so, this whole award of excellence thing brings up a good question. does anyone know of restaurants who don't have the award, or don't apply for it, and why?

like, alinea certainly has a noteworthy wine program, but it's never in there. and the guy in birmingham, ala.

any input?

Chain #1
Chain #2

The thread has been closed for people looking for a fight, or to put down WS. Go post on your blog instead of here.

There's a restaurant in a local train station here in Luxemburg, it's called 'Café de la Gare'. They dont have a WS award. I wonder why they didn't apply.
A few local McDonald's restaurants didn't apply for a WS award too, dont ask me why.
And oh, i heard from a restaurant in China that has no WS award. Rumours were not conclusive enough to judge why they didn't apply.

hm. fair enough.

how about alinea in chicago, held by some to be the best restaurant in the US? those are the places that i'm asking about -- not looking for a fight, just frankly wondering what makes some places not apply. i think it's a fair question, even for a newbie?

Michael, I think the easy answer, in my opinion at least, is that some owners, chefs, or sommeliers don't see the award as fitting into the model of their business or exactly complimenting their efforts in one way or another.

There must be some deep mystical reason why some restaurants apply for a WS award and others not:
My guess is that either freemasonry or the Illuminati play a decisive role.