The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants
Cause none are anywhere close to me. 
Take heart. The reason that reviewers always review the same towns is that’s where they go for other stories, and they don’t want to do much extra work for a survey piece.
But if you like in Connecticut, there are tons of fine and even elaborate and expensive restauants that will never appear on such a list, just because NYC is in the spotlight.
If it makes you feel any happier, Per Se and Le Bernardin suck ass.
The Gramercy Tavern, however is pretty good. If you like vertical food.
– Uke, [sub]who could pull six restaurants in Brooklyn better than this outta his ass[/sub]
What is a “tasting menu only”? At first, I thought it was one of those restaurants that don’t have a menu and just serve one meal per night. But a quick search indicated it means a restaurant that does not offer a la carte, but offers a few choices per course.
Does it just mean that there is a basic meal framework and you have a few choices within the framework?
And I am resisting obvious jokes to restaurants, eating, and Uke’s ass.
I really don’t want to eat at any restaurant that has been in your ass. Nothing personal.
That being said, Charlie Trotter’s isn’t the best restaurant in Chicago either. I’m not sure I’d be able to pull any better ones out of my ass, but I could think of a few.
First thing you do is toss out every restaurant in France. With very few exceptions, they stink. Over-priced, over-stuffed crap. And did you notice how New York is its own country. Chez Panisse and French Laundry just get noted as “USA.” They are both better than anything you will find in France. Of course, with FL at #4, they at least get that right. 
A tasting menu (menu degustation in French) is one in which there are lots of small courses. There is no one course as large as the “main dish” you would expect in a normal meal. Typically it is prix fixe and there is limited choice.
I’ve eaten at the two Australian ones on the list. I think they’re both overrated.
According to the list, Germany and Deutschland are two separate countries.
These sorts of restaurants (most of them, anyway) usually are; they’re monuments to ego and cleverness. I’ve eaten at one of the restaurants on the list and while the service was certainly exceptional, the food was no better than I’ve had at a dozen or more other places.
Eh. It’s only food.
I’d just like to note how American restaurants are either in New York or USA. 
Where’s Outback’s?
I’ve eaten at Jean George in Shanghai (and not the NY location listed). Meh, priced to impress. It wasn’t bad or anything but for the money it should have been sublime instead of “not bad.”
<Spits out Jimmy Dean Breakfast Link Sausage>
Lemme guess…
Grand Canyon Restaurant, Pete’s Downtown or Quercy in Brooklyn Heights?
The Bagel Hole in Prospect Park?
IO in Williamsburg?
Crave, Fragole or Chestnut in Red Hook?
Corn Bread Cafe in Park Slope?
Kush in Crown Heights?
New Corner in Dyker Heights?
Top One in Borough Park?
</Opts to limit future restaurant choices to the Queens side of the border>
Iron Horse in Pleasantville? Gotham Bar and Grill in NYC?
Yeah, I had a couple of distinctly unmemorable dinners at Trotter’s. What’s that Thai place way the hell up on the North Side, nestled in among all the auto glass shops? THAT’S probably the best restaurant in Chi. That and Al’s Italian Beef on Taylor.
Not a single BBQ joint…I’m calling shenannigans on the whole thing!
If Lexington #1 isn’t at the top of the list, it’s bogus!
Wow one of my Web hosting clients is near the top of the list.
Another client that we did some work for (third-party like) is further down the list, but I see they removed what we built in exchange for something crappy. C’est la vie - they don’t pay me enough to eat there - literally 