favored restaurants like Le Bernardin and Jean Georges, which emphasize formality and presentation. And more than half of the restaurants that drew at least two stars could be considered French.
In the 2006 Zagat guide, Union Square Cafe ranks 27th when judged solely on its food, and the survey's publisher, Tim Zagat, said that while the restaurant's food was excellent, its greatest virtues lay in other areas. "There's a quality of service in Danny Meyer's restaurants that's a very American idea of hospitality," Mr. Zagat said. "He hires people who are inherently hospitable."
More than one regular has commented on the almost sixth sense of the waiters, the way they know exactly when to leave two diners alone to talk or to swoop in and remove a plate. "They're almost mind readers," said Edward Leida, the design director of W magazine, who, like many regulars, often eats at the restaurant's bar. "I don't know how they do it."
It must be pointed out that two of Mr. Meyer's other restaurants, the Modern and Gramercy Tavern, each earned one star. Still, one wonders: Did the omission of his first-born sting just a little? We may never know; Mr. Meyer would not comment specifically on the ratings.
Ms. Mann noted that the French guide awarded Union Square Cafe two out of a possible five crossed-spoons-and-forks, a symbol that designates comfort and ambience. "And," she added, "just being included in the guide is a recommendation from Michelin."
