The Michelin Guides have been published by the French tire company Michelin since 1900. They were designed as a guide to tell drivers about eateries they recommended to visit and to subtly sponsor their tires, by encouraging drivers to use their cars more and therefore need to replace the tires as they wore out. Over time, the stars that were given out started to become more valuable.[1]
The Michelin Guide debuted in Mexico in 2024. Inspectors visited five states – Baja California, Baja California Sur, Nuevo León, Oaxaca and Quintana Roo – and the capital city, Mexico City. Sixteen restaurants earned one star, and two, Pujol and Quintonil, received two.[2] No restaurant earned three stars. Among the awarded restaurants, Michelin included a taco stand, Taquería El Califa de León.[3] Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, said it took them time to choose which restaurants to visit. He added that eleven Mexican food restaurants in other countries had one Michelin star, and two had two as of 2023.[4]
Multiple anonymous Michelin inspectors visit the restaurants several times. They rate the restaurants on five criteria: "quality of products", "mastery of flavor and cooking techniques", "the personality of the chef represented in the dining experience", "value for money", and "consistency between inspectors' visits".[1][5] Inspectors have at least ten years of expertise and create a list of popular restaurants supported by media reports, reviews, and diner popularity. If they reach a consensus, Michelin awards restaurants from one to three stars based on its evaluation methodology: One star means "high-quality cooking, worth a stop", two stars signify "excellent cooking, worth a detour", and three stars denote "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey".[6] The stars are not permanent and restaurants are constantly being re-evaluated. If the criteria are not met, the restaurant will lose its stars.[1]
- ^ a b c Buchwald, Elisabeth (10 February 2024). "Michelin Guide history: How did a tire company become an elite restaurant rating guide?". CNN. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ Latham, Tori (15 May 2024). "Mexico Finally Has a Michelin Guide—Here Are the First 18 Restaurants to Earn Stars". Robb Report. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ McCarthy, Kelly (16 May 2024). "Mexico City taco stand makes history as 1st to earn Michelin star". ABC News. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ Espinosa, Eréndira (20 October 2023). "México tendrá su Guía Michelin" [Mexico will have its Michelin Guide]. Imagen Radio (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "How Restaurants Get Michelin Stars: A Brief History of the Michelin Guide". Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. 9 February 2024. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ Dixon, Rachel (24 June 2008). "Q&A: Michelin stars". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 19 May 2024.