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[[Image:Michelin nyc 2006.jpg|thumb|right|175px|New York City 2006<br>First Michelin Red Guide for North America]]
[[Image:Michelin nyc 2006.jpg|thumb|right|175px|New York City 2006<br>First Michelin Red Guide for North America]]
The '''Michelin Guide''' ([[French language|French]]: ''Guide Michelin'') is a series of annual [[guide book]]s published by [[Michelin]] for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin '''Red Guide''', the oldest and best-known [[Europe]]an hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the '''Michelin stars'''. Michelin also publishes '''Green Guides''' for travel and tourism, as well as several newer publications such as the ''Guide Voyageur Pratique'' (independent travel), ''Guide Gourmand'' (good-value eating-places), ''Guide Escapade'' (quick breaks) and ''Guide Coup de Cœur'' (favourite hotels).
The '''Michelin Guide''' ([[French language|French]]: ''Guide Michelin'') is a series of annual [[guide book]]s published by [[Michelin]] for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin '''Red Guide''', the oldest and best-known [[Europe]]an hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the '''Michelin stars'''. Michelin also publishes '''Green Guides''' for travel and tourism, as well as several newer publications such as the ''Guide Voyageur Pratique'' (independent travel), ''Guide Gourmand'' (good-value eating-places), ''Guide Escapade'' (quick breaks) and ''Guide Coup de Cœur'' (favourite hotels).

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The Michelin Guide has been around since the early 1900s and started as a car and road trip guide. André and Édouard Michelin wanted to create a guide to the best restaurants and accommodations available along the travel route of motorists. The guide quickly became incredibly popular for its restaurant information as it highlighted the most exceptional chefs and eateries. It is now the oldest such publication and is now considered the most well-known and influential guide in the culinary world. Many anxiously await its yearly publication, whether culinary aficionados or industry insiders.
The Michelin Guide has been around since the early 1900s and started as a car and road trip guide. André and Édouard Michelin wanted to create a guide to the best restaurants and accommodations available along the travel route of motorists. The guide quickly became incredibly popular for its restaurant information as it highlighted the most exceptional chefs and eateries. It is now the oldest such publication and is now considered the most well-known and influential guide in the culinary world. Many anxiously await its yearly publication, whether culinary aficionados or industry insiders.

Revision as of 14:57, 24 February 2011

File:Michelin nyc 2006.jpg
New York City 2006
First Michelin Red Guide for North America

The Michelin Guide (French: Guide Michelin) is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars. Michelin also publishes Green Guides for travel and tourism, as well as several newer publications such as the Guide Voyageur Pratique (independent travel), Guide Gourmand (good-value eating-places), Guide Escapade (quick breaks) and Guide Coup de Cœur (favourite hotels). 

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The Michelin Guide has been around since the early 1900s and started as a car and road trip guide. André and Édouard Michelin wanted to create a guide to the best restaurants and accommodations available along the travel route of motorists. The guide quickly became incredibly popular for its restaurant information as it highlighted the most exceptional chefs and eateries. It is now the oldest such publication and is now considered the most well-known and influential guide in the culinary world. Many anxiously await its yearly publication, whether culinary aficionados or industry insiders.

The Michelin Guide reviews and rates top restaurants and world chefs with a ratings system of one to three stars with the highest rated being three star chefs and restaurants. Many chefs strive to be listed as a Michelin three star chef as this gives them a high amount of exposure. A three star chef can experience a high level of fame and wealth that may not have been likely without the acknowledgement of the Michelin guide. Many star chefs strive to stay a Michelin star chef as they could lose business and their public name if they go on to lose stars. The Michelin star rating is the most recognized rating system in the culinary world for all of Western Europe.

History

André Michelin published the first edition of the guide in 1900 to help drivers maintain their cars, find decent lodging, and eat well while touring France. It included addresses of gasoline distributors, mechanics, and tire dealers, along with local prices for fuel, tires, and auto repairs.

