A moment ago NPR's The World featured an interview with an editor of Restaurant Magazine, which has just published their annual list of the 50 best restaurants in the world.

Obviously I can't offer much genuinely informed comment -- none of the restaurants are in DC, and the closest I've come to eating in any of them is walking by Chez Panisse. But, I do have to say that the rationale provided for listing Britain's The Fat Duck as the best in the world seems a bit lame. Making ill-advised ice creams and sorbets out of savory ingredients -- wasn't that whimsical and innovative when we saw it on Iron Chef, say, five years ago? Sigh. Despite their staggeringly high output of good rock & roll per capita, I guess there's no avoiding the occasional British tendency to be wildly impressed with essentially stupid ideas.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with falling for superficial novelty. I do it all the time, after all, so it must be okay. But aren't foams supposed to be the dumb food fad of the moment? Get with the times, guys. Sardine ice cream is so over.