The NoMad
Hey, even Michelin will not give an explanation when they take away your star. I’m better than that. So lets stop the hate mail, and threats, and allow me to explain the absentees
The NoMad – Last meal including the shaky service was simply not up to par. The place feels a lot more touristy these days perhaps due to the fame and/or location becoming a major hotel zone. When you eat there, there’s no denying that you are eating inside a hotel no matter what room you choose. And higher prices making it more challenging to stay under the $100 mark unless you are a vegetarian. I do like what they do at the NoMad Bar however and I prefer to go there
Ma Peche – A slow, steady decline for me since chef Paul got shipped to Sydney. It gotten too hit or miss while my favorite dishes were getting erased one at a time. The last straw was the inexcusable disappearance of the Cajun wings. I miss that Carribean element chef Paul introduced. Much prefer Nishi, but Ma Peche in that area is still a decent choice
Le Philosophe – Closed. Coincidentally ate the new tenant Fish Cheeks last night. Review to come
Babbo – My reasoning for excluding this one is not as solid as the other ones. Babbo is like the grandaddy, the Peter Luger of NYC Italian scene, and in some ways it has something to do with it. I just find places like Pasquale Jones, Lilia and even something like Osteria Morini a little bit more interesting today. The menu is way too big, the place is very touristy, but for the most part they do everything well
Golden Unicorn – I still think this is a good option for weekend dim sum but there are other places I rather go for Chinese. Like Biang!
Pam Real Thai – Still love Pam, nothing changed. In fact nothing seemed to change in the past 15 years. They have the same specials on the board for as long as I remember, and on their menu they simply cross out stuff they dont have anymore with a pen. But with the addition of Uncle Boons I felt like I needed to remove one of the many Thai and this was a no brainer. In Hell’s Kitchen I do prefer Pure Thai Cookhouse these days, and as much as I love Pam, I never felt entirely comfortable recommending the space
Babbo
Eating With Ziggy 
Ah, that explains a lot. Very good reasons for the drops and inclusions. But I’m very happy to say that Chef Paul’s shipment to Sydney is our gain and your loss unfortunately…..
Thanks for the explanations. But please note that Caribbean has one “r” and two “b”s. I once went to. Caribbean restaurant that spelled Caribbean incorrectly on the menu. The food reflected that degree of cultural understanding.