Agreed. But it is more work than trying to get a reservation at a place like COQADAQ? (Assuming one does not have extra resources like a concierge service etc.)
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I did a little experiment. I tried three not exactly random places in my neighborhood (East Village), places that looked good and I had heard something about but not at all hard to get in. Sadly none were even close to the restaurants in my normal rotation.
A slight pivot, are the Top 50 hardest to get reservations in Manhattan the best? I would wager, without having eaten at the Top 50, the answer is no. But its certainly possible that a few of them (or most) may other peopleās favoriteā¦ in which case my #11 wouldnāt apply.
It depends on who creates the list. I would say there are not too many restaurants outside of my personal top 50 that are better for me. Of course there are someā¦
Well, thatās what I did. Not sure Iād recommend it for everybodyā¦ 
Yes, almost by definition it is hard to find the same pleasure the further one goes down in oneās own subjective rankings.
But, the broader point raised by @Shan_A is the same one that often comes up with the rare blue chip wines. Is it worth the extra cost/effort to get an extra .0001% bump in quality. This is an old topic so we all know the angles and how those calculations vary according to personal resources, interests, personality-types etc etc.
For me, Iām at a stage in life where I have very little tolerance for any restaurant hassle. I donāt need to go through any great rigmarole (or stand in any line) in order to give someone else my money!
But, clearly restaurants are part of the high arts of dining and entertainment, so the frenzy has positive aspects.
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To be clear, we all have our own definition of food/wine rigmarole.
I have no problem going to the farmers market 4 times per week, or cycling 15 minutes every week to the only place (Fong An) where I would consider buying tofu.
But I will not stand in line 1 hour to buy bagels! (We all choose our battlesā¦)
perhaps i am in the minority, but post pandemic dining leaves a lot to be desired. high prices, questionable service, and wine lists filled with readily available wines from current vintages (even at some of my past favorite haunts in europe) makes it all an easy pass. not to mention, menus at āambitiousā restaurants seem uninspired and derivative at the moment. could just be too many years on the michelin circuit for me, but i certainly prioritize simple food, low cost, and low effort when eating out these days.
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When you say āpost pandemic diningā does that mean you attribute some of the change to the pandemic?
if i recall correctly quite a few wine lists/cellars were liquidated during this time. generally speaking i think changes in economic conditions have made an already tough business even tougher. the recent thread on sommeliers highlights some of these points.
Not to mention many professionals left the restaurant industry.
I think the Pandemic killed Michelin tasting menu dining for me, especially in the US, although Iām uncertain how much of my disinterest is been there, done that. We still make a point to go to Kitchen Table and Ikoyi in London, one or two rotating spots in Paris, and others here and there in Europe, but much less frequently than before.
Iām much happier with smaller meals, especially at night, and I have better things to do during the day than sit in a restaurant that isnāt Les Enfants du March for hours
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Running with the wine analogueā¦ my point was also that there are often wines that donāt make the āTop 10ā lists that are pretty great. I donāt buy those lists have the absolute best wine (or food as it may be) when all factors are considered. But to Robās point, (i) you have to find the alternatives and (ii) if one simply loves Mouton and has the access to drink it all the time, then they have less/no reason to seek out PLL, Montrose etc as the case may be.