California Michelin Guide 2022: What is a Michelin star?
From left, sous chef Gio Sarmiento, sous chef Eddie Torres, and chef de partie Tim Katz prepare for dinner service at The Kitchen on June 5, 2019. The restaurant is one of two Michelin Star-rated restaurants in Sacramento.
The annual Michelin Guide was released for California’s 2022 selection on Monday night, highlighting the top restaurants in the state “offering outstanding cooking.”
This year, the travel guide recognizes 599 California restaurants. Of those, 89 were given the coveted award: a star. Only seven of these restaurants received three stars, 12 two stars and 70 one star. There were 18 new additions to the star list in 2022. An additional 141 were recognized as Bib Gourmands for their “good food at a moderate price.”
There is no limit on the number of stars that are awarded annually.
Michelin also recommends an additional 369 restaurants across the state.
Restaurants are criticized by a collective of anonymous Michelin inspectors who dine at a restaurant until they meet a consensus to award an establishment of a star or not, according to the Michelin website.
Inspectors consider the following criteria: product quality; mastery of flavors and cooking techniques; the personality of the chef represented in the dining experience; harmony of flavors; consistency between inspectors’ visits.
A restaurant’s reputation in the culinary world can change drastically after receiving a star — or three. Here is a break down of what each star means and additional symbols you might see on this year’s Michelin guide: