Eric Ripert (5:31)

I was interested and I thought, oh, this is pretty good. I like the idea of Michelin coming to New York because I thought it would bring something new.

Sally Helm (5:40)

But no matter how the chefs feel, Bebendum has officially arrived. Today, the Michelin Guide comes to the United States. Which restaurants win, which lose? And how does the battle itself transform American food culture?

Kathleen Squires (6:10)

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Sally Helm (6:40)

Have you ever spotted McDonald's hot crispy fries right as they're being scooped into the carton? And time just stands still.

Eric Ripert (6:52)

Ba da ba ba BA.

Sally Helm (6:57)

One of the people in New York's Gotham hall that February evening was a chef who who had been a fixture of the city's culinary scene for a decade.

Eric Ripert (7:05)

I am Eric Ripert, chef of Le Bernardin in New York City.

Sally Helm (7:10)

La Bernardin has long been considered one of the top restaurants in the world. Eric Ripert has been its executive chef since 1994. He still goes in nearly every day.

Eric Ripert (7:21)

Lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday at the restaurant. I go home and I have this sense of like, wow, I have done something good today.

Sally Helm (7:31)

Ripert grew up in France and in Andorra, a small country between France and Spain. When he was little, he'd hang out in the kitchen with his mom or his grandma.

Eric Ripert (7:41)

I was allowed in the kitchen, but I couldn't cook or touch anything other than eating.

Sally Helm (7:47)

Family meals were a real to do in their household. Appetizer, main course, dessert, tablecloths, flower arrangements and. And they also made it a point to visit restaurants from the Michelin Guide.

Eric Ripert (8:02)

So when I was going to a Michelin Reddit restaurant with my family, to me it meant celebration and it was a special moment.

Sally Helm (8:13)

The Michelin Guide, by the time Ripert's family was following, it had already existed in Europe for decades. Kathleen Squires is a food and travel writer.

Kathleen Squires (8:24)

The history of Michelin in Europe is actually genius marketing. It started around 1900. Michelin is a tire company and from what I understand, there are only a few thousand cars on the road in France. So how do you sell tires? Well, you get more people on the road, you get more people buying cars. How do you get more people on the road? Well, you offer them something, a destination. What are the French interested? What destinations are they interested in? Well, good food and restaurants. So that's how the Michelin Guide started. It was as a guide of where you can drive in your automobile and potentially wear out your tires. So you could. People can buy more tires.

Sally Helm (9:10)

In 1926, the Michelin Guide implemented its now famous star rating system. A restaurant can get either 1, 2 or 3. Kathleen Squires explains it's more than just good, better, best.

Kathleen Squires (9:26)

So one Michelin star is if you're driving along the road and you see a restaurant on the road and it has one star, you pull over and you will be happy eating there. Two Michelin stars. Well, you're driving through Lyon, but there's this little town outside of Lyon that you maybe want to make a detour and go hit that spot. And that's worth making a detour, getting off your path for. Three Michelin Stars you plan your trip around that restaurant, you buy the ticket, you make your reservation, and your whole trip revolves around your getting that reservation and that special experience.

Sally Helm (10:08)

Eric Ripert's family uses the guide exactly as it was intended.

Eric Ripert (10:14)

We were looking in the region where we were going in vacation for the three stars. And if it was no three star, we were looking for the two stars. And then we were trying to do as many as we could. For me, as a kid, I was looking at the service and I was dreaming. I was like, this is amazing what they're doing. And then I was eating the food and I was like, oh, wow, this chef is so creative.

Sally Helm (10:38)

For the young Eric Ripert, a life's work is beginning to come into view.

Eric Ripert (10:43)

I was appreciating every detail of the experience without even thinking about ratings, because I was just experiencing as a client.

Sally Helm (10:53)

But those chefs, the kind of chefs who would one day be Eric Ripert's peers, they were thinking about the ratings, specifically about the Michelin stars.

Kathleen Squires (11:06)

I think it was extremely stressful. I think it was the gold standard. There was a lot of pressure put on European chefs to get those stars.

Sally Helm (11:15)

Ripert goes to culinary school at 15 and takes his first job in a kitchen at 17.

Eric Ripert (11:21)

My first job after culinary school was in La Tour d'argent in Paris, iconic restaurant at the time, it was a three star Michelin celebrating their 400 year anniversary.

Sally Helm (11:32)

Yes, it had opened in 1582 and those three stars, they were coveted.

Eric Ripert (11:40)

We were speaking Michelin, Michelin, Michelin, Michelin, all the time constantly reminded of the standards of Michelin, what needed to be done to be in a Michelin, and so on. So I was very familiar with it.

Sally Helm (11:51)

But in 1989, Ripert moves to the US where the restaurants don't have Michelin stars. At first he's in D.C. then he makes the move to New York City.

Eric Ripert (12:03)

Because I was born in Washington at night, so when I came to New York, I was amazed by the energy of the city, by the vibrancy of the city, by the quality of the restaurants, by the quality of the bars and hotels. And it was really something that was marvelous for me.

Sally Helm (12:23)

In 1991, he lands at the restaurant where he still works today.

Eric Ripert (12:28)

When I came to the Bernardin and.

Sally Helm (12:30)

The rest is history, Ripert becomes the executive chef in 1994.

Kathleen Squires (12:35)

Eric really made the menu his own. Kathleen Squires again focusing on beautiful seafood, which not a lot of people were doing during that time. And he just really made the food shine on the plate.

Sally Helm (12:51)

Repair is thriving at Le Bernardin. And especially by the late 1990s and early 2000s, Kathleen Squire says the overall food scene in New York is thriving, too, in a new way.

Kathleen Squires (13:05)

It was really burgeoning in the sense that dining was not just for special occasions anymore. Part of that, I think, had to do with the advent of Food Network and chefs becoming celebrities, in a sense, and people really wanting to become part of a social scene that was something besides nightclubs, bars, theater.

Sally Helm (13:29)

Remember, this is before the Internet exploded, certainly before social media. Peter Esmond was general manager at Per Se, a restaurant owned by chef Thomas.

Peter Esmond (13:39)

Keller at that time. There is no marketing for a restaurant like, you don't market at all. Your best marketing is a great customer experience, because if that person has a great experience at your restaurant, they're going to go tell their friends, and then their friends are going to come, and then they'll eat, and then they'll tell their friends. And, like, that is how you build a successful restaurant. But especially at that time when, like, you're no other way. And so these publications hold a lot of power at that time.

Sally Helm (14:06)

The publications Esmond is talking about are the places where the food critics publish their reviews. Newspapers, magazines. They're seen as the authorities on where to eat in the city.

Kathleen Squires (14:19)

New Yorkers relied on the New York Times. That was the standard.

Eric Ripert (14:24)

If you had a good review in the New York Times, you were fine for a couple of years full. If you were getting a bad review from the Times, probably you were closing your restaurant within six months.

Kathleen Squires (14:36)

You had other newspapers, the New York Post, the New York Daily News, New York Magazine was very influential in terms of dining. And then you had Zagat, which everybody looked at as kind of the popularity contest.

Eric Ripert (14:51)

The Zagat Guide will definitely make you very busy or not very busy, depending if you were number one or number two or ten or whatever in their classification.

Sally Helm (15:01)

The Zagat Guide relied on reviews from thousands of people. It ranked restaurants in cities around the world.

Kathleen Squires (15:08)

It was democratic in the sense that people, the diners, were doing the reviewing. It was Yelp before Yelp happened. I like to say that I started writing about food back when Yelp was a sound that only puppies made.

Sally Helm (15:24)

So you have the reviewers and you have Zagat trying to represent the voice of the people. And then there's Michelin, still hanging out over in Europe. But starting in 2004, rumors are swirling in kitchens across New York that Bebendum's eye might be turning towards America.

Eric Ripert (15:44)

It was a rumor in the industry that Michelin was coming. I was interested, and I Thought, oh, this is pretty good. I like the idea of Michelin coming to New York. And I remember discussing it with Michelangelo, some journalists, and they were like, they're not gonna last.

Kathleen Squires (16:01)

Let's not forget that the French weren't the most popular people around that time in the U.S. because, well, they didn't support our invasion of Iraq, for example.

Sally Helm (16:11)

This is the era when some Americans were calling French fries freedom fries.

Kathleen Squires (16:15)

That was a little bit of the feeling, the general feeling about the French in the US And New York. So did New Yorkers want the French coming here to judge our restaurants? I think no. You had some American chefs and restaurateurs who said, I don't need your validation. Europe. I mean, we're doing just fine here. I would rather have my three or four New York Times stars. I would rather have my very high Zagat rating than for some interloper to come in and say whether or not I'm up to the standards of someone, you know, far away.

Sally Helm (16:55)

Eric Ripert, though, he is much more enthusiastic.

Eric Ripert (17:00)

I thought it would bring something new to have the three systems. Opinion of a journalist, Yada Zagat, which was a survey, and inspectors.

Sally Helm (17:11)

Inspectors, that's what Michelin calls the people who come in and assess restaurants on their behalf. It's part of a system that has been refined for over 100 years.

Kathleen Squires (17:22)

What I like about the Michelin process, I like several things. I like that they are anonymous. And I like that many times here were people coming that weren't already in.

Sally Helm (17:32)

The scene yet New York restaurants could spot the known critics, according to Peter Esmond amongst restaurant staff. It was kind of a game.

Peter Esmond (17:42)

We had pictures from other restaurants of what people thought the food reviewer looked like, because they took a picture somewhere like it was like a spy sort of piece that would be up, like, he looked like this, but then somebody mentioned that he came in, or she came in with, like, glasses and the hat on. So here's what he looks like, might look like with glasses and a hat, like, you know, 8 by 10 pictures on the bulletin board.

Sally Helm (18:05)

But this game of spycraft, it was for the people who attached names to their reviews. The Michelin inspectors were anonymous. And apparently these anonymous inspectors were starting to eat their way through New York's restaurants. If you were an employee who wanted to try and spot one of these mysterious characters, there were, in theory, some clues you could look out for.

Peter Esmond (18:35)

The Michelin would come as a. As a solo diner. They would just come by themselves.

Kathleen Squires (18:39)

Once you start to notice someone coming a lot, you might want to flag the staff and how thoughtfully they're eating. What are they ordering? Many times I'll go to a restaurant and I love a dish and I have to go back for that dish. But as a Michelin inspector, you're going to try to eat your way through the whole menu. So I think that if you notice that someone is working their way through a menu, then something's up there.

Sally Helm (19:05)

But even if you were pretty sure you'd identified a Michelin inspector, there were probably several more. In early 2005, Michelin confirms that there have been at least five inspectors working in New York.

Kathleen Squires (19:19)

They would send more than one inspector to a worthy restaurant, which I think is also important so that you have multiple points of view.

Sally Helm (19:29)

And all those people are really thinking about one thing.

Kathleen Squires (19:33)

It's all about the food on the plate. Not necessarily the service, not necessarily the atmosphere.

Sally Helm (19:40)

There are five the quality of ingredients, the mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, the harmony of flavors, consistency between visits, and then maybe the most abstract, the personality of the chef in the cuisine.

Kathleen Squires (19:57)

I think personality is a strange word that they use for that criteria. I think it's more point of view. You know, I. I think it's. Are they telling a story?

Sally Helm (20:06)

Peter Esmond, who was at the time working at Thomas Keller's per se, says, yeah, he knew what that story was.

Peter Esmond (20:13)

His food is very, very Thomas in the sense that it's. It's playful, it's nostalgic. You know, he's got dishes like Mac and cheese and pigs in a blanket and things that are very reminiscent of a boy who grew up in Florida and America.

Eric Ripert (20:31)

Well, the menu is very personal.

Sally Helm (20:34)

Eric Rupert of La Bernardin.

Eric Ripert (20:36)

It's a reflection of my experiences and work with the team. So I have a very strong vision of what I want to deliver as an experience that includes great food and great wines and great service and beautiful decor and so on.

Sally Helm (20:52)

But in 2005, he says he knows he can't get too in his head about the food just because the Michelin inspectors are coming to town.

