# The Michelin Star.. where can i purchase one? :p



## gastronaut (Jun 7, 2000)

Hiyas 
I have talked, read and heard about Michelin Stars.... But what are they? where do they come from? How do you get rewarded with one? 
I heard they come from the French President but that just didnt quite sound right 
Thanks 
Dave


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

No, really. Little leprachauns leave them in the reeking grease covered work shoes of deserving cuisiners, silly boy, where did you think they came from? There's even a story about not getting them called "Cruel Shoes."


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## gastronaut (Jun 7, 2000)

Please recount the story of "Cruel Shoes"


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

I believe it's in a collection of stories by Steve Martin, the actor/funnyman. I'm not sure if the shoes are full of pins, or tuna fish.


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## chefjohnpaul (Mar 9, 2000)

GastroNaut,

Michelin stars are awarded by the Michelin Tire Company. They put out a travel guide and have for years weilded great power in rating establishments. They make and break chefs. From my understanding for the ultimate, 3 stars, you need to generate $50,000 revenue a day just to finance the establishment and keep the standards for a 3 star rating. If you get 3 and drop to 2 it's not like having 1 and getting 2, it devaluates your establishment. There is a lot of politics from my understanding. Many chefs are happy with one because the pressure I hear is unbearable to maintain 3, although some chefs thrive under this pressure.

The cost of Michelin stars I believe is 10 years off your life and a bleeding peptic ulcer. I reality you have to be very good in all aspects and somehow court the Tire Company.


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

To me the stars only mean anything when applied to restaurants in France. In the US it seems like every reviewer has their own system of awarding stars, 3 means average sometimes, 5, now you're doing a good job. And they (the stars) are so hard to come by there are only 32 three star restaurants in France.

[ August 19, 2001: Message edited by: thebighat ]


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

The rarity of three stars restaurants in France is part of the appeal. The rarer something is the more appealing it appear.


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## pastry--chef (Aug 13, 2001)

Have any of you seen the progamm on Gordon Ramsay in the U.K its quite interesting watching this guy who has 2 michellin stars goin for his third, shows him stressing out waiting for the guide to come out very hardcore kitchen, I watch it and think how lucky i am this guy is not my boss, one of the guys i used to work with worked with him for a while Ramsay had the poor little australian out in the middle of the english winter picking chervil for 3 hrs so that it wouldnt bruise, no gloves and no jacket poor little bugger. My old boss use to work for a michellin star (le gavoroche roux brothers)
as the head pastry chef enjoyed it throughly but the pressure for that star was hugely intense 7 am-12am 6 days a week for hardly any money more the experience than the pay.
anyway have fun pastry_chef


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

Read an interesting chapter in French Lessons by Peter Mayles (sp?) about the Michelin guide. He's the guy who wrote all those books about a year in Provence.


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## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

His hobbies include walking, reading, writing, and...lunch!


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## nick.shu (Jul 18, 2000)

ehh, people getting aneuryisms because of a fat, tyre surrounded dude is handing out stars?

highly irregular.


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

Poke around here for some stuff on the Michelin stars....lots of good stuff

that link seems to take one to really stupid places. I don't know why. it's www.echefs.net/links.htm. You may have to type it into the address bar. Scroll down the page till you get to the Michelin stories. Also links to a lot of three star joints.

[ August 23, 2001: Message edited by: thebighat ]
still doesn't work. Hijacked!!!

[ August 23, 2001: Message edited by: thebighat ]


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

try this..http://www.e-chefs.net/links.htm


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## gastronaut (Jun 7, 2000)

Thanks Big Hat for your help


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## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Here's one more link. The book _Burgundy Stars : A Year in the Life of a Great French Restaurant_ is currently out of print but you can get it used through Amazon.com


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## bouland (May 18, 2001)

I wrote an article early last year attempting to demystify the Michelin star system. You can read it at http://www.hertzmann.com/articles/2000/stars/.


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## gastronaut (Jun 7, 2000)

Thanks to Bouland i found the Michelin "red guide" online!!! http://www.michelin-travel.com/eng/gr2000/indexgr.html 
Thank you again for you help Bouland. I fully understand about Michelin Stars 

Ta


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## gastronaut (Jun 7, 2000)

BIG HAT...
does the USA have a cuisine to rate ? 
Auguste Escoffier left 3 pages blank in the back of his 400 page cook book for american cuisne 
lol
just kidding 

Dave


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