Star Struck: Michelin is bringing its exclusive ratings to Philly — but it has other awards that can help you find the right restaurant, too

Get ready Philly The Michelin Guide is rolling into town That s right not only does our underdog city hold the reigning title of Super Bowl champions but the world s bulk elusive and prestigious culinary map curated by a tire company is about to land here Michelin s Guide dates back to and its renowned three-star rating system is almost years old The guide began as a free tour booklet to encourage more driving and thus tire sales with practical information for motorists like maps repair shops and places to eat or stay Already unidentified mystery diners have descended upon the city The famous anonymous inspectors have been in the field for quite a while explained Gwendal Poullennec the international director of the Michelin Guides More in recent months we decided to move forward to publish our very first Michelin Guide selection for the Northeast regions that will of program include Philadelphia And Philadelphia is definitely a hot spot For those not in the know one star means that a restaurant is very good two denote an excellent restaurant worth a detour and three mean an exceptional spot worthy of a special journey Still while much of the attention focuses on Michelin s Red Stars they aren t the only award to get excited about As secret Michelin inspectors test out restaurants and come to a consensus on their experiences they may agree on a place that is special but doesn t quite fit the Red Star criteria There are also a couple of other Michelin awards that Philly foodies can turn to choose their next culinary night out So let s unpack them The Bib Gourmand The Bib Gourmand not only has an amazing name it may be the sneaky-best Michelin Award The distinction recognizes restaurants that go above and beyond but also give diners excellent value for their money So while Michelin star restaurants are the highest echelon of dining and sometimes come at the highest prices Bib Gourmand restaurants are still excellent but won t be quite as hard on your wallet Why does this award have such a silly title And why is it so fun to say The Bib Gourmand began in and is genuinely named after the Michelin Man You know the big tire mascot He has a name Bibendum or Bib for short It is in reference to the Latin phrase nunc est bibendum from Horace s Cleopatra which means now is the time for drinking The word Gourmand is French for someone who loves to eat often in large portions A Michelin poster from featuring the Michelin Man AKA Bibendum Unknown author licensed under Community Domain via Wikimedia Commons We used to say that they are the inspector s favorites Poullennec commented They are the places the inspectors will go with their own family and it s quite often the kind of restaurants they will advise their own friend to go to discover And I think it s a very valuable distinction Why Because it s good food at an affordable price Certain highlights include The Girl and the Goat in Chicago or Thai Diner in Manhattan They are places that serve incredible food but that you can afford to go to more than once a year Chef Bobby Saritsoglou of Stina Pizzaria is excited that Michelin is coming to Philly Still he isn t sure if his restaurant is star-worthy After all it s quite rare for a pizzeria even one at Stina s level to earn a star I don t think they re going to give like Michelin stars in Philadelphia Saritsoglou reported Cities usually get from three to eight or something like that He would however embrace the Bib Gourmand title I think we re a really great restaurant My club is amazing he explained Our success is in our hard work and getting even that recognition is great The Green Star Green Stars honor restaurants that not only cook up deliciousness but do so in a way that is healthy for our planet And despite what you may be thinking Michelin s Red and Green Star system has nothing to do with holiday festivities These are restaurants that care about farm-to-table sourcing reducing food waste recycling kitchen tools and composting Poullennec explained that inspectors do not have a one-size-fits-all approach in awarding Green Stars but instead have a boots on the ground approach They talk with chefs who are passionate and aim to really recognize those who truly believe in their mission Green Stars highlight the front-runners the pioneers when it comes to igniting crafting what is a gastronomic transition They innovate They are pushing the boundaries Poullennec commented We are willing to learn something about sustainability We are willing to have an experience that will help us discover local producers farmers and new techniques that sometimes go beyond the plates This is a relatively new award introduced in Green Stars function a little differently than Red Stars To begin the award isn t ranked A restaurant either has a Green Star or it doesn t There is no three-star scale Unlike the Bib Gourmand a restaurant can get awarded this distinction and also have one or more Red Stars For example The French Laundry in California and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York presently have both distinctions Gwendal Poullennec international director of the Michelin Guide visits the Liberty Bell during his trip to Philadelphia Emma Lee WHYY Demystifying the Red Star Red Stars are the Michelin award that everybody knows about The honor has made a big pop way of life splash getting referenced in shows like Emily in Paris and The Bear However there are common misconceptions when it comes to Red Stars For example like the Green Star Michelin inspectors do not have any particular criteria for them even though they do follow a certain grading rubric When it comes to choosing the ratings various people still believe that the Michelin Guide s highest distinctions are awarded to places that are luxury places with sophisticated arrangement and expensive products which is absolutely not the scenario Poullennec noted At the Michelin Guide we do not have any quotas or setup numbers he commented We have more than different nationalities of inspectors We have this unique ability to embrace with universal criteria all the food cultures and all the restaurant concepts and styles whatever the price range We can have a simple street-food stall or a simple taqueria safe spot While Bib Gourmands need to have a more affordable menu Red Stars can go to restaurants for the quality of their cuisine regardless of price The Dim Sum restaurant Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong known as the world s cheapest Michelin spot received a star in and serves dishes for under So while a great number of have their eye on places like Zahav or Kalaya even a cheesesteak joint could in theory receive a Michelin star We ll all be celebrating together How Michelin s various awards will influence the local food scene is yet to be determined Philadelphia is a food-driven city noted chef Phila Lorn of Mawn Lorn is a finalist for Emerging Chef for the James Beard awards He is both excited about the Guide s arrival but also wary of what it could change perhaps overwhelming restaurants with influencers We re a cocky restaurant and we re a cocky group he noted We know who we are and we don t really need people to tell us who we are Although Lorn disclosed he would be extremely happy if his restaurant received a Star he sees the honor as a double-edged sword Heavy is the crown he declared Bigger companies will know what to do with it but places like Mawn It ll give us obstacles For his part Saritsoglou is looking forward to the Guide s arrival I think it s gonna be fun he mentioned I honestly will celebrate any Michelin stars that come to Philadelphia That ll be amazing for us because that s the other thing too about Philadelphia all the restaurants and chefs we re all very connected and it s a really tight-knit society We ll all be celebrating together The post Star Struck Michelin is bringing its sole ratings to Philly but it has other awards that can help you find the right restaurant too appeared first on Billy Penn at 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