What On Earth Do Two Hearts Mean

What do two hearts, stars, blocks, etc. mean in this country?  During one period last year I had the opportunity of dining at twenty Parisian restaurants, all of which had received two hearts from the country’s leading gastronomic numerical food rater, Emmanuel Rubin of Figaroscope (no one else has the guts or foolishness to put numbers on his reviews.)  His ratings of the five new restaurants that open each week are the most widely watched rankings read by the seriously food-obsessed living in France, there are (just as Americans regard the Michelin’s stars as the gold standard now and as the food-obsessed thought GaultMillau’s were twenty years ago).  He never gives a four, rarely gives a three and most commonly awards two hearts to those places not relegated to the vast underground of 1 hearts and broken plates.   (A diversionary note on Rubin’s colleague at Figaroscope, the man described in Departures Magazine as “The most feared food critic in the world,” Francois Simon.  Simon has an acerbic tongue, it’s true, but more than that, he writes PhD-tenured-professor-academic-journal-type French that is frequently impenetrable – so, as entertaining as he is, I am often not quite sure what his ratings on the restaurants in question would be if he deigned to rank them.  I often think Simon must have the only degree ever awarded in Circumlocutious French, just as Will Shortz has the only one in Enigmatology.) In any case, Rubin sticks his neck out five times a week and must expect some flack for his boldness.  So here goes.   On one end, I submit as Exhibit 1 – Chez Cedric, which opened the beginning of March, 2006, and garned two hearts July 5th: I ate there after the rentrée and it was as terribly swank but as awfully friendly in its décor, clientele and food, as it gets. Here’s a guy cooking star-quality meals at bistro prices – and it gets two hearts! And I’m willing to argue that the chef and front room man are as impressive as any such pair at le Bristol or Arpege. And on the other end, Exhibit 2 – Wadja, a place I had a great fondness for under its prior management and culinary direction; it too got two hearts, but on September 6th.  Again, I ate there shortly thereafter, indeed three days after my meal at Chez Cedric.  The food, décor and clientele could charitably be called bland, lacking zip and banal.  If pressed to be more forthright, I might call it scandalous.  Unfortunately, it remains listed in a Japanese publication as still being under its former management and culinary direction, and five eager visitors from the land of the rising sun were somewhat surprised by its fare.  Me too. Finally, for the big surprise, ladies and gents, let’s look at the additions – 53.15 € versus 44 €.  But the surprise is that the 53.15 € was for a meal they should have paid me to eat at Wadja and the 44 € for paradise at Chez Cedric.   Thus my favorite this week is: Chez Cedric 13, rue Denis Poisson, 17th (Metro: Argentine) T: 01.44.09.03.30 Closed Sundays Lunch menu 29 € and a la carte : 40-55 €. ©2006 John A. Talbott