The front cover of a 1929 edition of the Michelin Guide

Dishes made by Michelin star restaurants

The Michelin Guide (French: Guide Michelin [ɡid miʃlɛ̃]) 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).

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 filling stations, mechanics, and tire dealers, along with local prices for fuel, tires, and auto repairs.

The guide was distributed free from 1900 until 1920, however the Michelin brothers eventually began charging for them. 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.

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, Hokkaido, 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."^[1][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]

Michelin stars and other ratings[link]

Stars[link]

In 1933 André Michelin and his brother Édouard Michelin introduced the first countrywide French restaurant listings and introduced the Michelin star system for ranking food, later extended to the rest of the world. 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 a rare three stars are awarded to restaurants offering "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey". As of late 2009, there were 26 three-star restaurants in France, and a total of 81 in the world.^[7]

Michelin reviewers are known to be anonymous and independent; they do not identify themselves, and their meals and expenses are paid for by the company founded by the Michelin brothers, never by a restaurant being reviewed. The French chef Paul Bocuse, one of the pioneers of nouvelle cuisine in the 1960s, said, "Michelin is the only guide that counts." In France, each year, at the time the guide is published, it has been said to spark a media frenzy similar to annual Academy Awards for movies.^[8] Media and people debate likely winners, speculation is rife, and TV and newspapers discuss which restaurant might lose, and who might gain, a Michelin star.^{[9][10][11][12][13]}

Rising stars[link]

The Michelin Guide also awards Rising Stars, an indication that a given restaurant has the potential to qualify for a star, or an additional star.

Bib Gourmand[link]

Since 1955, the guide has also highlighted restaurants offering "good food at moderate prices", a feature now called "Bib Gourmand". They must offer menu items priced below a maximum 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[link]

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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.^[14] Rankings range from one to five: One fork and spoon represents a "comfortable restaurant" and five signifies a "luxurious restaurant". Forks and spoons coloured 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.^[14] 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.^[14]

Country[15]	Release date				Bib Gourmand	Establishments
Great Britain & Ireland[16]	1 February 2010[17][18]	4	14	122	131 (£28 or €40)	>1,900 hotels, guest houses, >2,000 restaurants, pubs
Italy	14 December 2010[19]	6	37	233		4,163 hotels, etc., 2,313 restaurants
Netherlands	25 November 2010[20]	2	13	83	97 (€35)	643 restaurants, 566 hotels
Switzerland	18 November 2010[21]	2	16	75	79 (€35)	666 restaurants, 871 hotels
Spain & Portugal	14 December 2010[22]	7	15	128	232 (€35)	2,806 hotels, etc., 1,975 restaurants and bars
Germany	12 November 2010[23]	9	23	205	386 (€35)	1,598 restaurants, 4,287 hotels
France	4 March 2010[24]	26	77	455	555 (€29, €35 in Paris area)	4,104 hotels, 515 guest houses, 3,453 restaurants
Belgium & Luxembourg	25 November 2010[25]	2	15	98	131 (€35)	985 restaurants, 673 hotels

City[15]	Release date				Bib Gourmand	Establishments
Paris	4 March 2010[24]	10	13	41	65 (€29, €35 in Paris area)	60 hotels, 424 restaurants
San Francisco	26 October 2011[26]	2	6	39	77 ($40)	541 restaurants
New York City	4 October 2011[27]	7	9	46	114 ($40)	805 restaurants
Chicago	18 November 2010[28]	2	3	18	46 ($40)	342 restaurants, 39 hotels
Las Vegas (suspended)	21 October 2008[29]	1	3	13		127 restaurants, 30 hotels (2007)
Los Angeles (suspended)	21 October 2008[30]	0	4	16		263 restaurants, 27 hotels (2007)
London	1 February 2010[31]	2	7	40	30 (£28)	450 restaurants, 50 hotels
Kyoto, Osaka, & Kobe	22 October 2010[32]	12	46	185	40 (coins, ¥5000)	239 restaurants, 42 hotels, 31 ryokans
Tokyo, Yokohama, & Kamakura	27 November 2010[33]	14	54	198	95 (coins, ¥5000)	266 restaurants, 46 hotels
Hong Kong & Macau	2 December 2010[34]	4	12	53	50 (300 HKD/MOP)	253 restaurants, 56 hotels
Main Cities of Europe	17 March 2010[35]	15	55	271	231	1,715 restaurants, 1,542 hotels

A list in 2007 is also available from Michelin.^[36]

Green Guides[link]

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".