The guide was distributed free from 1900 until 1920. The Michelin brothers began charging for the guides to establish more credibility after a pile of them were found propping up a garage workbench.[citation needed] The guide began recognizing outstanding restaurants in 1926 by marking their listings with a star; two and three stars were added in the early 1930s. The cover of the guide was originally blue, but since 1931 has been red.

Gradually, additional guides were introduced for other European countries. By 2010, eight Red Guides were published for the countries of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium/Luxembourg, Italy, Spain & Portugal, Switzerland, and Great Britain & Ireland.

Red Guides have historically listed many more restaurants than rivals, relying on an extensive system of symbols to describe each establishment in as little as two lines. Reviews of starred restaurants also include two to three culinary specialities. Recently, however, short summaries (2–3 lines) have been added to enhance descriptions of many establishments. These summaries are written in the language of the country for which the guide is published, but the symbols are the same throughout all editions.

Red Guides are also published for selected major cities: Paris, London, Tokyo, Kyoto/Osaka, Hong Kong & Macau, New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Las Vegas. There is also a Red Guide encompassing the "Main Cities of Europe."

The city that has the most starred restaurants is Tokyo, with the Red Guide of 2010 showing 197 restaurants. Eleven restaurants have received three stars, 42 have two stars, and 144 have one star. This is more than three times New York City's total of 56 restaurants, and more than twice as many as Paris which has 96.[1] However, Tokyo is home to 160,000 restaurants, compared to New York City's 25,000 and Paris's 13,000.[2][3][4]

In 2008, German restaurateur Juliane Caspar was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the French edition of the Red Guide.[5] She is the first woman and first non-French national to edit the French edition.[6]

Inspectors

Michelin operates on the principle that only anonymous, professionally trained experts can be trusted to make accurate, impartial assessments of a restaurant's food and service (as opposed, for example, to the Zagat Survey, which relies on restaurant patrons for its reviews).

The Michelin inspectors write detailed reports, which are collated at company headquarters in Paris. All favorable ratings are distilled, at annual "stars meetings," into rankings of 3 stars, 2 stars, 1 star, or no stars. Restaurants that Michelin deems unworthy of patronage are simply not included in the guide.

Restaurants are revisited regularly to keep reviews current; for example, Michelin claims that its inspectors revisit all 4,000 reviewed restaurants in France every 18 months, and all starred restaurants several times a year.[7]

"Michelin has gone to extraordinary lengths to preserve the anonymity of its inspectors. Many of the company's top executives have never met an inspector, and inspectors themselves are advised not to disclose their line of work, even to their parents (who might be tempted to boast about it)."[8]

The November 23, 2009 issue of The New Yorker carries an interview by John Colapinto with an unnamed New York-based Michelin inspector. This was the first time Michelin has ever allowed one of its inspectors to speak to a journalist on the record.[9] In December 2010, ABC's Nightline broadcast an interview with an unnamed inspector. [10]

Michelin stars and other ratings

Stars

The guide awards one to three stars to a small number of restaurants of outstanding quality. One star indicates a "very good cuisine in its category", a two-star ranking represents "excellent cuisine, worth a detour," and three stars are awarded to restaurants offering "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey".

A three-star Michelin ranking is rare. As of late 2009, there were 26 three-star restaurants in France, and only 81 in the world.[8]

Rising stars

Another rating used in the Michelin Guide is Rising Stars, which indicates that a restaurant has the potential to qualify for a star, or an extra star.

Bib Gourmand

Since 1955, Michelin has awarded its "Bib Gourmand" rating, which highlights restaurants offering "good food at moderate prices." Restaurants must offer menu items priced below a ceiling amount, determined by local economic standards. Bib (Bibendum) is the company's nickname for the Michelin Man, its corporate logo for over a century.

Other ratings

All listed restaurants, regardless of their star- or Bib Gourmand-status, also receive a "fork and spoon" designation, as a subjective reflection of the overall comfort and quality of the restaurant.[11] Rankings range from one to five: One fork and spoon represents a "comfortable restaurant" and five signifies a "luxurious restaurant". Forks and spoons colored red designate a restaurant that is considered "pleasant" as well.

