I’ll preface today’s rant with a bald assertion: The term ‘best’ is relative. Especially when dealing with a subject as personal as food. But the so-called experts still issue a list of ‘The World’s Best Restaurants’ every year…
An apex artistic faux food presentation from Disfrutar, in Barcelona, Spain.
Yes, it’s all edible; the product of advanced molecular gastronomy…
I was eager to see whether any Canadian eatery showed up on the latest Top 50 list, issues a few days ago. But I was prepared for disappointment. And in that, I was not disappointed. Not a single Canadian resto honoured…
An august company
The ranks of the Top 50 certainly appear to be haute, in both cuisine and culture. Fancy names, some even incorporating the moniker of their establishment’s celeb chef. The very sound of them, when spoken, reeks of exclusivity and the avante garde…
If not Canada, then where?
At the top of my surprise list, there only 2 US restaurants were deemed worthy of inclusion on the Top 50 list. I had this impression that America was always among the world leaders in food and service. That might have been because I live so close to the States, and hear so much of their self promotional chatter.
It turns out that the bulk of the eateries that made the list were from Europe (mainly Italy, France and Spain) with notable showings from Asia (Thailand, Japan, Hong King, Singapore) and South America (Brazil, Peru, Chile and Colombia). Other appointees to the list came from such unlikely culinary destinations as South Africa, South Korea, Slovenia and England.
One feature of the List that really did make me sit up was the inclusion of no fewer than 3 restos in Mexico. But this development seems right in line with the growing recognition of Mexican cuisine. Not the least indication of which was the award, just a month ago, of a Michelin Star to a Mexico City street taqueria…
My take
As I said, right off the top of this post: the term ‘best’ is relative. It all depends on who’s saying so, and what they’re used to.
Perhaps Canadian ‘experts’ should set up their own Top Restos list, honouring Canadian eateries exclusively… Wait! There already is such a registry. Canada’s 100 Best purports to showcase the country’s leading culinary experiences. As you might guess, the majority of restos mentioned are located in the big 3 Canadian ‘culture’ centres: Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.
But other list members may surprise…
~ Maggie J.