I question whether a Noma residency, with its high price tag and limited number of seats, is taking much away from the larger LA food scene in terms of diners in chairs and share of wallet. Most people who eat out in LA (or anywhere) have barely heard of Noma, and the ones who have, even most of the ones who have some reverence for RR, didn’t even try to get tickets. Most people who are following it are following it as a curiosity, or a head-shaker, or an amazing-but-unobtainable spectacle. I’m sure there are a lot of LA diners who would love to go, being aware of RR and Noma from IG for years, but never even considered it an option for themselves. But I would be shocked if a measurable number have reduced their normal eating out to attend Noma. I have no idea what the percentage is of people flying in for a meal there. I suspect it’s a fair amount. I also suspect those people will eat at other LA restaurants while they are in town. My friends who live in Kyoto said that, while Noma was in town, restaurants all over were hopping. Not only that, they said interest and attendance remained higher among locals afterwards. People talked, shared recommendations, got excited about eating out in general. You could argue that the bump up from one short residency was small, temporary and limited to people inclined to eat out in the first place. But if you make that argument, you’d have to also grant the point that any taking away from the overall dining scene was also small, temporary and limited to people inclined to be interested in a restaurant like Noma in the first place.
Robert’s point about the attention and buzz this residency is bringing to the LA food scene is important and real, and I think it’s a mistake to dismiss it. We may not like everything that social media has done to the world of dining, be it fine or not – it drives me crazy that I can’t get reservations at some of my favorite places since they got attention from some famous influencer, and I’ve head numerous complaints from restauranteurs about folks showing up just to order some viral dish and take a selfie with it – but the distaste doesn’t mean I can’t see how important it is for a restaurant’s success in this day and age. Yes, there are still wonderful neighborhood places that keep going without one mention on IG ever. I love those places, seek them out and recommend them warmly when asked. No small number of those places, though, actively post on social media hoping to attract more diners. It’s the world we live in, for better or for worse. Noma’s residency in LA is certainly a child of that world, and we can hate it for the things about it that are hateful. But we don’t need to paint it with a brush it doesn’t really deserve, nor ignore the good things that come with the bad.
I think the mud slung at Robert here is unfair. Yes, he’s a very active IG influencer, and some people have a negative gut reaction against that. Fair enough, I get it. Being fair should happen on both sides, though, and it’s a mistake not to acknowledge the great amount of good Robert has single-handedly done for dozens of restaurants in NY, LA, Paris, San Francisco and beyond. I think anyone who has had even a passing look at his posts knows that Robert is far, far from focused on the Michelin stars, Top 50, celebrity chefs etc. Just as he drinks across the spectrum of the highest end wines to unknown, tiny, inexpensive producers, his restaurant attendance and support runs the gamut. He gets his ideas for new places to try from everywhere – he asks taxi drivers for recommendations of where they like to eat! And he goes to those places, writes about them, supports them (when good, lol). I honestly don’t know how he has the energy for it – it’s relentless, and his enthusiasm is boundless. It’s also boundlessly positive, excited, encouraging, broad, generous and reaches into pockets of potential diners that are far from the normal tiny circle of foodie fiends. It’s also deeply engaged and concerned. I know a lot of wealthy people who eat out all the time, but have never considered doing anything to help support a struggling community. To me, it’s not boasting when he alludes to how often he eats out, it’s establishing that what he says is based on real, first hand, experience that goes beyond what 99% of restaurant-goers ever see. He is deserving of great respect, even if he swims in a pond that you rightly find suspect.
