Eating the $475 MENU at Atelier Crenn - 3 MICHELIN STAR in California, USA

[@freddyfrog70]

you know, when i watch your videos, you always have this semi serious tone and face when judging the food, but when you were eating the bbq bare handed, you had this childlike happiness on your face. its great man.

[@jamm8284]

The way he looked up and back in is like getting the Christmas present you most wanted that your parents kept on saying was too much to get. The absolute joy mixed with disbelief that your dreams actually came true 😂

[@tobascogladiomatteo4843]

Real food .... All the luxury in the world can't beat comfort food.

[@alisarpmestcioglu711]

@@tobascogladiomatteo4843 it beats it almost every day for me

[@ezrabrownstein3237]

Just want to say that I like the way that you don't try to hide your wealth but also don't flex it so upfront. It is grounded. You enjoy nice things but are immensely appreciative and also have a certain humility and respect for the work of others. It isn't "This isnt good," but rather, "it isn't to my tastes."

[@marktheshark5733]

It’s because it feels like he’s just talking about his hobbies. He comes off as very honest and genuine

[@RemoteViewr]

The meals are paid for via YT advertising, these reviews are a side project / micro-business for him, and looks like a great business too!

[@MiniNoahTheWorm]

Whenever I feel like this concept might get old and that it will be an overload of fancy food you break it up by telling some stories of your trip or the staff or the owner. Love seeing your videos develop and good job keeping them both informative and entertaining

[@zes7215]

wrrr

[@StonedSpagooter]

You are going to be a great ambassador for the food community in the coming years Stay humble, friend

[@zes7215]

wrr

[@whyitmatterstome]

Humble? Okay.

[@Dazulolwarrior]

That barbeque was so fucking good Alexander had to say it to make a point 😂

[@paolointhenight]

I burst out laughing when he said that. Glad to know he appreciates both fine dining and simple, soulful food

[@zes7215]

wrr, outx, can outx etc any nmw s perfx

[@ChunandRice]

I love your honest, professional, but also genuine tone to all of these videos. No hyperbolic statements, a real interest in the places you go, and an unpretentious attitude towards these fancy looking dishes. Thank you for making these videos, looking forward to even more!

[@kingofmemes6931]

This is one of my favorite videos in a while. The sharp criticisms that Alexander had combined with the gentle praises really brought home the idea that Alexander really is doing his best to review restaurants impartially. I also really love how the video is extended with food that is not *just* from the Michelin star restaurants. Seeing the food from the airplane and the BBQ at the end of the video was fantastic. Also that ending is amazing. Keep it up, I am excited to see the rest of the videos from California!

[@N-Soc88]

I've watched Alex eat countless $1000+ meals since I found his channel, and have never seen his face light-up like it did when eating that BBQ.

[@ilovetolearn999]

which video is it

[@ZakRoM]

@@ilovetolearn999 this video

[@N-Soc88]

@@ilovetolearn999 This one. It's at around 16:19.

[@blznft9513]

​@N-Soc88 thanks for the time stamp

[@ChumbahNutz]

Highly amusing that the 3* Atelier Crenn receives a decidely subdued "meh", yet Busters gets a "F*cking Amazing". Maybe a side project of "Alexander Does BBQ"?

[@zes7215]

wr

[@mae1ker]

I mean, it is entirely different. The 3* will be graded based on an entirely different scale. Texas BBQ will always be Texas BBQ,

[@ZattaBoy]

Because BBQ was tested by time and tasted by millions.

[@zacablaster]

@@ZattaBoy BBQ folk don't let Michelin in because all those tire salesmen do is jack up prices and make nice affordable things into rich people shit

[@effmerunning]

Thats because Michelin star restaurants are jokes. Pretention. Just ask MPW

[@spideraxe9325]

Man I love that you also include a small history lesson of the area with your videos, huge props to the whole team

[@danielholmqvist2713]

After watching your old videos too, I really appreciate how you present the wine and service along with the food, and not clumped together at the end. It really only makes sense and is the way to go. These videos are what makes the channel great.

