Philadelphia: Le Bec Fin (May 2010)

Le Bec-Fin first opened in 1970. Owner and founder Georges Perrier named the restaurant after the French colloquialism for "fine palate". The restaurant had been rated America's finest French restaurant, and the Mobil Travel Guide traditionally awarded it five stars. Perrier sold Le Bec-Fin to one of its former managers, Nicolas Fanucci, in February 2012, and Fanucci reopened Le Bec-Fin in June; however, the restaurant closed again in June 2013. (Master chef Walter Abrams, formerly of the restaurant French Laundry, led the kitchen during the Fanucci ownership, stressing locally-grown ingredients and fresh produce.) Perrier trained at La Pyramide in Vienne, France. He moved to the USA in 1967 at the age of 21, and started working in Philadelphia in the late 1960s. After its opening in 1970 at 1312 Spruce St. (Perrier was 23), Le Bec-Fin soon established a reputation as Philadelphia's finest restaurant . By 1981, Le Bec-Fin was known as the leader of the "Philadelphia restaurant revolution". The restaurant moved to its current location on Walnut St. in 1983. Esquire described it as the best French restaurant in America and a 1994 Condé Nast reader's poll ranked it as the best restaurant in the country. Perrier's cuisine favors traditional French ingredients with high quality produce from throughout the world The wine list favored selections from the borders of France and some standouts from the new world. Perrier made extensive changes to the restaurant after the Mobil Travel Guide reduced it to four star status in the 2001 Mobil Travel Guide. The interior was remodeled, the wine list expanded, and Perrier relinquished command of his restaurant to the head chef. Said Perrier to his staff, "Change everything but the chandeliers." In the 2003 guide, the fifth star was restored. In 2008, Le Bec-Fin gave up its 5-star rating in favor of a more relaxed atmosphere. This loss dropped the number of American 5-star restaurants to 16. The change to a more relaxed atmosphere includes à la carte dining as opposed to a fixed price menu with strict seating schedule. In January 2009, the French government awarded Perrier the Legion d'Honneur.