Restaurants, independently of their other ratings in the guide, can also receive a number of other symbols next to their listing.

  • Coins indicate restaurants that serve a menu for a certain price or less, depending on the local monetary standard.[11] In 2010 France, 2011 US and Japan Red Guides, the maximum permitted "coin" prices are €19, $25, and ¥5000, respectively.
  • Interesting view or Magnificent view, designated by a black or red symbol, are given to restaurants offering those features.
  • Grapes, a sake set, or a cocktail glass indicate restaurants that offer, at minimum, a "somewhat interesting" selection of wines, sake, or cocktails, respectively.[11]
Country[12] Release date Bib Gourmand Establishments
Great Britain & Ireland February 1, 2010[13][14] 4 14 122 131 (£28 or €40) >1,900 hotels, guest houses, >2,000 restaurants, pubs
Italy December 14, 2010[15] 6 37 233 235 (€30, €35 in major cities） 4,163 hotels, etc., 2,313 restaurants
Austria (suspended) November 27, 2008[16] 0 10 44 129 469 restaurants, 1261 hotels
Netherlands November 25, 2010[17] 2 13 83 97 (€35) 643 restaurants, 566 hotels
Switzerland November 18, 2010[18] 2 16 75 79 (€35) 666 restaurants, 871 hotels
Spain & Portugal December 14, 2010[19] 7 15 128 232 (€35) 2,806 hotels, etc., 1,975 restaurants and bars
Germany November 12, 2010[20] 9 23 205 386 (€35) 1,598 restaurants, 4,287 hotels
France March 4, 2010[21] 26 77 455 555 (€29, €35 in Paris area) 4,104 hotels, 515 guest houses, 3,453 restaurants
Belgium & Luxembourg November 25, 2010[22] 2 15 98 131 (€35) 985 restaurants, 673 hotels
City[12] Release date Bib Gourmand Establishments
Paris March 4, 2010[21] 10 13 41 65 (€29, €35 in Paris area） 60 hotels, 424 restaurants
San Francisco October 27, 2010[23] 2 3 39 74 ($40) 519 restaurants
New York City October 6, 2010[24] 5 10 42 95 ($40) 715 restaurants
Chicago November 18, 2010[25] 2 3 18 46 ($40) 342 restaurants, 39 hotels
Las Vegas (suspended) October 21, 2008[26] 1 3 13 127 restaurants, 30 hotels (2007)
Los Angeles (suspended) October 21, 2008[27] 0 4 16 263 restaurants, 27 hotels (2007)
London February 1, 2010[28] 2 7 40 30 (£28) 450 restaurants, 50 hotels
Kyoto, Osaka, & Kobe October 22, 2010[29] 12 46 185 40 (coins, ¥5000) 239 restaurants, 42 hotels, 31 ryokans
Tokyo, Yokohama, & Kamakura November 27, 2010[30] 14 54 198 95 (coins, ¥5000) 266 restaurants, 46 hotels
Hong Kong & Macau December 2, 2010[31] 4 12 53 50 (300 HKD/MOP) 253 restaurants, 56 hotels
Main Cities of Europe March 17, 2010[32] 15 55 271 231 1,715 restaurants, 1,542 hotels

A list in 2007 is also available from Michelin.[33]

Green Guides

The Green Guides review and rate attractions other than restaurants. There is a Green Guide for France as a whole, and a more detailed one for each of ten regions within France. Other Green Guides cover many countries, regions, and cities outside France. Many Green Guides are published in several languages. They include background information and an alphabetical section describing points of interest. Like the Red Guides, they use a three-star system for recommending sights ranging from "worth a trip" to "worth a detour", and "interesting".

Controversy

Because of their reputation, the Michelin Guides have been subject to scrutiny and criticism.

Allegations of lax inspection standards

Pascal Rémy, a veteran France-based Michelin inspector, and also a former Gault Millau employee, wrote a tell-all book in 2004 entitled L'Inspecteur se met à table (literally, "The Inspector Sits Down at the Table", but also translatable idiomatically as "The Inspector Spills the Beans", or perhaps more literally, "The Inspector Puts It All on the Table").

