1992 Ad

Nation's Restaurant News, Nov 25, 1991 by Paul Frumkin

NEW YORK -- The 1992 Zagat New York City Restaurant Survey has just hit the stands, and undoubtedly some of its findings will stir up debate within the local restaurant community.

This year, for example, David Bouley's self-named TriBeCa gem, Bouley, shot ahead of such redoubtable Manhattan powerhouses as The Four Seasons and Lutece to finish first in a poll of New Yorkers' favorite restaurants. A remarkable feat, to be sure. But then, staying power is really what it's all about in this city -- particularly these days.

Industry insiders seem to either love or hate Tim and Nina Zagat's annual survey, arguing endlessly about the wisdom of marshaling a populist army of hobbyist restaurant critics to rate the city's thousands of restaurants. But whether you choose to sign on to their controversial methodology or not, the sheer number of individuals participating in the guide -- a record 7,000 New Yorkers contributed this year -- makes it all but impossible to ignore, particularly in its editors' assessment of local dining trends.

Notably, the 1992 survey corroborates through year-to-year comparisons of its sizable numerical base what individual fine-dining restaurateurs and observers have been saying for some time -- that is, New Yorkers as a group are just not eating out as frequently as they did in years past. More than a third (35 percent) of the Zagat legion of diners admitted that they ate out less in 1991 than in 1989 -- one year before the recession was officially conceded by the Bush White House. And while 55 percent said their rate of dining held steady and a futher 10 percent reported that they were dining out more often, the overall numbers indicate a decline. On the whole, the Zagateers dined out an average of 3.2 times each week, down from a 3.4-to-3.6 rate tallied in the late 1980s.

But even with the decline, Tim Zagat points out, New Yorkers continue to take their dining-out experiences very seriously -- perhaps even more so then in the past. "What has shifted sharply in the past two years is the discrimination people exhibit in making their choices."

Without question, though, competition for dwindling business here remains ferocious, as evidenced by such dramatic closings as Aurora, Le Cygne, Prunelle, Laurent, Toscana and a host of lesser-known operations. And yet hope springs eternal: The new entries in 1991 once again out-numbered the exits by a nearly two-to-one ratio -- 100 openings vs. 57 closings.

Another point made by the survey's editors is that restaurant prices in general have remained flat or even begun to trend downward -- a remarkable about-face after years of fairly steady increases. Using the survey's list of New York's 20 most expensive restaurants as a base, Zagat notes that the median per-person check rose by only four cents, to $67.07, over the last two years.

More dramatically, however, the average per-person check for the survey's 20 most popular restaurants actually took a sharp nosedive, dropping $1.02, to $60.14, after increasing steadily since 1988.

Of course, the point could be argued that the decrease may have little to do with menu prices. The drop in spending may originate with the customers themselves, many of whom are said to be cutting corners when they dine out these days.

Whatever the case, though, it's worth noting that many of the newer fine-dining openings are generally more value-conscious than their '80s predecessors. New restaurants, such as Vince & Eddie's and Mesa Grill, are striving to keep their dinner check averages well under the $50 mark. Even Jo Jo, the widly popular French restaurant owned by wonderchef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, strives to keep prices under $50 at dinner -- a change of pace from the $65-to-$75 price tag he commanded when he headed up the kitchen at Lafayette in the Drake Swissotel.

Which is not to say that everyone's menu is going the route of least fiscal resistance in these economically troubled times. The Quilted Giraffe averages about $73 per-person, Lutece runs $71 and even top-rated Bouley is about $70. So, for the individual hankering for a truly memorable dining experience -- and not overly concerned with paying off a credit-card bill at the end of the month -- New York is still the place to be. Let's hope it remains that way.