Eric Ripert (21:02)

If I can make an analogy, it makes total sense. It's like an actor on stage thinking about the Oscars all the time. He's going to forget to act right, and he will never get the Oscar.

Sally Helm (21:12)

And then finally, Oscar day arrives. In early November, the first New York City Michelin guide will be released.

Kathleen Squires (21:32)

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Sally Helm (22:03)

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Kathleen Squires (23:14)

I think it's pride. I think it's business. I think it's an honor. It signifies success.

Sally Helm (23:21)

Peter Esmond remembers the moment that Percy got word the result of the Michelin inspections.

Peter Esmond (23:30)

There's a phone in the kitchen. Everybody knew who was calling. And so the kitchen just sort of comes to a halt. He said, like, yeah, we got it. And everybody screams. And I think we had champagne that night. And, you know, the full. The full nine yards.

Sally Helm (23:50)

Thomas Keller gets three Michelin stars.

Peter Esmond (23:54)

And for him, it was particularly meaningful because he is the first American chef to get it.

Sally Helm (24:00)

Eric Ripert is walking through Central park as he does every morning on his way to work at Le Bernardin. He gets a call on his cell phone.

Eric Ripert (24:10)

I didn't know if Michelin would come to the US and give three stars right away like that, or if they will do what they do in France. You start with 1 and 2.

Sally Helm (24:21)

Eric Ripert also gets 3 stars, the most you can be awarded.

Eric Ripert (24:28)

Like, wow, what. What's going on here? What's happening? We are really shocked. I mean, the ones who knew Michelin cannot believe it, because, again, we never thought you could start at three stars.

Sally Helm (24:40)

Ripert celebrates with his staff that night with champagne and caviar.

Eric Ripert (24:45)

And then the next step was to go to the party.

Sally Helm (24:50)

The following night, November 2, Michelin throws a huge event at the Guggenheim Museum. The line to get in wraps around the block.

Eric Ripert (24:59)

It was packed with chefs and people from the industry.

Sally Helm (25:03)

Bib Bendum is in attendance as well. Apparently he knocks into someone holding a champagne glass, who spills it. And then the big moment.

Eric Ripert (25:12)

Suddenly, through the staircase, some waiters with white gloves and trays were carrying the Michelin guide.

Sally Helm (25:22)

The 2006 New York City Michelin Guide. Presented on silver platters. Michelin ends up rating 507 New York restaurants, only 39 of which were given any stars. Only four restaurants, including Per Se and Le Bernardin, are given three stars. And of course not everyone is happy with the results. Some people have real critiques.

Kathleen Squires (25:51)

There was a lot of talk and pushback about how Michelin didn't understand New York. There was a lot of criticism about the lack of diversity on the list that it was. The restaurants tended to be mostly European based.

Sally Helm (26:06)

Those 507 reviewed restaurants represented just about 2.2% of the restaurants in the city. And the ones that got stars did lean heavily towards European cuisine. There weren't any Chinese restaurants on the list, not any Indian restaurants or Mexican or Thai. And people had other criticisms too.

Kathleen Squires (26:26)

I remember the New York Post Steve Kozo kind of nitpicking about the guide. And one thing was that the guide, instead of Subway, said Metro and really mocking the guide because of those details. They don't even know to call it the Subway. They're calling it the Metro in that first guide.

Sally Helm (26:46)

There are also some surprises, like Peter Luger, a famously no frills steakhouse in Brooklyn got a star. The New York Michelin Guide has endured with a new version released every year since. It does now include a more diverse restaurant selection. And there are now guides for lots of other US locations too. Michelin stars still matter a lot. They still have the power to cause controversy.

Kathleen Squires (27:16)

There is a chef that sued Michelin for taking away a star. And in fact that same chef I was reading last week has now officially banned Michelin inspectors from entering his restaurant.

Sally Helm (27:28)

Yes, French chef Marc Vera sued Michelin in 2019 after they downgraded his restaurant from three stars to two over the alleged use of some cheddar cheese in a souffle. And he has banned Michelin inspectors from his newest restaurant.