[@robinpaulse4608]

The eyes lighting up after tasting the BBQ😅

[@zes7215]

wr

[@Burnzee94]

I feel so much more connected to him now!

[@aq5426]

I love your reviews, Alexander. Your perspective is very refreshing and it's nice to see reviews that are not just honest but also constructive.

[@zes7215]

wr

[@unapproachablelight]

I’m with you. The warmth and delightful personality of the pastry chef stole the show.

[@sam-to1mw]

Love the production, editing and story telling. Alex can also provide comprehensive reviews, be super professional in his analysis and yet still show his personality and 'fun' side when he needs. One of my favourite channels by far, which I've been following since 10k subscribers.

[@ep1981]

Some of the techniques on display here are extraordinary - those cauliflower gold plated leaves... incredible. Thanks for bringing us on the journey. Looking forward to this California series - TFL was the restaurant that got me into fine dining, so looking forward to that one in particular.

[@bradjohnson482]

The professional reviewers I've found online are nothing but gushes of wonderment, but when I found actual customers, many of their reviews matched yours. The only "wonderment" in several reviews was that the restaurant had 3 stars. No dairy, and pescatarian only. To an outsider, like myself, this would seem like climbing Everest (even more so than normal) to get 3 stars.

[@jonathanprovost6746]

The format of these videos is incredible. Its Chefs Table quality but more personable. Love the history lessons / location introductions and the honest reviews. Look forward to more videos.

[@kapnobataii]

i don't know why this channel doesn't have over 1mil followers yet... best food critic of the 21st century.

[@mcmdrpiffle447]

One of your Best Alexander ! The BBQ at the end.... "it was fucking good" Spoken like a true American ! Enjoy the rest of your stay here. I'm in Santa Cruz, just below San Francisco. I've visited several of these restaurants. We've got it good here in 'Northern California', we really do. Thank you for highlighting this ! Subscribed for a couple of years, bell rung, and ... Enjoy !

[@dirkhartog7438]

Your comment about Busters while wearing normal civvies put a big smile on my face. I like 3 star Michelin restaurants as much as the next foodie, but all that fancy food can get oddly monotonous after a while (both eating and watching). Would be great if you added restaurants that had Michelin potential or just very popular comfort food (as long as it was high quality). The research may be tougher and different but I think it would add variety to your videography. Also, you could do themed shows like your favorite steakhouse(s) in NY, Tapas in Barcelona, Teppanyaki in Tokyo - maybe even compare 2 of the best on the same show. As you know in every great food city there are dozens of great restaurants that do not have a Michelin star. I think viewers would be interested. I know I would be.

[@marco42863]

Ottimo commento

[@jakerio8]

Love that you take us all with you through the entire experience each time and the honesty. 💯

[@Detvanliga]

Great review as always. The presentations looks absolutely amazing!! .

[@stianaslaksen5799]

I love the bits of history and storytelling in your videos. Great work!

[@matthewsnyder77]

I'm glad to see more restaurants giving attention to non- alcoholic beverage programs, would've loved some detail about the juice pairing here.

[@stryker94109]

This native San Franciscan (now Sonoma resident) hopes you'll return soon, Alexander! Your station is THE BEST! Cheers! Craig

[@skymuffn]

…stumbling on here has been such a treat. Your take on the finer things is quite candid yet ideally structured, I find very refreshing as too is the lovely pastry chef. I just love how you presented your experience at Atelier Crenn, oh the soirée of the staff is maddening but oh so American (Native of the Bay Area). In 2012 I had my folks have their 45th anniversary there and had emailed the staff regarding my father’s health and if they can arrange any non alcoholic pairings. They quickly replied and with no hesitation did a superb job. And Miss Crenn herself met them. So I sent her a thank you card with an an Oregon Pinot Noir from my friends Winery. She sent me an invite with my folks to her new Bistro Petit Crenn in 2015 and went in Nov and it was amazing. I sent her more wine as a late Xmas Gift of gratitude for giving my family a memorable evening with Dad for on Christmas Eve he passed. She is an amazing person and glad she is doing great but hot dang the total bill is far from my last visit with Mom in 2018

[@rudolfpunt3286]

Best video yet. Love your comment with the BBQ!

