michelin guide

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I don't know if there's ever been a rivalry between "Hell's Kitchen" bad boy Gordon Ramsay and "Top Chef" judge Tom Colicchio, but there might be reason for one now.

The just published 2008 New York Michelin Guide struck a star off of Colicchio's Craft restaurant — bringing it to one star — and gave Ramsay's The London — his first U.S. venture — two stars.

Michelin Guide director Jean-Luc Naret recently told Reuters about the ratings. Here's more:

• On The London: "Gordon Ramsay deserved two stars, not because of his name and TV fame, but because of the consistency of the multiple visits by inspectors throughout the year."
• On Craft: "It doesn't mean that the chef has less talent. It's just that the consistency was not there."
• About the star ratings:One star means "a very good restaurant in its category." Two stars signify "excellent cuisine, worth a detour" and three stars tout "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey."

So there you have it. Ramsay's The London, despite lukewarm reviews from critics, is worthy of a detour, while Colicchio's Craft is just "very good."

What do you guys think? Do you even care about star ratings? Which restaurant would you go to?

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For the first time in more than 55 years, a woman has won the coveted Michelin Guide three star ranking.

Anne-Sophie Pic, the fourth French woman to achieve three stars since the ranking system began in 1926, runs The Maison Pic in Valence, France. Although three stars is a huge accomplishment (for any chef, male or female), one can say that Pic was destined to obtain the high ranking, after all it's in her blood. Both her father Jacques and grandfather Andre received the same high ranking (in 1973 and 1934 respectively). Yet, it was difficult living up to her fine family pedigree, it turns out being a woman chef was actually an even more difficult feat.

"The last few years, my battle and my desire to win this third star were motivated by my father, by the feelings I had for him, and for the fact that I am reviving the memory of him and my grandfather," she told French radio.

She said the main difficulty she had encountered was "the fact she was a woman rather than being the 'daughter of'" and said she wished that "there would be more and more women chefs".

I also wish there were more recognized women chefs. It's really interesting to me that cooking is thought of as a "woman's job" whereas being a chef is a "man's job."

The last females to win the distinguished award were Marguerite Bise in 1951 and Marie Bourgeois and Eugenie Brazier in 1933.

Source: BBC News
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