AMERICA’S TOP-RATED

RESTAURANTS & CHEFS 2008
These restaurants were selected by John Mariani as America’s Top 20 Restaurants 2008
(not in order of preference). The content of this overview was written by the editorial
staff of the Chefs In America Awards Foundation.

JEAN GEORGES

RESTAURANT

SAMPLE MENU

Menu Highlights

Yellow Fin Tuna Ribbons

avocado, spicy radish,
ginger marinade

Sea Trout Sashimi
draped in Trout eggs,
lemon, sill, horseradish

Santa Barbara Sea Urchin black bread, jalapeno
and yuzu

Japanese Snapper Carpaccio

vinegar gelée with ginger, white radish and olive oil

Peekytoe Crab and Squash Blossom Beignet
market cherry tomatoes & raspberry vinaigrette

Sea Scallops
caramelized cauliflower, caper-raisin emulsion

Foie Gras Brûlée
spiced fig jam and
toasted brioche

Goat Cheese Royale
roasted beet marmalade
and crushed pistachios

Smoked Squab a L’Orange

Asian pear, candied tamarind

Loin of Lamb

Spiced crumbs, fried
eggplant and fig compote

Located at Columbus Circle in the lobby level of Donald Trump's International Hotel and Tower, restaurant Jean Georges is among New York City's very small circle of four star restaurants. The restaurant is divided into two dining rooms - the 4-star Jean Georges and Nougatine, a slightly more casual dining room with a sophisticated, hip bar scene and an exhibition kitchen with a full view of Jean-Georges and his staff at work. In conceiving this restaurant Jean-Georges wanted to bring back the elegance of tableside service to accompany his signature style of modern French cooking.

CHEF JEAN-GEORGES
Born and raised on the outskirts of Strasbourg in Alsace, Jean-Georges left his family restaurant to join a work-study program at the Auberge de l'Ill as an apprentice to Chef Paul Haeberlin. With this impressive three-star Michelin training, Vongerichten won a position at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok. From 1980 to 1985, he opened an impressive 10 restaurants around the world, including the Meridien Hotel in Singapore and the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong.

Jean-Georges arrived in the United States in 1985, opening the Lafayette restaurant in Boston. In March of 1997 Jean-Georges opened restaurant Jean Georges in the Trump International Hotel and Tower, earning a 4-star review from The New York Times less than three months after opening, and the Best New Restaurant award by the James Beard Foundation.

Restaurant: JEAN GEORGE’S

Chef: Jean-George Vongerichten

Reservations: 212-299-3900

Address: 1 Central Park West

New York, NY 10023

Web: www.jean-georges.com

Cuisine: French