What Are Michelin Stars and AA Rosettes?
While watching the reality shows Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, Hell’s Kitchen and The F-Word, I have heard the chefs mention a “Michelin Star.” When I hear the word “Michelin” I think of tires, not restaurants, so I was a bit confused at first. But since these were food shows, I had an idea that this was some sort of award or recognition for a chef or restaurant, but being unsure I looked into it further. It started with Andre and Edouard Michelin who had a tire manufacturing company in the 1900’s (we know it today as The Michelin Tire Company). To promote their company they decided to publish what they called “The Michelin Guide.” They purpose of the guide was to help travelers maintain their cars, find a decent place to sleep, and eat well while on the road away from home. In 1926, the guide introduced a star beside a restaurants name to denote good cooking. In the early 1930’s, two and three stars were added, thus the Michelin Stars were born. Each year the guide awards one to three
