fine-dining-pedia

Hosting formal dinner parties isn't an everyday event for most of us, so don't feel bad if you need a refresher course on how to properly set a table. Here are a few basics.

Start with the dinner plate, which we all know goes in the center, and place a salad plate or soup bowl on top of it. The charger, if you're using one, goes underneath the dinner plate. To the upper left of the dinner plate goes the bread plate and butter knife, and to the upper right goes the water glass and wine glass (and the coffee cup, but it usually isn't placed until the dessert course).

Today, Michelin released The Michelin Guide 2010 New York City Restaurants, with five establishments receiving three stars, its highest rating. The top rated restaurants include Daniel, Jean Georges (above), Le Bernardin, Masa and Per Se.

There were six restaurants earning two stars and 44 restaurants that earned one star. Three stars represents "exception cuisine, worth a special journey" while two stars is for "excellent cuisine, worth a detour". One star, which is still an excellent rating, is defined as "a very good restaurant in its category".

To rate restaurants and hotels around the world, Michelin employs a rigorous selection process that is applied independently and consistently. Indeed, in each of the 23 countries where it inspects restaurants and hotels, the selections are made by anonymous, professional inspectors who are Michelin employees. The inspectors pay all their bills in full.

While the Michelin Guide is known around the world for its famous stars, these restaurant account for just 10% of the selection in the New York City guide. The guide also includes a wide diversity of establishments, and includes small restaurants that offer a high-quality dining experience at an affordable price.

One useful section features "Inspectors' Favorites for Good Value", including a total of 85 affordable restaurants that offer two dishes, and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less. There is also a list of 109 restaurants selected by its experts that offer a meal under $25.

"The Michelin Guide has long been respected and the stars are what people love to talk about in the culinary world," says Jean-Luc Naret, director of the Michelin Guides. "But the Guide is so much more. It's filled with a year's worth of notes from the team of inspectors who set out to ensure the Michelin Guide provides an excellent mix of what readers truly want--a wonderful dining recommendation from trusted experts."

The Michelin Guide New York City 2010 is the fifth edition since Michelin began reviewing restaurants in New York. Its cover price is $17.95.

Many of the finest restaurants have a "sommelier" on staff, which is the French term for cellar master or wine steward. A sommelier is a trained wine professional who can recommend wines that will well-accompany the food that is being served. A Master Sommelier is an expert who has passed four levels of examinations offered by the Court of Master Sommeliers, an international examining body. They can speak with authority the principal grape varieties used in wine making and the areas of the world where they are cultivated. A person holding a Master Sommelier Diploma is an expert not only in wines, but also spirits and other alcoholic beverages.

Tipping a sommelier directly is customary if you feel he or she spent a great deal of time discussing wine selections with you in addition to opening, pouring or decanting the wine. Keep in mind that at most restaurants, the gratuity (15% to 20% for good service; more than that for outstanding service) paid on the total bill (including the wine) is divided formulaically among the servers, sommelier, bartender and runners.

For more than a century, the Michelin guide has offered a ratings system for some of the finest restaurants in the world. The first Michelin guide was published in France in 1900 "to offer practical information to enjoy driving", according to the company. Today, the Michelin guide covers 23 countries with 27 titles. When awarding its famous star rating system, the rating represents the food only, and does not take into consideration interior decor, service quality or table settings. What Michelin does take into consideration, however, is the quality of the products and the mastery of flavor and cooking. Michelin also reviews the "personality" of the cuisine, the value for the money and the consistency between visits.

According to Michelin, its star rating system represents the following:

One star: A very good restaurant in its category.

Two stars: Excellent cooking and worth a detour. Offers specialties and wines of first-class quality.

Three stars: Exceptional cuisine and worth the journey where diners eat extremely well, often superbly. The wine list features generally outstanding vintages and the surroundings and service are part of this unique experience, which is priced accordingly.

The more stars awarded, the higher the rating.