Do you recall the bloggers who broke the global record for the most fast-food places visited? Cling on. There was another record-breaking event in the culinary world recently along similar lines. It does seem too fantastic to be true. This time, a dedicated foodie made history by dining at 18 Michelin-starred establishments in a single day. Eric Finkelstein dined at some of New York’s most prestigious eateries to set the record. His narrative has since been revealed by Guinness World Records, and reading it will prompt you to reconsider your love of eating.
The idea of dining at pricey establishments was only sometimes appealing to Eric Finkelstein. Things changed when he was forced to leave the city for a while due to the pandemic. Eric understood the significance of all those culinary options he had never considered before while away from New York. When he got back, he joined a group on Discord, an instant messaging service, and discovered this Guinness World Record achievement there.
He remarked, “It merged my passions of working for a checklist, working toward something stupid, and eating interesting cuisine.” Let us tell you that it was not as simple as it may sound to accomplish “this outstanding accomplishment.” It needed months of preparation, planning, and securing reservations at some of New York’s most popular dining establishments.
On October 26, 2022, Eric attempted to break a record. Le Pavillon in Midtown was the first stop, where he had a grilled avocado salad for $36. (roughly INR 2,970). His next stop was the Caviar Russe restaurant. No points for figuring out what he ate. Of course, a $25 caviar dish (around INR 2,000).
Along with these delicacies, Eric also enjoyed oysters at The Modern, steak tartare at Oiji Mi, a bowl of lingonberries at Aquavit in Midtown, and grilled scallops at Tuome in Alphabet City served with grapefruit and chrysanthemum. He finished the day with a sea urchin and chawanmushi with caviar on top. Eric spent $494 (or about INR 40,000) on his culinary journey. PS: Taxes and tips are not included. Eric calculates that he had 5,000 calories in total throughout the day.
When asked to name his favourite meal out of all the meals he consumed over those 11 hours, Eric responded that there was a “three-way tie.” “The Fluke Crudo at Casa Mono (fresh with surprising waves of flavor), Duck Mortadella at Francie (the buttery bread practically melted in my mouth), and Everything Brioche at Red Paper Clip (satisfyingly soft, with a combination of sweet and savory flavors),” he added in a brief description of each of the three dishes.
Unexpectedly, Eric has already set a few Guinness World Records. He is the holder of two table tennis records. The record for the longest table tennis serve was set in 2021 at 15.57 meters (51 feet, 1 inch). In 2022, “Largest table tennis ball mosaic: 29.12 m2 (313 ft2 6 in2).” He, Ben Rizzo, and Raaj Shah hold the second record (USA).