Rémy described the French Michelin inspector's life as lonely, underpaid drudgery, driving around France for weeks on end, dining alone, and under intense pressure to file detailed reports on strict deadlines. He claimed the Guide had become lax in its standards. Though Michelin states that its inspectors visited all 4,000 reviewed restaurants in France every 18 months, and all starred restaurants several times a year, Rémy said only about one visit every 3.5 years was possible because there were only 11 inspectors in France when he was hired, rather than the 50 or more hinted by Michelin. That number, he said, had shrunk to five by the time he was fired in 2003.

Furthermore, Rémy said the Guide favoured particular restaurants. He specifically named Paul Bocuse, the pioneer of nouvelle cuisine, whose restaurant, l'Auberge du Pont de Collonges, near Lyon, was known, according to Rémy, to have declined considerably in quality, yet continued to hold 3 stars.[34] Michelin denied Rémy's claims, but refused to say how many inspectors it actually employed in France. In response to Rémy's claim that certain 3-star chefs were untouchable, Michelin stated "...if [our ratings] weren't true...customers would write and tell us."[35] Rémy's employment was terminated when he informed Michelin of his plans to publish his book. He brought a court case for unfair dismissal, which was unsuccessful.[36]

Accusations of bias

As the Michelin Guide is published by a French company, some US food critics have claimed that the rating system is biased in favour of French cuisine, or French dining standards. When Michelin published its first New York City Red Guide, for example, Steven Kurutz of The New York Times noted that Danny Meyer's Union Square Cafe, a restaurant rated highly by The New York Times, Zagat Survey, and other prominent guides, received a no star-rating from Michelin. (He did acknowledge that the restaurant received positive mention for its ambiance, and that two other restaurants owned by Meyer received stars.) Kurutz also claimed the guide appeared to favour restaurants that "emphasized formality and presentation" rather than a "casual approach to fine dining". He also claimed that over half of the restaurants that received one or two stars "could be considered French".[37]

Further reading

  • Trois étoiles au Michelin: Une histoire de la haute gastronomie française et européenne, by Jean-François Mesplède and Alain Ducasse, ISBN 2-7000-2468-0. Follows the 60-odd chefs who have been awarded three stars.
  • The Perfectionist: Life and Death in Haute Cuisine, by Rudolph Chelminski, ISBN 9780141021935. The story of Bernard Loiseau.

