The Ambition of a Chef and the Value of Validation

Only the finest restaurants have a chance to bask in their glow. Sometimes, it’s a bit too bright. Zachary Crockett squints at the menu.

• SOURCES:
  • Nick Kokonas, founder and co-owner of The Alinea Group.
  • Charlie Mitchell, executive chef and co-owner of Clover Hill restaurant.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Michelin Announces 2022 Stars for New York City," by Ryan Sutton and Luke Fortney (Eater, 2022).
  • "What’s Wrong With the Michelin Guide?" by Tim Hayward (Financial Times, 2021).
  • "Eating A 6-Course Dinner From The Best Restaurant In The Country," by Number Six With Cheese (2020).
  • "Expert Opinion and Restaurant Pricing: Quantifying the Value of a Michelin Star," by Carly Shin (Stanford Economic Review, 2018).
  • "Here's How Michelin Stars Actually Affect the Restaurant Business," by Hillary Eaton (Food & Wine, 2017).
  • "Three-Star Chef Asks Michelin Guide To Leave Him Out: 'I Will Be Able To Feel Free,'" by Laurel Wamsley (The Two-Way, 2017).
  • "Lunch with M.," by John Colapinto (The New Yorker, 2009).
  • "Alinea," review by the Michelin Guide.

• EXTRAS:
  • "Why You Shouldn’t Open a Restaurant (Update)," by Freakonomics Radio (2019).