The World's 50 Best Restaurants entity named six American eateries to its 2015 top list, including three in New York City, but the selections were not with controversy.
El Celler de Can Roca in Spain reclaimed its spot as the world's best restaurant on the 2015 list from Noma in Copenhagen,
The New York Times reported. Noma dropped to third in this year's poll, its lowest position since 2009.
Italy's Osteria Francescana, in Modena, was named as the second best restaurant, while Central, in Lima, Peru, was named the world's fourth best restaurant, ahead of Eleven Madison Park in New York City.
LeBernardin in NYC was listed as the 18th best restaurant and Per Se in NYC was named the 40th best. Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Tarryrtown made the list at No. 49.
Chicago's Alinea was named the world's 26th best restaurant and French Laundry, in California's wine country in Yountville, was listed the 50th best restaurant.
The Times said the rankings faced growing skepticism, with an increasing number of chefs complaining privately that they believed the judging was too arbitrary, lacked credibility and was susceptible to corruption.
"They say that the scales are tipped when some governments sponsor free trips and meals for journalists while others do not; when chefs and restaurateurs make up a third of the voters; and when judges are not required to prove that they have eaten in the restaurants for which they cast ballots," wrote the Times Julia Moskin.
Bloomberg Business reported that leading up to his year's announcement, a website called Occupy 50 Best started a petition that criticized the lack of established criteria for winners and the lack of transparency in the voting process.
"We, the culinary connoisseurs of all countries and creeds: cooks, critics or simply lovers of Good Food, urge you to stop giving your sponsorship and support to this opaque, obsequious ranking, where nationalism trumps quality, sexism trumps diversity and the spotlight is on the Celebrity Chef instead of the health and satisfaction of the customer," said the
Occupy 50 Best website.
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