Across America, the steakhouse has become an institution, a place where big slabs of beef are given the sheen of refined décor and service. They’re the kind of restaurant that’s able to meld an air of fine dining and comfort food. But for as much as Americans love steakhouses, Michelin is very particular about the ones it will give its stamp of approval. After all, there are more Michelin three-starred restaurants in America than there are one-starred steakhouses in the entire world. The precursors to steakhouses as we know them today—chophouses—opened in London in the 1690s, catering more to a working-class clientele. They ventured across the pond to New York City with a similar aim, but in the U.S. there was also the “Beefsteak,” which were big meat-filled banquets that served the Big Apple’s upper crust. Eventually, the modern steakhouse was born in Gotham, with higher-quality cuts than a chophouse and diners..
