Joël Robuchon v. Meryl Streep
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 9:03AM 
Joël Robuchon, the chef with more Michelin stars than Meryl Streep's got Oscar nominations, passed through New York this past weekend to introduce his new executive chef for restaurant L'Atelier at the Four Seasons. Xavier Boyer's appointment may have been the reason for Robuchon's Manhattan visit (he spreads his time among his various restaurants around the globe), but anytime Robuchon's in the house, it's clear who the main attraction is.
The gracious French chef is an icon in the food world and rightly so. His high-end temples of cuisine have won him more Michelin stars than have been earned by any other chef on the planet. Nonetheless, with Boyer in the open kitchen at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the Four Seasons hotel, patrons are not likely to be disappointed, as his recent menu, featuring ossetra caviar in fine fragrance of coral and free-range carmelized quail stuffed with foie gras, amply demonstrated.
If you do get in to L'Atelier, be sure to sit at the bar counter, where all of the action really takes place, and don't overlook dessert. We highly recommend the apple confit, sablé breton with Tahitian ice cream. For pics of that dessert and other delicacies from L'Atleier de Joël Robuchon, click here.
And in case you're counting, regarding Robuchon's Michelin star count versus Streep's Academy Award noms, it's 18 to 13.