[@erwindennijs6639]

I don’t always agree with specific focus points in Alex’s videos but that’s because we expect a different experience from our dinner. But I do appreciate and respect Alex expertise and opinion very much

[@thalia2683]

Me too !!

[@snoopycs1102]

No one cares about your opinion tho

[@ZakRoM]

@@snoopycs1102 by giving his opinion, his engaging movement in the channel, already 3 replies, this helps the channel grow and to be recommended to more people, so most likely Alexander and his team do care.

[@RadeTcg]

For those asking Tock is a website he used to book the restaurant it likely required him to pay a deposit hence the - $1000 off

[@mosmarb]

The entire reservation at Atelier Crenn is prepaid on Tock, hence the deduction there. Same at Alinea for instance, or for The Fat Duck over here in the UK (also using Tock).

[@Kitty8791]

Yes, they charge you ahead for each diner + 20% gratuity. You have the option to select your wine/drink pairings when you book online as well, or defer until your actual dinner. Also, you can not change date/time. You would have to sell/transfer the reservation via Tock. [This would strictly be for exactly what you paid for, can not charge an additional fee. You would have to do that via some other method outside of Tock.]

[@Zissou42]

Tacking on a 2% surcharge for health coverage to a $1500 meal is peak USA. But it tracks with a chef/owner having their waitstaff doing laps.

[@raphaeleagle]

Yes I saw that too, as a european I will never understand this tip and extras culture.. btw, I saw there was a 20% service included what does that actually mean? does it mean the staff gets automatically 20% and you dont have to tip?

[@happywilliam1]

Love that you visited the winery and gave us the history from it, thank you!

[@MrZorroZorroZ]

Never expected to see my house in Alexander's videos but here we are at 0:49 😂

[@Elias-iy1dy]

thx im coming right now

[@almichaels4128]

Me too

[@MrZorroZorroZ]

​@@Elias-iy1dywonderful what do you want for dinner honey ❤

[@SeraphimLeo]

Thank God it wasn't at 11:33

[@SeraphimLeo]

Glad it wasn't 11:33

[@afoodcriticsmonolog]

Great review Alex, you are really at the forefront on this platform when it comes to give great insights of high-end restaurants 👏 Keep up the fantastic job you and the team are doing 👍

[@PeckishMarcio]

Might be one of your best videos so far, great job! Looking forward to the next chapter in California.

[@rudra8833]

The red flower in a field of snow is Chef Diana Zaldivar!

[@noahandal8695]

The quality of every one of these videos is so great, keep up the excellent work

[@nicbarrax76]

I just love your videos... They're like a calm moment between the fast videos and shorts here on KZbin. Keep up the great work! 🙏👍

[@UltimaRedFireEskimo]

As a San Francisco native, really enjoyed watching you enjoy this fun town 😊 hope y’all ate well and had a great trip

[@CiaoBello21]

I like how you showed us the receipt of your bill. It’s a nice touch to the video. Please keep doing that 👍🏽

[@jellokhat]

Absolutely loved seeing some wine names that I actually live around in this video

[@Alvaro-qz6qk]

Damn, your tailoring is always on point

[@fkcoolers2669]

Yeah I'm pretty sure he's getting almost all his stuff done bespoke

[@amandavokins5958]

⁠suave and v attractive.

