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Four Bell Odds
Posted by Foobooz on January 30th, 2012
We spent much of the weekend obsessing over what restaurants would be getting Four Bells from Craig LaBan when he resets his top rankings. We know he currently has four restaurants with Four Bells (The Fountain, Lacroix, Le Bec-Fin and Vetri).
We’re betting at least one current four-beller drops a bell so there will be at least two new four-bell restaurants. But which ones? Here’s our best guess at handicapping the field.
- Vetri 1/5
- Fountain 2/3
- Lacroix 1/1
- Le Bec-Fin 5/3
- Osteria 3/1
- Bibou 3/1
- Zahav 4/1
- Blackfish 8/1
- Talula’s Garden 10/1
- a.kitchen 15/1
- Barclay Prime 20/1
- Fond 25/1
- Mica 25/1
- JG Domestic 25/1
- Supper 30/1
- Ela 40/1
- Amada 50/1
- Tashan 50/1
- Talula’s Table 50/1
- Vedge 75/1
- Barbuzzo 80/1
- Distrito 80/1
- Amis 100/1
- Dandelion 100/1
- Le Virtu 100/1
- Route 6 150/1
- Barcade 50,000,000 /1
- Serafina 100,000,000/1
Related Tags: Craig LaBan, For Whom The Bells Toll, Four Bells
January 30th, 2012 at 11:26 am
i should book seats at all these places for next weekend and sell the reservations. people gotta chill.
January 30th, 2012 at 11:36 am
Hey doofus — don’t you even read your own magazine? Last March LaBan told Philly Mag a four bell rating is based in part on longevity — to be eligible a resto has got to be in existence for AT LEAST two years. Which rules out about half the ones you handicap: http://www.phillymag.com/restaurants/articles/the_drama_behind_stephen_starr_s_new_restaurant/
Talula’s Table at 50-1? Where can I place a bet?
January 30th, 2012 at 11:48 am
But if he’s updating his four bellers, he can also be updating his own rules.
January 30th, 2012 at 11:50 am
And anyway, if someone wants to make a sucker’s bet, we’ll take the money.
January 30th, 2012 at 11:54 am
this was a really cool idea when i saw it on Eater Philly’s twitter feed yesterday.
January 30th, 2012 at 11:56 am
Barclay Prime at 20:1 ? I’ll put $100 on that. His original review had BP missing 4 bells by the narrowest of margins.
January 30th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Yeah, sure, he’s updating rules he spelled out in detail just nine months ago. Get real Foobooz. Your odds don’t jive with LaBan’s criteria.
January 30th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
I predict Bibou gets it, Lacroix drops.
January 30th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
I predict Hop Sing Laundromat will turn in their 4 bells rating voluntary as LaBan’s review didn’t help their business much in the past year.
January 31st, 2012 at 2:02 pm
Mica was by far one of the best meals I had in 2011. And that included a visit to Osteria in 2011. I’ve been to Vetri and LaCroix. Mica was on the same level IMHO.
January 31st, 2012 at 2:03 pm
The odds on Serafina are too low!!
January 31st, 2012 at 2:23 pm
I don’t know why you handicapped Vedge @ 75-1. I remember that Laban awarded Django with 4 bells and they were only there a few months. Vedge not only serves superfluous food that sets standards in its genre but also serves that food in one of the truly classic restaurant spaces in the city.
January 31st, 2012 at 3:11 pm
Vedge got those odds because LaBan has never given a new restaurant 4 bells and as others have noted, he has previously stated a restaurant must show some staying power to even be considered for four bells. The long odds aren’t really related to the quality of the restaurant but to the likelihood of it getting four bells.
January 31st, 2012 at 4:28 pm
@Veganhata
Superfluous food! That sounds like a recipient of Laban’s No-bell Prize!!!
January 31st, 2012 at 4:34 pm
You also missed the opportunity to handicap which of the current four bells might lose one of their dingalings….
January 31st, 2012 at 4:42 pm
I’m assuming it’s not the 2 restaurants that were once 4 bells but now are out of business: Striped Bass, Susanna Foo. I’m sorry, but Philly needs a fresh food critic. LaBan just isn’t what he used to be. Even some of his 3 Bells (Adsum, Gayle) are gone… I’m sure it will be a Garces, Starr, or Vetri nod as usual.
January 31st, 2012 at 6:23 pm
@Veganhata
Django opened in March of 2001. Laban awarded it 4 bells in January of 2004. So it had been around for almost three years.
Talula’s Table opened in March of 2007, so it’s been around almost five years.
January 31st, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Federal Donuts – you heard it here first. After the review, Foobooz will go dark for a week while it upgrades its Comments server.