There are so few occasions in our memory, and so few places in an imperfect world, where one arrives at a destination with an unconditional expectation of perfection. There are even fewer locations which, after much hope and anticipation, actually deliver on this promise, leaving the visitor completely fulfilled. To a music lover, an evening with the Vienna Philharmonic in the Golden Hall has been known to deliver this level of excellence, and others might consider a performance of the Bolshoi Ballet to aspire to this standard. In athletics, perfection is rarely attained. A baseball pitcher’s perfect game, for instance, is about as elusive as the perfect score of a diver or a gymnast, and as unlikely as the flawless performance of a soccer star.

A three-star restaurant in Europe, so rated by the Michelin guide to denote the achievement of the highest level of culinary success by a European chef, has for many years been the setting for extraordinary expectations, bordering on perfection. The clients who step into these fine rooms gladly pay dearly for the honor of being served practically flawless dishes in the most exquisite environment imaginable. [read more]

by Diana DeLucia

by Donald Bernstein