Those are all in France. But there are plenty of rural world-class restaurants in the US. White Barn Inn (Maine) and Inn At Little Washington (Virginia), Meadowood (CA) and French Laundry (CA) are four such restaurants.
World Class restaurants will attract foodies from all over the World.
@Alexandre The Lark is still in business. My parents took me there for my HS graduation dinner just a few weeks ago. The duck salad and Ghengis Khan rack of lamb are amazing.
@Alexandre… while I have not been there in far too long, the White Barn Inn was a destination for a number of my wedding anniversaries for dining and lodging. Very, very nice indeed. Another favorite vacation spot is Nantucket, and The Chanticleer is a historic and highly regarded french restaurant that has been an island favorite for many years.
halswag15, White Barn Inn is a very special place and proves, without a doubt, that a world-class property can flourish in a rural environment because people will travel if the food and accommodations are excellent. It is easier for a restaurant of that calibre to do well in a rural/suburban area if it is part of an equally noteworthy hotel/inn. All of the restaurants I mentioned in posts 38 and 40 are part of very nice inns/hotels.
I am fairly certain that such a property would do very well in Ann Arbor, if it is properly advertised.
96blue, thanks for confirming that the Lark is still around. The rack of lamb was always one of its best recipes. They do a great foie gras as well.
"But there are plenty of rural world-class restaurants in the US. White Barn Inn (Maine) and Inn At Little Washington (Virginia), Meadowood (CA) and French Laundry (CA) are four such restaurants.
World Class restaurants will attract foodies from all over the World."
The location of these restaurants is what helps to make them world class too Alexandre. Millions of tourists flock to these “rural” areas since they are very well known: such as Napa Valley; or located near world class cities, such as Boston or Washington DC. Michigan has some wonderful areas, but it’s most revered vacation destinations are no where near any major and extremely well heeled population centers. Like I said; if the support were there, there would be more high end restaurants in the state.
rjk, DC and Boston are not such a touristic cities. There are more than a dozen cities in the US that attract more travellers. They obviously attract more tourists than Detroit (but not by as big a margin as you may imagine), but Chicago attracts as many travellers as DC and Boston combined. By the way, Detroit metro attracted 15 million visitors last year…as opposed to 21 at Boston and 18 million at DC. Admittedly, many of those visiting Detroit are Ann Arbor-bound, and many of them are travelling for work. But such travellers are as likely to seek out high-end restaurants as tourists.
But those numbers mean very little. People who visit Boston do not simply get in a cab and wander 90 miles north to Maine randomly. Same with the Inn at Little Washington. Those who go to those inns make the journey especially to sample their cuisine, usually without visiting other neighboring areas.
I think you underestimate the main feeder into such a restaurant; a large nearby city. You have tens of thousands of wealthy residents within a 50 mile radius of Ann Arbor (doctors, lawyers, Big 3 E-Banders etc…). You have just as many wealthy alumni and business travellers who visit frequently. Chicago is not far away either. Finally, like I said, foodies will make the pilgrimage if the restaurant is world-class. All it takes is 40-50 diners nightly to make such a restaurant succeed. Location is not the issue, quality and awards are.
http://www.ibtimes.com/20-most-popular-us-cities-international-travelers-1549178
Chicago, DC, Boston… 9-10-11…
Detroit no where to be found.
No Detroit in this listing either:
http://www.multivu.com/mnr/70425520-tripadvisor-travelers-choice-awards-top-destinations
Top 25 Travelers’ Choice U.S. Destinations:
My point is that Michigan is not a destination that lends itself to the highly sophisticated tourists that will spend the top dollar that is necessary for a haute cuisine restaurant to survive.
rjk, a world class restaurant in Ann Arbor would not only survive, it would likely do so well that it would attract at least one or to others that will do just as well.
You attach too much importance to random tourism (not at all related to high end restaurants) and not enough to foodie tourism (completely driven by the quality of the restaurant, regardless of location).
But it should be noted that foodie tourism is only relevant to restaurants located in tiny locales far removed from any major populated area. Restaurants like Maison Troisgros or Schloss Berg. That is not the case with Ann Arbor, which has a population of 5 million within a 50 mile radius, of which roughly 10% are high middle income to high net worth individuals that can easily afford the price of a meal at a world class restaurant.
In addition to the wealthy local population, you have a large number of alums who return to Ann Arbor for special occasions or for leisure, and many of those would also likely add much to the patronage of such restaurants.
One of the essential qualities to a world class restaurant is direct access to fresh and excellent ingredients grown locally, especially vegetables and meats. Believe it or not, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Indiana are fertile areas for great produce. Another very important ingredient is a talented and creative chef with a strong support cast. One of the best chefs in the US for the last 15 years is Achaz Grant (Trio and Alinea), who actually grew up in Michigan.
The only reason why a world class restaurant does not exist in the area is because nobody has taken the initiative. The Lark is very good (worthy of one Michelin star), but it is not close to being world class. Other restaurants have tried to raise the bar, but none of them managed to put together a kitchen capable of creating world class cuisine. But trust me, if Cincinnati was capable of sustaining what many believe was the best restaurant in the US throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Ann Arbor can too!
Well, we’re never going to agree on this subject Alexandre. Let’s wait and see when/if a world class restaurant opens in Ann Arbor and becomes successful. Id be glad to be proved wrong!
Indubitably, rjk…indubitably! Who knows, I may be the man to do it! 
Save your money for a better investment.
Hehe! I like to diversify, and I have a healthy risk appetite.
LOL. ok. You get the last word on this…sort of.
Alexandre can become the Alice Waters of Ann Arbor.