We’re all familiar with Michelin tires (and the Michelin Man who looks like a stack of donuts stacked on top of each other). We know that when a restaurant gets a Michelin star it’s pretty damn good. But how did a French tire company start awarding stars to prestigious restaurants? And how many stars can a restaurant get?
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
 CBS Sunday Morning | 2023-05-07 13:28:00 |  167,743 Views |
How the Michelin Guide rates restaurants
The Michelin Guide was actually created to combine travel and food. In 1900 the first published guide was released to encourage people to get in their cars and drive around looking for recommended restaurants. Maybe they thought that if you drove to enough restaurants you’d need new tires? Either way receiving Michelin accolades in the form of stars is an important step for a restaurant that wants to affirm its value and quality.
Many people think that five stars is the best you can get but the Michelin system doesn't go that high. Michelin awards one star two stars and up to three stars to restaurants it deems worthy. The stars became part of Michelin's legacy when they were given to restaurants in the late 1920s. According to the Michelin Guide online stars are awarded to restaurants "that cook excellently." The awards are given annually and judges (industry professionals) judge the value based on five criteria: "the quality of the ingredients the harmony of flavors the mastery of techniques the personality of the chef as expressed in his cooking and … consistency both throughout the menu and over time."
Now that we know that three stars is the highest rating a restaurant can receive what is the difference between the levels? Michelin explains that one star is given to restaurants that use quality ingredients and prepare dishes "with pronounced flavors … of a consistently high standard." Michelin awards two stars for food that is "refined and inspired" and where the "personality and talent" of the chef shine through in the creations. Three stars are awarded to restaurants where the chef's cooking "has been elevated to an art form and some of their dishes are destined to become classics."