[@TimK2646]

The creativity and artistry is second to none. Really appreciate creme de la creme

[@tasiashiraori]

3:06 LOL! Reminds me of my brother when he reach 21, he told me not to stop him from having his first beer 😂

[@olicorrivo3289]

Definitely the best subscribe click of the year so far for me. Keep it up Alexander 👍This series seems exciting. I bet we gonna see a lot of green starred restaurant in California, they got all the ingredients in their backyards. Also love the wineries and vineyards history bits, they should be in every videos 😄

[@themearkat]

I've really enjoyed the concept of most of Crenn's food since I saw them on iron chef. Always fresh and innovative!

[@temporamen]

Can't wait for the rest of this series!

[@82Rmartinez]

Hope you enjoyed your tour of California, so cool to see content closer to home

[@debbieelkington1643]

The march of the Crenn staff would kill the experience for me- thank you for your honest review!

[@laughingman370]

i really like your content. I just noticed that the music in this video, atleast in the beginning, was very loud. Keep up the good work!

[@Joe_Ingles]

Alexander, you're on point about the service being lacking. Having dined in many Michelin Star establishments in Europe and in the United States, it just feels like the United States tends to have a much more mechanical style of service with more room for the service team to express their individual prejudices and attitudes - maybe it's a cultural/social thing. For example, your ethnicity, age, etc. are from my experience as being on the younger side of your average fine dining guest and being of Asian descent, are somewhat factored in and sometimes staff/chefs will act less friendly/hospitable to you based on some of those factors it seems. Three star restaurants in the U.S. don't have as much room for error like what I've previously described, but I've had some horrible experiences at many one and two-starred establishments where if the service is bad and you give a lower tip than what was customary, the staff would bat you with an side-eye or give you an cold attitude/demeanor, and at best the service in the U.S. is just professional and mechanical with little room for dialogue or conversation with the service team like what you experienced at Atelier Crenn. Although I haven't personally been to Atelier Crenn, the service is quite similar to that of Quince in my opinion, although everybody was respectful even if there wasn't much flavor to the service. I've found the best service I've probably had was at Thomas Keller's Per Se, and at Single Thread Farms. Meanwhile in Europe, almost all of the establishments I visited were not only professional but had flair to their service, which really made it stand out.

[@robdielemans9189]

Good read. Having only been to European Michelin starred restaurants, the service is almost always great and tailor made to the table. Usually they start out formal and with every interaction they know how to cater a little bit more to the overall feel of the table and even communicate that piece of knowledge to the rest of the staff.

[@Koenigg99]

@@robdielemans9189 It's the tipping culture. They think that hovering around and being overly attentive will lead to a bigger tip.

[@Joe_Ingles]

@@robdielemans9189 Exactly! I'm glad we feel the same way! In my experience European head chefs will also oftentimes even come out of the kitchen and have a chat with all the guests dining one by one and have some conversations on the food, and even ask for some constructive criticisms. Combined with what you said as well about how the entire service staff in Europe is well versed and well communicated, I think this level of professionalism and hospitality is something that the U.S. fine dining establishments could learn from as well.

[@ALX112358]

@@Joe_Ingles the attitude "overly polite but with a blatant lack of empathy" is what I've heard about US services. Not surprising that it extends to Michelin star restaurants as well.

[@jonnibelugabat2600]

Love to see shouting out the staff, from the people by the people

[@Cant111]

I never miss your vidéos now ahah Great ambassador for the food community. You really are our "inspecteur pour le guide Michelin" ahah

[@TheBrokenEclipse]

Great video once again! So when are we getting the BBQ place review?

[@LeonhardMrkos]

i love this format and it was nice to see you also eat normal people food and not just michelin star food.

[@neildphoenix]

Finally you told us about the sweets ( desserts & Petit fours) ABOUT TIME!

[@dlvanderpeet2602]

So happy to see you went to California! Cheers.

[@skigenie90]

I'm happy that you will have us..... on board.

[@TheLuftie]

Nice one your video and impressions gave me the same feelings you explained . Just back from Barcelona where i visited a non stars restaurant and a high level rated restaurant and honestly the non stars restaurant was for me the better one . Grts

[@chapithedrummer1502]

I’ve been waiting for this for so long I can’t wait to see all of these restaurants. Keep up the great work and there’s a busters bbq close to where I live so now I gotta try it

[@stimutacss]

im not even into fine dining and i love this channel.

