Someone Just Broke the Record for Eating at the Most Michelin-Starred Restaurants in a Day

Scoring a reservation at any Michelin-starred restaurant can be a challenge, let alone two, three, or heck, 18 in a single day. But not if you're Eric Finkelstein, as he just set a new Guinness World Record for eating at the most Michelin-starred restaurants during a 24-hour period.

Finkelstein told Guinness, he started thinking about the record after joining a food-related group on the Discord social platform. "I loved the idea," he said. "It combined my loves of eating interesting food, working towards a checklist, and working toward something silly."

But this wasn't the kind of challenge you could just roll out of bed and get started on. Finkelstein spent several months reaching out to over 80 Michelin-starred restaurants scattered throughout New York City's five boroughs to stack as many reservations as possible in a single day. He only heard back from 10 of them, and by the time he made reservations, four of them were no longer eligible after losing their Michelin stars. That led to another flurry of calls and emails, and he eventually put together an 18-restaurant itinerary for his eating day — October 26, 2022. (Though Finkelstein has long since paid the tab for his eventful afternoon, Guinness has only recently certified his achievement as an official World Record.) 

According to the New York Post, Finkelstein's Michelin-star marathon started at Le Pavillon, where he ate a grilled avocado salad with einkorn berries, charred kale and yogurt green goddess dressing, and it ended with a caviar-dressed chawanmushi at Noda. In a little over 11 hours, Finkelstein ate at 18 restaurants, including four two-star spots (Aquavit, Jungsik, Momofuku Ko, and The Modern) and 14 one-star locations. 

He estimates he ate around 5,000 calories and spent $494 on the day, not including tax or the 30% tips he left at each location. (The Post also notes that he opted for the "smallest and quickest" foods at each restaurant — which explains why he left Aquavit after eating a bowl of nothing but lingonberries.) 

The full list of restaurants and the items that Finkelstein hurriedly enjoyed are: 

Aquavit: Four-ounce bowl of lingonberries ($15) 
Bâtard: Beef tartare and garlic toast ($28) 
Casa Mono: Fluke crudo with spicy cucumbers and calamansi ($21)
Caviar Russe: One teaspoon of Pacific sturgeon caviar with creme fraiche and blini ($25)
Cote: Four-ounce filet mignon with scallion and carrot side slaw ($34) 
Francie: Duck mortadella atop brioche with pistachio mustard ($15)
Gramercy Tavern: Duck liver mousse with pickled vegetables and plum accompaniment ($21)
Jungsik: Octopus with gochujang aioli ($30)
Le Coucou: Yellowfin tuna a la Portuguese ($26) 
Le Pavillon: Grilled avocado salad with einkorn berries, charred kale and yogurt green goddess dressing ($36) 
Momofuku Ko: One cold fried chicken drumstick ($7) 
The Modern: Prince Edward Island oysters with kumquat mignonette and charred lime ($26) 
The Musket Room: Kristal caviar service with creme fraiche, egg confit, and milk bread ($10)
Noda: Chawanmushi with uni and caviar ($30) 
Oiji Mi: Beef tartare on toasted brioche with pickle and Kaluga caviar ($24)
Red Paper Clip: Everything brioche topped with cured trout, salmon caviar, and miso yolk ($18) 
Tuome: ​​Grilled scallops with grapefruit, calamansi, and chrysanthemum ($26)
Vestry: Smoked trout with butternut squash and maple ($14)

After fully digesting his accomplishment (and his 18-course, 11-hour meal), Finkelstein told Guinness that his three favorite courses were from Casa Mono, Francie, and Red Paper Clip. 

If you're trying to choose a Michelin-starred spot to visit in New York, Finkelstein's selections are a good place to start — but don't feel obligated to hit all 18, at least not in one afternoon.