Gawker posts the latest updates to Michelin Star ratings in NYC.
Now, most of you probably know how the Michelin rankings work, but I’ve always found it confusing that they just aren’t like most of the other star-ranking systems. I mean, in movie reviews, “one star” means “terrible.” For the Michelin, getting into the damn guide with a no-star ranking is an honor. Getting a single star means that you’ve got a hell of a restaurant on your hands. Three stars means “this restaurant is so good that it is worth travelling a long way just to eat here.” And three is the maximum.
The thing is, Michelin stars indicate not just the goodness of the food, but a certain kind of fancy food. This is no Zagat: no high scores based on the vibe being funky or a local favorite. No bonus for it being a good deal, either: prices are almost always high at restaurants with even one star.
To compensate for that, they added an alternate designation, marked by a little Michelin man wearing a bib, called the “Bib Gourmand.” It indicates casual food that is still quite good. There’s no multi-star ranking for the bibs– just one mark pointing out “this is informal, delicious, and not too pricey.”
Anyway, now I have an updated list of restaurants to go to in NYC when I become fabulously rich. Except Vong. Vong is totally overrated.
Secretly Ironic 