Allegations of lax inspection standards and bias[link]

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"; idiomatically, "The Inspector Spills the Beans", or "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, 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 charged, the Guide played favorites. 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.^[37] Michelin denied Rémy's charges, 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 said only, "...if [our ratings] weren't true...customers would write and tell us."^[38] 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.^[39]

As the Michelin Guide is published by a French company, some American food critics have claimed that the rating system is biased in favor 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 favor 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".^[40]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• 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 978-0-14-102193-5. The story of Bernard Loiseau.
• From behind the wall: Danish Newspaper 'Berlingske' Employee 'Awards'

External links[link]

• List of UK Michelin Star Restaurants in 2011
• Michelin 3 Star Restaurants around the world
• Full List of 2012 UK Michelin Star Restaurants

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2011)

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Michael "Mike" Colameco is the host of "Mike Colameco's Real Food" which airs Saturdays at 6pm on PBS WNET Channel 13 in the NY area and the syndicated "Food Talk" on WOR710 Radio. He is the author of "Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to New York City."

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the Culinary Institute of America. He has worked as a chef in numerous NYC Restaurants including such legends as "Tavern on the Green" and "Windows on the World'. After working in various restaurants he purchased a cafe in Maplewood, New Jersey. He then relocated to the southernmost tip of New Jersey and opened a restaurant in Cape May, New Jersey which he ran for several years. He eventually took over hosting duties of the WOR710 Radio Food Show of Arthur Schwartz. The show which was produced in the radio station's New York City studio was cut back to Sunday only after Glenn Beck was added to WOR radio.

He resides in Cape May, New Jersey with his wife, Heijung Park-Colameco, a real estate agent and native of South Korea. The couple has two sons.^[1]

Employment History[link]

'71 - '78 worked through Junior High, High School, and College, cooking in kitchens throughout the Philadelphia Metro region Graduated from The Culinary Institute of America

'81 Line Cook, Four Season's Restaurant under Chef Seppi Renglid

'82 - '83 Sous Chef, Maurice Restaurant under Chef Christian Delouvrier and consulting Michelin 3 Star Chef Alain Senderens

'84 Restaurant Chef, Cellar in the Sky/Windows on The World with Chefs Eberhard Muehler and Herman Reiner

'85 - '86 Executive Sous Chef/Night Chef, Tavern on The Green with Chefs Stefan Kopf and Reto Demarmels

'86 - '87 Executive Chef, The Ritz Carlton Central Park South, NYC

'88 - '93 Chef/Owner, Globe Restaurant Cape May, NJ

'93 - '06 self employed as an Import Food Broker, MECO Trading representing and consulting for overseas Food Manufacturers and sourcing supply for US Based Importer Distributors

'00 - present Host/Producer Colameco's Food Show airing on Public television Channels 13WNET and WNJN^[2]

'06 - present Host of Food Talk on WOR Radio, airing live 6 days a week via WOR and 64 other nationally affiliated network stations

^[3]

Publications[link]

Mike Colameco's Food Lover's Guide to New York City by John Wiley & Sons ^[4]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Website for Mike Colameco's Real Food
• Mike Colameco's book Food Lover's Guide to New York City
• Website for Mike Colameco's radio show on WOR710 in New York City
• Facebook Page

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since December 2011. It includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Tagged since January 2012. It is written like a personal reflection or essay rather than an encyclopedic description of the subject. Tagged since March 2010.

Shaun Rankin (born 1972, County Durham) is the Michelin-starred chef of the Bohemia restaurant in St Helier, Jersey.

Career[link]

Rankin has said that he always wanted to be a chef, and set out to become one at the age of 14. He learned the trade at The Mayfair hotel in London as an apprentice, as well as attending the Thames Valley University at Slough as a day release student.

He returned to Yorkshire in 1992, after three years in London, and took a position as chef de partie at the Black Bull Inn in Moulton, North Yorkshire. Since then he has worked in restaurants as close to home as Darlington and as far afield as Chicago and Australia.

After two years at the Black Bull Inn, he moved to Jersey, where he first spent eight years at Longueville Manor, where he worked as a sous chef for Andrew Baird and learned the value of a kitchen garden. He followed this with a stint at the establishment’s sister restaurant, Sumas. He was asked to open Bohemia restaurant as its head chef in 2003. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2005 and has also been named one of the top 25 UK restaurants by the Egon Ronay Guide.

In 2009 Shaun represented the south-west in the fourth series of BBC Two's Great British Menu, for which he cooked the winning dessert. His winning dish was Treacle tart with Jersey clotted cream and raspberry coulis.

2010 saw the launch of the 'SR' brand across major retailers. Rankin's first book, Seasoned Islands, was released by The Refinery on 14 November 2010; concurrently, a television series, Island Feast, was produced by Channel TV and released on DVD.

Personal life[link]

Rankin is married to Cheryl and has one son, Ethan.

Sources[link]

• http://www.shaunrankin.com/home
• http://www.shaunrankin.com/book
• http://www.bohemiajersey.com/shaun_rankin.html
• http://www.bohemiajersey.com/news_events.html
• http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/the-food-oscars-423639.html
• http://www.thisisjersey.com/2009/04/24/in-the-driving-seat-shaun-rankin/
• http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/chefs/shaunrankin/
• http://www.getrefined.com/

References[link]

Alan Murchison is a Michelin-starred Scottish chef and restaurateur, living and working in England.

