The Good Life

When Michelin published its first-ever guide to New York City restaurants and hotels last week, the name Nicholas Chauvin popped into my head. Chauvin was that 19th-century French soldier whose hyperpatriotism spawned the term "chauvinism." And the Michelin's coveted star list is one Chauvin would love. Of the 500-odd Big Apple restaurants covered in the guide, 39 made the list. Of the top eight--those that received either two or three stars--four are French, and two others cook in the French manner. Is this 1975? I wondered. French supremacy on the restaurant scene has been over for a couple of decades in the United States, and our collective hearts sank when the Michelins failed to recognize how New York has been invigorated by American restaurants of great confidence and skill, restaurants with dazzling finesse and a thoroughly American lack of pretension. Sure, the glamorous Jean Georges still thrills, and we're amazed at how often the chef himself is in the kitchen. But they award three stars to Alain Ducasse (whose chef-- sacre bleu! -- was fired during their judging period after The New York Times removed a star) and Thomas Keller's Per Se, when savvy New Yorkers have long ceased confusing great restaurants with the Church of High Food.

Allo ? What about the real New York of Gotham Bar & Grill (open since 1984), the Four Seasons (1959), Gramercy Tavern (1994), Chanterelle (1979) and the recently triumphant The Modern (2005)? They'd be on my three-star list. And what of the food New York really loves--Japanese? Michelin gives two stars to Masa, that sliver of Tokyo in a shopping mall, where it costs $350 just to park your bottom in one of the 27 seats, when five blocks directly south, at the splendid Sugiyama, the chef prepares exquisite kaiseki dishes before your eyes at far more digestible prices.

Italian cuisine, too, is primo in New York, so where's Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali, not only of Babbo (one star) but Lupa, too? Or Cesare Casella's Beppe, Scott Conant's L'Impero, David Pasternack's Esca and Jonathan Waxman's Barbuto ?

What do stars matter, anyway? In France, among Americans, three stars often means a place largely to be avoided: too formal, too full of itself, too full of American tourists. The fun, the possibility of an authentic experience, happens in the one-stars.

And to be sure, Michelin NYC's one-star list makes some good points: in Greenwich Village, it's great to see the refined gem Annisa get the recognition it deserves, though one star too few. Come to think of it, that's the criticism most New Yorkers would make of seeing such faves as Eleven Madison Park and Prune and Craft either one- or un-starred.

When Michelin took on New York, we had higher hopes. Like Puck, it held up a mirror to our city, and we wished to see more of ourselves truly reflected.

Once, building an art collection was the preserve only of those who could accommodate Miros and Matisses in a Mayfair mansion or on a Monte Carlo yacht. Recently, however, art buying has broadened its appeal, with fairs and galleries accommodating art lovers who may want to spend as little as $150 on contemporary works. "It becomes a hobby, then a lifestyle," says Michael Sellinger, an art consultant and producer of the-Scope art fair. "You visit London for a long weekend, or head to Miami just as it's starting to get cold. You go to all these parties, meet like-minded collectors and it becomes a social club."

And what better way to build your collection than by planning a holiday around one of the world's top art fairs? GOOD LIFE scopes them out:

Between Dec. 1 and 6, all the fun of the world's best-known international art fair, Art Basel (June 14-18, 2006), heads to Miami, where 195 galleries from around the globe will show works by more than 2,000 artists. The exhibition sites are located in the city's Art Deco District, near restaurants and beaches, and galleries lay on a whirlwind of parties and special exhibitions ( www.artbasel.com ).

If such an encyclopedic fair seems overwhelming, try the more manageable -ScopeMiami (Dec. 1-4) or -ScopeNewYork (March 10-13, 2006). These fairs require galleries to focus largely on one-person exhibitions, allowing collectors to explore an artist's work in depth ( scope-art.com ).

Works at the Contemporary Art Society's ARTfutures sale in London (Nov. 23-27) are handpicked by independent experts like ArtReview editor Rebecca Wilson, ensuring that you're choosing from the best--not just the artists galleries want to promote. Prices are capped at $9,000; experts are on hand to offer guidance, and the CAS also organizes talks and tours of exhibitions and up-and-coming studios ( contempart.org.uk ). Remember to pick works that you love; they may be on your wall for a very long time.

As digital photography prices fall and features improve, more amateur shooters are upgrading to pro-caliber cameras. By 2007, the market is expected to more than double for digital SLRs, or single-lens reflex cameras, now that their prices have dropped below $1,000. These heavies feature interchangeable lenses and a bewildering array of manual settings--so many that their instruction booklets are often inadequate. Ditto for most photo software. The new question facing SLR owners: how the heck do you use these things?

To learn more about your new camera's mechanics, try the Magic Lantern books ($20; amazon.com ) or the JumpStart Guides on DVD ($30; adorama.com ). The "Teach Yourself Visually" series ($25; amazon.com ) explains advanced computer editing. Head to the Web for help with esthetics: moosepeterson.com has essential tips on composition and lighting for wild- life and nature photography. And if the promise of breathtaking shots tempts the semipro in you, visit santafeworkshops.com and leppinstitute.com for info on weeklong courses ($895 to $1,050). Now snap away.

Shopping for diamonds? Here's how to make sure your bling is the real thing. Start at the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices ( responsiblejewellery.com ), where the big names pledge to eschew child labor, use international quality standards and protect the Earth. That may not be enough, though. Members can't actually monitor all their standards, so ask your jeweler where the diamonds are from (South Africa has higher worker standards than Angola). Also, ask your jeweler to demonstrate that the diamonds have been certified by the Kimberley Process, a warranty that they haven't been smuggled or sold to fund illegal activity. Then you can show off that rock with pride.