Kathleen Squires (27:44)

So I don't know how he's going to know, but he made a big fuss over that might be publicity stunt. And then There's a Korean chef who sued Michelin for being included in the guide.

Sally Helm (27:57)

That is right. Chef oh Yeonggwon sued Michelin for the thing that is supposed to be good.

Kathleen Squires (28:03)

He said that he wrote to them and said, do not include me in your guide. I think he was concerned about the pressure it would put on himself and his staff. I think he was concerned about becoming overrun after that, which is a consequence of some of these awards and guides. So, you know, you have reactions of all sorts.

Sally Helm (28:24)

Yeah. In an online world, a restaurant really can be overrun after an honor like this. And, of course, the Internet means that Michelin has a lot more reviews to compete with. Google, Yelp, random people. On social media, though, Kathleen Squires says that kind of gives Michelin an opportunity.

Kathleen Squires (28:45)

There's so much noise out there. Just because some guy on TikTok likes a chicken salad sandwich and is raving about it doesn't really mean that it's the best chicken salad sandwich in the world. So it's good to have those standards. It's good to have someone who's eaten, you know, maybe 150 chicken salad sandwiches before he determines which one is the best.

Sally Helm (29:08)

But Peter Esmond warns Michelin also can't ignore the Internet.

Peter Esmond (29:13)

If the public is all saying that this restaurant is the best restaurant in Miami, then, like, Michelin needs to be prepared to say, nope, it's not. It's terrible. And the public outcry if they do that, versus do they just kind of need to follow the trend now and say, like, okay, everybody says this is the best, so we're going to say it's the best. And here you go. That's a very tough position to be in when you're kind of in a consumer business now. So I do think it's a very challenging place to be in.

Sally Helm (29:41)

But Kathleen Squires says Michelin has also changed American food culture in some key ways.

Kathleen Squires (29:49)

Look at what's happened since Michelin came to New York. Food and dining became more of a competition, more than enjoyment in some ways. Iron Chef and Top Chef and people learning about, chefs learning about food.

Sally Helm (30:04)

So that makes food kind of a battle, but it also means people are just super interested in restaurants and what happens in the kitchen.

Kathleen Squires (30:13)

Then in 2022, here comes this show, the Bear, which is a sensation because I think people wanted to see the whole 360. How does this happen? How is it put together? It's about the chef, but it's about everyone behind the scenes. It's about the food. It's about the the guy in the back who's fixing the electricity. It's about the health inspections, it's about the training, it's about all the dynamics that go into it. So I think that you can definitely see from where Michelin came to us, a straight line from that to today and a show like the Bear.

Sally Helm (30:56)

As for Eric Ripert, he is still the chef at Le Bernardin and he still has those three Michelin stars. He says he's not focused on maintaining them, he's focused on the food. But for him, the power of Michelin is still as real as it was back when he was driving around the French countryside with his family.

Eric Ripert (31:16)

Some people like it, some people dislike it, Sometimes it's controversial, sometimes it's not controversial. When we're looking at standards, Michelin is very much right on. When you travel and you go to a three star, it's very rare that that three star disappoint you.

Sally Helm (31:35)

One star to stop along the road, two stars to take a detour, three stars to plan a trip around that restaurant, a place like Le Bernardin. Thanks for listening to History this Week, a Back Pocket Studios production in partnership with the History Channel. To stay updated on all things History this week, sign up at History this Week podcast and if you have any thoughts or questions, send us an email@historythisweekistory.com Special thanks to our guests, Peter Esmond, the former general manager of Per Se and current sales leader at DoorDash Eric Ripert, chef of La Bernardin in New York City and Kathleen Squires, a food and travel writer whose work appears in the Wall Street Journal, Conde Nast Traveler, and more. This episode was produced by David Weisbord, produced and sound designed by Ben Dickstein and also produced by me, Sally Helm for Back Pocket Studios. Our executive producers are Ben Dickstein and David Weisbord from the History Channel. Our executive producers are Eli Lehrer and Liv Fidler. Don't forget to follow rate and review History this week, wherever you get your podcasts and we'll see you next week.