[@Pabloaxolotl5628]

My family and I had a similar experience at Atelier Crenn. It was good, as expected from a 3 Michelin star restaurant, but a bit underwhelming. No dish really wowed us. The deserts were also the best part of our meal though.

[@dpovlak]

Can't wait to watch this and look forward to where you are going in the area I call Home. Lots of stars to choose from!

[@erwindennijs6639]

Thoroughly enjoying these vids

[@subarticb5670]

Same here. Glad I found this channel.

[@brandonluu6665]

Enjoyed your honest review where you weren't afraid to point out the negatives in your opinion. I wonder if there was a stop by the tenderloin...

[@Kevin-ct3ht]

Would love to see a videos on some non-michelin restaurants as well!

[@ALX112358]

That airplane food. I wish I had such comfort when flying...

[@bawseeeee602]

poor boy

[@Koenigg99]

Step 1: be rich

[@DS-qz2gu]

@@bawseeeee602 If you're commenting stuff like that, you definitely don't have money either 😂

[@bawseeeee602]

@@DS-qz2gu yes

[@Jorg05111980]

Those shots of the waiters walking around made me feel you were waiting for a subway

[@justinsmarttv]

What an experience for your godson! Always great to see your take on these restaurants!

[@AlecNerd]

Been waiting for this one!

[@MrAtaguas]

This is literally free consultation I wonder if any of these chefs or owners watch these videos for tips for continual improvement? On a separate note I love the thoughtfulness in these videos and the specificity with regards to what you like and how to improve some stuff. I wonder if you could do a video on 1,2 and 3 michellin star restaurants in the same type of cuisine or region to see the difference in what you get per michellin star

[@blakeluvsu1]

yo the barbeque lmaoooo you should do a bbq tour in the southeast USA!

[@c32ax1]

I know that reviews are heavily biased by the reviewers preferences. That said I do enjoy the way you break down what and why you like something. I also enjoy that you acknowledge that something can be well made and executed but still not for you. I have not had the same opportunity to enjoy fine dining as you have but in my limited experience I have had some dishes that were beautifully crafted yet did not strike the right note in me leaving me feeling like it was just adequate. I look forward to checking out your other reviews and videos, Cheers!

[@Question_Marked]

that bbq had his face smiling bigger then i ever seen in any video

[@patrickneale7378]

An interesting California wine fact is that the winemaker for Chateau Montelena at the Judgment of Paris was Miljenko (Mike) Grgich, who went on to found Grgich Hills wines. Mike just passed away last year at age 100. His Grgich Hills Judgment of Paris Chardonnay is their effort to make a chardonnay just like the one that won for Montelena. Enjoy California wines, but don't limit yourself to Napa. There are many other wonderful AVAs in California. I look forward to this series of videos.

[@NotTheGirlNextDoor6]

the winery! i pray it becomes one of the finests in the world, congratulations!

[@adamrasmussen7379]

It's always fun to see others opinions. I've had the same menu and I very much enjoyed the dishes that didn't work for him. With service I completely agree. It almost seems like parody the way they hover over you.

[@got2b981]

You eating the barbecue at the end was hilarious 😂😂😂

[@rnjbond]

I really liked Atelier Crenn, probably one of the best fine dining restaurants I've been to.

[@florentlescouezec2785]

thanks for the honest review, i guess this one won't stay in your memories

[@bennytan6272]

I see a fly on table at 5:12 please take star away😂

[@Viki12ify]

really like the added travel content, keep it up :)

[@Vikotnick]

Amazingly creative food. But maybe I'm not in the mood today. My friend made a paella in the garden today and it is simple and very good. I'm just probably not in the mood today since it was a sunday with dogs, kids and friends. Something simple is sometimes better.

