June 8, 2005
Mie n Yu Must See Things Differently
We've been waiting patiently for a press release on the 2005 Rammy Award winners, hoping that the three-day delay was because there would be some sort of recount. Not that we completely disagreed with the winners -- many are good choices, whether selected by the public or by RAMW itself. Saint-Ex as best neighborhood gathering spot? Sure. Indebleu as hottest bar scene? Obvious. CityZen as best new restaurant? Even more obvious. But when we read that the public chose Mie N Yu as favorite restaurant we immediately thought there was some sort of mistake.
Don't get us wrong. There's plenty to like about Mie N Yu. The drinks are delicious, if a little pricey. It's also not a bad nightspot if you're looking for something a bit more upscale, with various interesting spaces like The Birdcage to enjoy your variation on a theme of martini. And as friends of this DCist will attest to, we absolutely adore Mie N Yu's bathrooms, which we consider the best in the city. But the food? We've never been fans. The FrancoIndoItalVietMeditermerican menu is probably the least compelling reason to go to Mie N Yu -- ambitious, not delicious, and definitely not worth the price. And apparently we weren't the only ones taken aback by this choice. On his Post chat today, Tom Sietsema gives his opinion, as well as that of the Rammy Award peanut gallery:
Mie N Yu as Favorite Restaurant of the Year?! I heard that even the crowd of friendly foodies in attendance at the gala was shocked!,shocked! at that little joke.
This is where we guard ourselves against the barrage of Mie N Yu lovers out there. Readers, are we missing something? Is Mie N Yu really better than, say, Komi?
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The food isn't the best, but restaurant goers take into account more than just the food when deciding what makes a "favorite" restaurant.
Mie N Yu has great drinks, tasty (not perfect) food, overall good service, and a drop-dead gorgeous atmosphere. All in all, you feel pampered, treated, and special when visiting there for a nice night out.
You'll notice that this is a RAMMY (restaurant, not food) award for favorite (not "best food," not "outstanding menu") restaurant. I'd say it's within the realm of reason that Mie N Yu was given this award.
Just something to consider.
Here here! You are spot on. But there are no foodies in Washington, there are just wealthy folks who want to be entertained, to see, and to be seen and Mie N Yu fit the bill. This is not a city that has much taste for food, just for restaurants.
Chris, again, if this had been "best food award," your reasoning would have a leg to stand on. But it wasn't...it was the general, vague category of "favorite restaurant."
This wasn't a "foodie award for best food." People remember emotions, events, friends, conversations, atmosphere, service, etc., etc. when deciding a "favorite" restaurant. You've got to consider more than food in this kind of category.
Mie N Yu has that great bellydancer though.
Food isn't great agreed, Mie N Yu has that great bellydancer though.
hmmm. yeah, you have to consider more than food, but doesn't food have to be the most heavily weighted criteria, thereby eliminating restaurants that aren't generally considered to serve some of the best food in town? There are plenty of restaurants that have great atmosphere, service, drinks, etc. AND serve great food. I don't think atmosphere and design or any other elements can justify giving a "Best Restaurant" award to a place not on the short list for the best food in town.
But. It. Wasn't. "Best Restaurant."
It was "favorite restaurant." Yes, of course food goes into that consideration, but so do SO many other factors. Food is, for a lot of people, the hands-down #1 consideration for a "favorite restaurant," and that's certainly one way to look at it. For others, it's the wine list. For still others, it is the friendly service (I think any food, no matter expertly prepared and presented, tastes sub-par if not served with kindness and a smile). The list goes on and on.
If I wanted nothing but great food, I'd have my sister over to cook at my house every night of the week. If I want an overall lovely experience -- tasty food, good drinks, decadent atmosphere (important to me, not to all), and hell, even a bellydancer, why not consider Mie N Yu a favorite? It's not my favorite, but I can see why it would be for some.
I think there's a pretty simple explanation for this: Mie n Yu lobbied for the award. I got not one but two emails from Mie N Yu urging me to vote for them in the RAMMY's. I guess they got my email address from the business card I tossed in the "win a free lunch" thing.
And yeah - cool joint, average food.
In cities such as NYC and San Fran, the best restaurant would be the restaurant with the best food, n'est ce pas?
Please. Are you honestly suggesting that glorified "other" cities (NYC, SF) NEVER judge on anything other than true merit? That these cities are bastions of good taste, totally immune to glossy marketing, self-aggrandizing PR, and pretention?
Please. To wit:
NYC--home to Britney Spear's Nyla. (Albeit short-lived.)
SF--home to the gimmicky Stinking Rose (just because you put garlic in everything from steak rubs to ice cream doesn't mean it belongs there.)
D.C. lacks culinary discernment? Maybe. But come on--NYC and SF are hardly the gold standards of "great food, no PR/trendiness necessary."
Perdu for favorite restaurant in 2006!
Mie n Yu lobbied for the pick. If you're going to run a lousy "people's pick" while letting anyone choose, you're going to end up looking like a political poll result on Fox News Online. Maybe you could get better results by asking a cross section of say...DonRockwellians, AI Washington Chef school, Wash Sommelier Society, Some Hill people and maybe a sprinkling of Mount Pleasant Hipsters. That would work possibly? Oh, and I really chafe at the folks that refer to NYC and SF as food mecca's.
Of course the environment and service have something to do with it. But there are plenty of restaurants in DC that look as good as Mie N Yu, have stellar service, and actually have great food. Like Citronelle. Or Firefly. Or Zaytinya. Which infuriates me.
I'm a little put off by the lobbying, which I had heard about but didn't want to put in my actual post. Sure, its allowed... but it is kind of a jerk move.
Y'all can parse the meaning of "Best Restaurant" until you are blue in the face. Simply put: when a restaurant owner dedicates themselves to being the best, they don't fluff pillows or adjust the lighting, they fricking cook. If Mie N Yu won because the voters held out every element besides food as the standard for judging, then let's hope that zero restaurants follow their cue.
There have got to be a lot of places that think that this award is total balderdash.
You have to remember that DC is the town that voted Outback Steakhouse as best steakhouse in DC (washingtonian readers' poll - or was it washingtonpost.com). For every citified foodie with a sharp tongue, there's a suburban chain-goer who just wants to feed his family. Such is Washington.
Simply put: when a restaurant owner dedicates themselves
to being the best, they don't fluff pillows or adjust the lighting,
they fricking cook.
When a restaurant owner dedicates themselves to being the best, they do all of the above.
If there was self-promotion going on on Mie N Yu's part...well, welcome to the restaurant business in 2005.
Like it or not, promotion is a huge part of keeping a restaurant alive (and thriving) around here these days. Whether that promotion happens in the glossy pages of the "Washingtonian," through word of mouth, or on blogs like DCist (Saint-Ex, anyone?), it's still promotion. That's why many restaurants (local "mom and pops" and huge chains alike) have Web sites, guest lists, special events, wine education programs, etc. Those are promotions, too.
Did Mie N Yu play the game? You bet. Did it pay off? Well...you decide, but I don't think it will be hurting for business anytime soon.
Does anyone ever miss the two Little Tavern's in Georgetown?