References

  1. ^ Tokyo shines with 227 Michelin stars
  2. ^ Michelin Gives Stars, but Tokyo Turns Up Nose nytimes.com. Retrieved on February 24, 2008.
  3. ^ ミシュランガイド東京、2010年版は和食が充実
  4. ^ Michelin Guide Gives 3 Stars to 11 Tokyo Restaurants
  5. ^ Connolly, Kate (2008-12-17). "German woman appointed as editor of Michelin Guide". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  6. ^ Schofield, Hugh (2008-12-20). "German woman edits Michelin guide". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  7. ^ "How does an inspector actually inspect an establishment?". michelin.com. Retrieved September 15, 2006.
  8. ^ a b The New Yorker, November 23, 2009, p. 44
  9. ^ "Lunch with M. – Undercover with a Michelin inspector". New Yorker. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
  10. ^ "Michelin Inspectors: Food Industry Spies".
  11. ^ a b c How to Use This Guide, Michelin, accessdate=20101222.
  12. ^ a b Template:Fr icon "Achetez en ligne votre Guide MICHELIN Europe", Michelin.
  13. ^ "Michelin Guide Announces Great Britain and Ireland Stars for 2010", Michelin North America, 01/18/2010.
  14. ^ Template:En icon Harry Wallop "Michelin Guide 2010: UK has more starred restaurants than ever before", The Daily Telegraph, 15 Jan 2010.
  15. ^ "MICHELIN GUIDE ITALY 2011 - THE EDITION WITH THE MOST STARS IN THE GUIDE’S HISTORY", Michelin, 11/24/2010.
  16. ^ Template:De icon "Michelin awarded to three new top addresses for gourmets", Michelin in Deutschland, 26.11.2008.
  17. ^ "MICHELIN Guide Netherlands 2011", Michelin, 11/26/2010.
  18. ^ "Michelin Stars Rain Down on Switzerland", Michelin, 11/16/2010.
  19. ^ "THE MICHELIN GUIDE SPAIN & PORTUGAL 2011", Michelin North America, 11/26/2010.
  20. ^ "THE MICHELIN GUIDE GERMANY 2011 - FEATURES FIVE NEW TWO-STAR RESTAURANTS", Michelin North America, 11/10/2010.
  21. ^ a b "The Michelin Guide France 2010 Selection", Michelin North America, 03/01/2010. Cite error: The named reference "michelinus20100301" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  22. ^ "MICHELIN guide Belgium-Luxembourg 2011", Michelin, 11/22/2010.
  23. ^ "FIFTH EDITION OF MICHELIN GUIDE SAN FRANCISCO CELEBRATES WORLD-CLASS DIVERSITY OF BAY AREA DINING", Michelin North America, 10/26/2010.
  24. ^ "MICHELIN GUIDE NEW YORK CITY 2011 CELEBRATES THE COMPLETE NEW YORK DINING EXPERIENCE", Michelin North America, 10/06/2010.
  25. ^ "FIRST-EVER MICHELIN GUIDE CHICAGO SHOWCASES CHICAGO AS A WORLD-CLASS DINING DESTINATION", Michelin North America, 11/16/2010.
  26. ^ Jinae West "Michelin: Bad economy means no 2010 guide in Las Vegas, Las Vegas Sun, June 26, 2009.
  27. ^ Phil Vettel "And the crystal ball says …", Michelin North America, November 16, 2010.
  28. ^ Guide MICHELIN Londres 2010, Michelin. accessdate=20111130
  29. ^ Template:Ja icon ”「ミシュランガイド京都・大阪・神戸2011」12 軒のレストランが三つ星 44軒のレストランと2軒の旅館 が二つ星 183軒のレストランと2軒の旅館が一つ星”, Michelin Japan, October 19, 2010.
  30. ^ Template:Ja icon "「ミシュランガイド東京・横浜・鎌倉2011」を発行　三つ星が14軒、二つ星が54軒、一つ星が198軒に", Michelin Japan, November 24, 2010.
  31. ^ Template:Ja icon "「ミシュランガイド香港・マカオ2011」を発行", Michelin Japan, 12.03.2010.
  32. ^ "MICHELIN GUIDE MAIN CITIES OF EUROPE 2010 TO GO ON SALE ON MARCH 17", Michelin , 03/16/2010. covering Austria (Vienna, Salzburg) - Belgium (Brussels, Antwerp) - Czech Republic (Prague) - Denmark (Copenhagen) - Finland (Helsinki) - France (Paris, Lyons, Strasbourg, Toulouse) - Germany (Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart) - Greece (Athens) - Hungary (Budapest) - Ireland (Dublin) - Italy (Rome, Milan, Turin, Florence) - Luxembourg (Luxembourg) - Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague) - Norway (Oslo) - Poland (Warsaw, Cracow) - Portugal (Lisbon) - Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia) - Sweden (Stockholm, Gothenburg) – Switzerland (Bern, Geneva, Zurich) - United Kingdom (London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow)
  33. ^ "Michelin Guides 2007 By the Numbers", Michelin North America, 03/28/2007.
  34. ^ Rémy, Pascal (2004). L'inspecteur se met à table. Equateur. ISBN 2-84990-006-0.
  35. ^ The New Yorker, November 23, 2009, p. 47–8
  36. ^ Michelin Red Guide: Cooked Story on "Brand Channel" includes discussion of Pascal Rémy case. Retrieved 11 October 2006
  37. ^ Kurutz, Steven (November 13, 2005). "She's a Belle of the City, but the French Are Blasé". nytimes.com. Retrieved September 15, 2006.
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