Janan Ganesh asks (“Michelin and the return of deference”, Opinion, Life & Arts, February 15) whether the opinion of experts in judging a restaurant is superior to the wisdom of crowds.
It reminds me of a short story by Paul Gallico, The Awful Secret of M. Bonneval. A superb cook longs for a Michelin star for his provincial restaurant and is given a tip-off that an inspector is visiting on a particular day. Overcome by nerves, temper and bad luck, he finds that every dish he cooks for the supposed critic goes wrong. It’s only when he apologises later to his wife and cat by cooking a sublime dinner for them that he achieves supremacy. Half of it is then served to a starving traveller who arrives unexpectedly at midnight.
Yes, M. Bonneval wins his star, but his inexpert provincial fans were on to his mastery already. “Deference lives”, your columnist says, but those who work as writers, artists or cooks know that prize judges can also be swayed by fashion and marketing, rather than genuine creative excellence. We are all hoping for Gallico’s midnight visitor, who responds like an ordinary diner — with spontaneous delight as well as expertise.
Amanda Craig
London NW1, UK
