Michelin Star Annotated Bibliography

Everything One Could Want to Know About the Best Restaurants in the World

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Inside the Secret World of Michelin Restaurant Inspectors

Author: Neil Tweedie

Audience: possible food critics, foodies, people who read food reviews

Takeaway: Michelin restaurant inspectors have to be sneaky with their appearances because if they get noticed the Michelin Star Guide’s reputation could be in jeopardy. These lucky food critics are paid to travel the world and dine on some of the most exquisite food out there. For restaurateurs out there, don’t fret! These inspectors never dine just once, so if you don’t receive a star one year you still have a chance.

Personal Thought: This article is intriguing because it highlights the ambiguity and secrecy of the reviewers that work for the Michelin Company.

Category: Selling/Marketing

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/10337149/Inside-the-secret-world-of-Michelin-restaurant-inspectors.html

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Gordon Ramsay Loses Two Michelin Stars – so What Should He Do?

Author: Richard Ehrlich

Audience: opinion piece, people who follow Ramsay and watch his TV shows, should know who he is

Takeaway: Jason Atherton said it best: "If your kitchen doesn't run as well without you as with you, you're not the man for the job." This article touches on the unfortunate subject that no chef dare to speak of: losing a coveted Michelin Star. While this can happen quite often, the public is never really aware of it happening. That is, until a famous TV chef lost two stars... at once. The huge downgrade that Ramsay took losing two of his stars in the same year had people questioning his power and influence on the cooking world. When it came down to it, Chef Gordon Ramsay had taken too much on, with TV shows and restaurants around the world, and he just couldn’t keep up.

Personal Thought: Chefs are constantly being pressured to expand and continue to create, however this pressure can cause impressive chefs to crack and possibly fail due to the stress. 

Category: Advocating for Change

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/oct/02/gordon-ramsay-loses-michelin-stars

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The World’s Most Decorated Michelin Star Chefs

Author: Hugh Thomas

Audience: People who follow famous chefs

Takeaway: A small amount of chefs in the world can proclaim and show off their rare Michelin Stars; however, an even smaller proportion of chefs in the world have the distinguished honor of displaying multiple Michelin Stars along their restaurant walls. The most decorated chef in the world is Joël Robuchon, who not only helped discover molecular gastronomy but mentored and trained the one and only Gordon Ramsay. The other chefs on this list are all quite different, while some have intense focuses on their restaurant's decor and others keeping a conservative kitchen with less experimenting and more classical pieces on the menu.

Personal Thought: These are some of the most acclaimed chefs in the world, at the top of their practice. If someone would want to learn about cooking and creating, it would be smart to take advice from these gentlemen.

Category: Celebrating/Memorializing

https://trulyexperiences.com/blog/2015/03/decorated-michelin-star-chefs-still-business/

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Why Some of the World’s Most Famous Chefs Don’t Want a Michelin Star

Author: Sam Kashner

Audience: foodies, people who travel, read vanity fair, sophisticated

Takeaway: Who wouldn’t want a distinguished, impressive award? Having a Michelin Star brings fame, wealth, and power. Sounds great, right? Well for some chefs in the world, it sounds like a nightmare. While gaining a Michelin Star is an accomplishment few get to say they’ve done, some find the pressure of reaching those ranks too much to bear. Unfortunately, some chefs have even taken extreme measures to escape the torture of losing a star. Some chefs also see the Michelin Star Guide as a way of stifling creative thought; making chefs feel the need to conform to a specific type of cooking in order to receive an award. 

Personal Thought: Some chefs avoid these stars because of the anxiety and stress that comes along with being a Michelin Star restaurant. They want to create without the fear of judgement or the constant worry they are standing up to someone’s expectations.

Category: Advocating for Change

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/09/top-chefs-michelin-stars

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D’O: Making a Michelin-Starred Restaurant Affordable

Author: Carmen Nobel & Joanie Tobin

Audience: possibly chefs who are wanting to earn a star and looking for advice to do it and patrons who are wanting an experience without breaking the bank

Takeaway: ‘Cheap with a Michelin Star’ is a rare phrase to hear because usually those to traits are not compatible. However, for one chef in Italy, he achieved just that. He gives people the opportunity to experience amazing food at a price that won’t break the bank. He does this by depending on food that is in season, hiring staff that is willing to work full time, and following his heart when creating dishes.

Personal Thought: It is enlightening knowing that some of the most superb restaurants in the world are made affordable so anyone can experience and enjoy them.

Category: Making and Eating/Consuming

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/do-making-a-michelin-starred-restaurant-affordable

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What Does it Take to Earn Michelin Stars?

Author: Dan Myers

Audience:  People who eat out often, enjoy divine culinary experiences

Takeaway: The article title is a million dollar question. What makes Michelin Star restaurants stand out from the others? What is so enticing and seductive about these places that makes them an experience while other bistros and diners simply meals to consume? The meals served must tell a story, they must have a purpose. However, a main aspect of Michelin Star restaurants is that these places take into consideration the entire experience, from the decor to the food to how meals and plates are presented. It is not simply a meal but rather an event for the books. 

Personal Thought: While Michelin Star restaurant menus may differ, usually the experience and vibe of the place is fairly similar. 

Category: Selling/Marketing

http://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/what-does-it-take-earn-michelin-stars

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What It Takes To Become a 1, 2 or 3 Michelin Star Restaurant

Author: Brent Furdyk 

Audience: since it is from Food Network, people who enjoy cooking and eating out

Takeaway:On the ranking ladder of Michelin Stars, it has been known to be more difficult to go from one star to two stars after going from zero stars to one star. The competition gets more tough and rigorous as the chef must show that he is improving something that’s already been deemed great.In order to continue climbing the ladder, a chef must consider his entire dining experience and continuously create new and original thoughts to make his restaurant stand out from the rest. 

Personal Thought: The investigation process of receiving a Michelin Star is secretive and intensive. In order for a restaurant to prove themselves worthy, they must pass every part of a long and difficult test.

Category: Selling/Marketing

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/dining-out/blog/what-it-takes-to-become-a-1-2-or-3-michelin-star-restaurant/

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What Does It Take To Earn Michelin Stars?

Author: Jonas M. Luster

Audience: people who read blogs, casual tone makes it for easy conversation, millennials, foodies

Takeaway: An important feature of the Michelin Star ranking system is that only restaurants in an area where a Michelin Star inspector is located are eligible to receive a star. This means that places in Dallas, Seattle, or Miami have no way of gaining the respect of holding a Michelin Star. This limits the amount of restaurants that can participate in this process and forces restaurateurs to flock to specific cities so they can be in the running for a star. Surprisingly enough, it may take years for a restaurant to be given a star after an inspector visits their place. Usually, more than one inspector will come out to test the food and enjoy the experience, and more often than not these two inspectors will come a few months, if not a few years, apart to confirm that the experience is the same no matter when a customer would dine. 

Personal Thought: The Michelin Star guide has been around for forever, and the concept has stayed the same. To earn a star is an extremely high achievement that is recognized world wide.

Category: Selling/Marketing

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/quora/what-does-it-take-to-earn_b_2204599.html