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Michelin Guide knocks Daniel down to 2 stars

By WTOP Staff

J.M. HIRSCH
AP Food Editor

The Michelin Guide’s latest roster of top New York City restaurants says Brooklyn and Queens are hot, but Daniel Boulud has lost a little sizzle.

For the past three years, the same seven restaurants have held a virtual lock on the organization’s coveted three-star rating: Daniel, Per Se, Masa, Le Bernardin, Eleven Madison Park, Jean Georges and Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare. But this year, only six maintained the honor for the guide’s 10th edition, which goes on sale Wednesday. Daniel, Boulud’s flagship Upper East Side restaurant, was bumped down to two stars.

“We obviously prefer to give stars than to take them away. Unfortunately, over numerous meals this year at Daniel he just wasn’t firing on all cylinders to maintain a third star,” Michael Ellis, director of the Michelin guides, said by telephone Tuesday. “There’s not one thing that I could point out. There was just not that consistency over the meals.”

Michelin guides, which cover 24 countries, are considered among the premier ratings of the restaurant world. Based on the experiences of anonymous inspectors, the guides award ratings of one, two or three stars using criteria including quality of ingredients, mastery of technique, how the chef’s personality is expressed in the food, and consistency.

A total of 874 restaurants spanning 60 cuisines are included in the 2015 edition of the New York City guide; 73 of them got star ratings.

“We are, of course, disappointed to not receive three stars from Michelin, but two stars is still an honor,” Boulud said via email. “Our team at Restaurant Daniel is committed to excellence, and we look forward to seeing Michelin again in 2015!”

Ellis said some of the most exciting cooking in New York is happening outside Manhattan. Twenty of the restaurants included in the guide added stars (including some that earned their first star). Of those, 11 were outside Manhattan, including eight in Brooklyn. “This shows the exciting, vibrant cooking scene that is in the outer boroughs,” he said.

Brooklyn has a total of 10 starred restaurants, including several new additions: Mid-Atlantic American-inspired Delaware and Hudson; Polo Dobkin’s Meadowsweet; Andy Ricker’s Pok Pok Ny; Take Root; La Vera; and Lucksus at Torst. Queens has four: Casa Enrique, Danny Brown Wine Bar and Kitchen, M. Wells Steakhouse and Zabb Elee.

In addition to Daniel, the city has eight other two-star restaurants: Matthew Lightner’s seasonally focused Atera; Soto, Sotohiro Kosugi’s sushi bar; David Chang’s tasting menu-driven Momofuku Ko; Marea, Michael White’s ode to high-end Italian seafood; Jungsik, which features contemporary Korean cuisine by Jungsik Yim; Carlos Mirachi’s Blanca; Emma Bengtsson’s Nordic-inspired Aquavit; and Eiji Ichimura’s sushi at Ichimura.

New York is one of three American cities that have Michelin guides to their restaurants. The others are Chicago and San Francisco.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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