The 50 Best Restaurants In The World 2010

The business of the best in culinary arts is a competitive one. Foodies and celebrity chefs closely follow the leading guides of gastronomy: The coveted Michelin 3 Stars, are handed out rarely, France prefers its Gault Millau, Asia follows the newcomer Miele Guide, Italy has its Touring Club suggestions and America prefers the Iron Chef spectacle.


But all of these are topped by the annual presentation of "San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants."


The list is created from The World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy (organized by Restaurant magazine and funded by S.Pellegrino), an influential group of over 800 international leaders in the restaurant industry. The Academy comprises 26 separate regions around the world, and each region has its own panel of 31 members including a chairperson to head it up. The panel is made up of food critics, writers, chefs and 'gastronomes' each of whom have five votes. Members vote for five restaurants, at least two of which must be used to recognise restaurants outside of their region.


"And The Envelope Please!"


For 2010....the winner of the "Best Restaurant In The World"....is....
Noma, Copenhagen Denmark! El Bulli, a Spanish coast restaurants with a waiting list as long as its balance sheet, took the big fall to a number two position after a few years of being at the top. Blame it on thier current renovation. The third best in the world goes to The Fat Duck, located just West of London. Number Fifty (which is arguably is a great place to be too): Eleven Madison Park, New York, USA.

The Euro Falls To Its Lowest Level In 4 Years

Once thought to be unstoppable in expanding value, the euro is on an unstoppable slide against the dollar and other world currencies. Although entirely unrelated to the strength of the US economy and real value of the US Dollar, the euro has slipped to .812 or nearly 1 USD = 1.23 Euro. A 4 year low.

This is great news for the many Americans that have sat on the sidelines waiting for that more "affordable" European vacation through nearly a decade of global uncertainty, recessions, bubble busts and a devalued dollar. Suddenly that trip to Europe doesn't seem so unthinkable, and may even be cheaper than staying at home...what? For the luxury market that held off on those many luxury European made goods whose cost soared along with the euro since 2002, good times are here again. And the poor folks in Europe who depend on the hospitality economy, suddenly their lives look rosy. Across the board everyone is happier, unless you export to Europe.

And the cause has nothing to do with "America is back", or "the strength of the dollar". It's the Iceland ash cloud that continues to cast a pall over the continent and parts of its economy, Greece's recent near bankruptcy and spotty EU deficits that plague respectable partners (Italy, Spain, Portugal etc). It's a mess over there.

And what about the Euro's future? "There is little reason to expect an end to the free fall of the euro," a team of Commerzbank analysts led by Ulrich Leuchtmann wrote in a note to clients today. "It is becoming increasingly clear that fiscal consolidation will only be obtainable at the cost of a massive recession."

Actually the euro continues its slide through May.

Good times are here again for those that like to travel to the old world.

Nashville Flood Update - Nashville is Open For Business

Update on the hiistoric Nashville flood of the Cumberland River: in regards to the hotels, entertainment venues and business services listed in The Carlton Files for member's reference and use. All the hotels are back open at this time receiving guests and that includes the historic Hermitage Hotel which had closed temporarily we are told. Additionally the Hutton remained open during the storms and flood of May 2010, as it is a safe distance from the river. Many of the small venues and businesses in the Nashville "District" (along Second Avenue, Third Avenue, and Broadway) remain closed. That includes Schermerhorn Center, Country Music Hall of Fame, Encore, Pinnacle and the Bridgestone Arena as well as many small honky-tonks near the Cumberland. The Mercy Lounge is open with a full calendar of talent, as well as the Station Inn and The Stage on Broadway. Basically Nashville is open for business, so no reason to not go downtown if you are there on business.

NPR reported that the Soundcheck music instrument storage building was inundated with Cumberland flood waters, further devastating the Nashville music scene and heritage. Not only did the Grand Ole Opry House have to close with no reopening date set, and the Nashville Symphony losing two Steinways when its basement flooded, but the Musicians Hall of Fame was forced to store its collection of instruments at Soundcheck after the city acquired its downtown property to make way for a new convention center. Lost in the flood to history: Jimi Hendrix's Stratocaster guitar and the bass used in Hank Williams' "Your Cheating Heart." In all, the Soundcheck flood affected an estimated 600 musicians.

CMAfest, Nashville's annual showcase of country music from June 10 - 13, wrapped up the festival with mega hit Brad Paisley. The tone of the town is "we are back open for music business."

The Sky Bar That Tops All Sky Bars

There are some interesting Sky Bars out there in the world, which we have included in our database. You may know some of these sky bar places, or at least know the concept: bars and restaurants located on top of tall buildings or towers with these great views over the city. There are famous ones like 58 Tour Eiffel located at the top of The Eiffel Tower, the Willis Tower Skydeck (formerly Sears Tower) in Chicago, The Jumeirah, Muntaha Restaurant or the Gunnewig in Dusseldorf, a rotating restaurant nearly at the top of a radio tower standing 172.5 meters above the city. There's a bunch of them out there. But this one in Vienna Austria, in a complete opposite manner, tops them all in kitsch. The Sky Bar in Vienna is a whopping seven stories up. Seven! Listen, Vienna is not a tall city and "Sky Bar" has a relative meaning here. But the best part, we think, is the kitschy music they put on their website ion hopes of luring people into the place. Click on the The Sky Bar link and check out the theme song written just for the restaurant and bar....seven stories up.