What happens when you have a lot of cash to burn, a hollow leg and a hankering for global recognition? You set the mark recognized by the Guinness World Records for dining at the most Michelin-starred restaurants in a single day, of course.
Meet Eric Finkelstein. The Washington Post says the 34-year-old dined at 18 Michelin-starred restaurants within a 24-hour period on October 26, 2022. GWR recently certified his accomplishment.
He dined at swanky New York City places such as Le Pavillon, Aquavit, Caviar Russe and The Modern. The undertaking cost him $494, before taxes and tips. He said he noshed on caviar, oysters, steak tartare and other fancy treats.
Finkelstein said he had been planning on breaking the record since 2021 after learning the record stood at 12 restaurants. He contacted numerous Michelin-starred restaurants to book his attempt and, from there, created a schedule and map of his restaurant crawl.
He said he spent roughly 30 to 45 minutes at each stop before finishing his quest at the Japanese venue Noda.
This is Finkelstein’s third world record: He also has the record for longest table tennis serve and largest mosaic made of table tennis balls.
As for why he decided to tackle food, he told the paper, “It was just me trying to do something that I thought was, like, fun and funny.”
He says he’s planning on breaking even more records in the future.