[@douglasmelvin9868]

I love these videos, but good Lord do they hammer home how much it sucks to not be able to do this kind of thing. Alexander is great, and the channel itself is informative, but, ya know, these are once-in-a-lifetime experiences for most of us.

[@CheeseburgersImpact]

Would love to see more BBQ stuff and burger stuff! alot of those guys have passion that exceeds some multi Michelin starred chefs!

[@literallyshaking8019]

Maybe I’m not sophisticated, but that $30 BBQ would make me far happier than the $1500 fine dining/food science experience.

[@MrWhangdoodles]

I believe they are just like preferences in different styles of music. Some like country, some pop, and others classical. Each fanbase have radically different cultures, but they're all enjoyers of music. Same with food. Some prefer their own local cuisines and mores and then decide to dip their feet into different styles. There is no better or worse. They all have beauty in their own ways. 😊

[@raymondzrike]

All kinds of dining has the capacity to be a great time. Also note, the price of BBQ had inflated dramatically over the last few years (in Texas at least), so it’s not always a cheap meal anymore. Go look at the BBQ subreddit and you’ll see the price inflation. And $1500 for fine dining is very uncommon-Alex just buys the highest-end wines that are available to him at any moment. The menu at Disfrutar, for instance, is currently $315, and that’s even after a recent price increase.

[@mosmarb]

@@MrWhangdoodles agree, there's definitely room for both. I visit Michelin-starred restaurants as a bit of a hobby (though Idon't really spend as much as Alexander because I don't take the wine pairing) but every now and again all I really want is a plate of egg and chips! Good food done well is a treat, however much it costs.

[@fridengieger999]

I don’t think it’s a lack of sophistication. Some people just love the novelty, creativity and complexity that comes with these kind of restaurants. However Alexander proves that you are not wrong. He love that BBQ too!

[@Sauteus]

would be great to also get a more detailed view of the non-alcoholic pairing!

[@sea4849]

Yes, I would love to see what is contained in the juice pairing.

[@wenting2457]

Your criticism at 12:06 is very similar to a criticism I had dining at another California restaurant, this one with 2 stars, Providence. The service was very attentive, but they were constantly hovering, tried to take a dish or two away early, and we had two different servers ask if we wanted more wine back-to-back. It was also a more crowded/compact restaurant, and so it felt a bit overwhelming

[@pk525]

I'm so glad you enjoy Texas style BBQ. It's my favorite as well.

[@mikethompson148]

The KZbin algorithm finally got something right.

[@dum6917]

Thank you for doing this review! I live in the Bay Area and was waiting for you to do a proper review of this restaurant!

[@blakeluvsu1]

alexander keeps it real everytime

[@rhys1264]

I'd love if you also did reviews of food places that aren't fancy restaurants -- like more BBQ places!

[@jonyork9143]

I appreciate your candid reviews. Service expectations in USA are definatley different. Either way the service team certainly needs to adjust. I much prefer the European style of service. Many thanks to you.

[@Riskmangler]

"A red flower in a snowy field." - Also the perfect description of this channel compared to everything else on KZbin.

[@TheElectronPusher]

Wonderful to see Chateau Montelena mentioned here. Bottleshock is a fun movie worth watching, thanks to the great Alan Rickman.

[@racapinang]

Great resolution, Alex! I too disliked an event that is very mechanical and offers no room for improvisation, feels like there's no room for a soul!

[@GrayWolfAtlas]

u can never go wrong with Texas BBQ

[@lordmaster5522]

At 13:45 does that include tips already or is that another 20% on top of the $1,582?

[@philipgrasso6255]

100% agree about Atelier Crenn! One of the most expensive 3 Star Michelin restaurants in CA ($526 with tax and tip, not including beverages) and arguably the most meh-overthought and robotic. Beautiful presentation but lacking flavor. It doesn’t hold a candle to TFL which is warm, approachable, and steeped in history yet pushes the culinary experience forward.