Career[link]

Murchison started his kitchen career as a kitchen porter, aged 14. Like most chefs, he worked in a number of restaurants, learning and promoting along the way. He had stints in Claridges, Inverlochy Castle, Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, L’ortolan and Nobu. In 1999, he became director of the cookery school of Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons.^[3][4][5]

Murchison returned to L’ortolan in 2001. This time as head chef. In 2003, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star.^[6][7] Two years later he left to take up a position as executive head chef at Chewton Glen hotel in New Milton, Hampshire.^[8] He left three months later.^[9] Ofter a a few minor consultancy jobs, Murchison rejoined L'ortolan in september 2004, this time as director-executive head chef with an option to buy the restaurant.^[10]

In 2007, Murchison jumped on the opportunity to buy the former Hibiscus restaurant in Ludlow, Shropshire from Claude Bosi. He reopened the place as Le Bécasse.^[11]

Later, Murchison founded "Alan Murchison Restaurants Ltd."^[12][13], later restyled as the 10 in 8 Fine Dining Group. The general idea behind it was:

The group now includes four restaurants and a cookery school.^[14]

Alan Murchison acquired Paris House in late 2009. The Woburn, Bedfordshire-based restaurant was bought out of the legacy of Peter Chandler, who died earlier in 2009.^[15]

Murchison also acted as mentor for the Nestlé Toque d’Or student catering competition 2010. In Murchison's opinion it is to give something back, having benefited from strong mentorship early in his career.^[16] He also took part in BBC's show Great British Menu 2010, representing Scotland. He did not reach the finals. ^[17]

In 2010, Muchinson added the New Angel restaurant to his "10 in 8 Fine Dining Group". He had the plan to reopen is with its original name Carved Angels, but found out that was impossible due to trademark issues. At the end, the restauirant reopend as Angélique.^[18][19][20]

In 2011, Murchison again took part in the show "Great British Menu". This time as a judge for the Scottish contestants.^[21]

Book[link]

• Food for Thought, 2007^[22]

Personal[link]

Murchison is married with Fiona and has four children.^[23]

External links[link]

• [Photo]

Restaurants and companies belonging to the "10 in 8 Fine Dining Group", part owned by Alen Murchison:

• Paris House - official website
• Angelique - official website
• La Bécasse - official website
• L'ortolan - official website
• Fine Dining Academy - official website^[24]

References[link]

Guy Savoy is a world-renowned French chef, and is the Head Chef and owner of the eponymous Guy Savoy restaurant in Paris and sister restaurant in Las Vegas.

The Paris restaurant has garnered the 3 Michelin stars, being elevated in 2002. The restaurant has been ranked multiple times in the Restaurant Magazine Top 50 Restaurants in the world.

The Las Vegas restaurant has garnered the 2 Michelin stars, the AAA Five Diamond Award, the Forbes Five Star Award, and the Wine Spectator Grand Award. In addition, the restaurant was recognized as one of the Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S.^[1] from 2006 to 2011. The restaurant is managed full time by Franck Savoy, Guy Savoy's son.

Savoy owns four additional, smaller restaurants in Paris and Singapore.

Biography[link]

Guy Savoy was born on 24 July 1953 in Nevers, located in Bourgogne. In 1955, his parents moved to Bourgoin-Jallieu, a town in Isère, where his father was a gardener and his mother owned a taproom, that she would transform into a fast food and then a reputed restaurant. After three years apprenticeship with the Troisgros brothers, he owned his own restaurant in New York before opening in rue Duret, Paris in 1980, which received 2 Michelin stars in 1985. Guy Savoy is the youngest of the group of renowned chefs who invented "Nouvelle Cuisine,"^[2] taking a lighter and more delicate approach to classic French cooking.

Flagship restaurants[link]

• Restaurant Guy Savoy – 18 rue Troyon – 17th arrondissement of Paris
• Restaurant Guy Savoy – Las Vegas in the United States

Other restaurants[link]

• Restaurant rôtisserie Atelier Maitre Albert – 5th arrondissement of Paris
• Restaurant Les Bouquinistes – VIe arrondissement
• Restaurant Le Chiberta – 8th arrondissement of Paris
• Savoy Singapore – Marina Bay Sands in Singapore

Awards and accolades[link]

• 2008 Grand Award, Wine Lists and Service, Wine Spectator Magazine for Restaurant Guy Savoy Las Vegas^{[3][dead link]}
• Best New Restaurants in the World- Travel + Leisure Magazine April 2007 for Restaurant Guy Savoy Las Vegas

Books[link]

• Vegetable Magic with Guy Langlois, Edbury Press (1987)
• Guy Savoy: Simple French Recipes for the Home Cook (2004)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Guy Savoy official website

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