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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:
One-star Michelin award
Single stars are awarded to restaurants with high quality cooking.
It must have used “top quality ingredients“and dishes are”consistently prepared to a high standard.” The Michelin Guide considers one-star restaurants to be worth a stop if you’re in the surrounding area.
Two-star Michelin award
Excellent cooking is worthy of two stars.
Restaurants are recognized for uniquely showing the evident talent of the chef through carefully crafted and flavorful dishes. Overall, the food is “refined and inspired” which, according to the Michelin Guide, is worth a detour.
Three-star Michelin award
Exceptional cuisine is awarded three stars.
The highest recognition from the Michelin Guide is a very prestigious award only given to a few restaurants. The title is awarded to restaurants that showcase “superlative cooking of chefs at the peak of their profession” and exemplify elevated artistic cooking skills.
A restaurant of this caliber is worth a special journey, according to the Michelin guide.
Bib Gourmands
Although not a star, the a bib gourmand logo is awarded to restaurants with great food for a great value. The rating is still an acknowledgment that “highlights simple yet skillful cooking at an affordable price.”
Green star Michelin award
After being introduced in the Michelin Guide France in 2020, the green star is now awarded to restaurants in every country. The green shamrock logo is an indication of restaurants leading the way in “sustainable gastronomy.”
Michelin recommended restaurants
Michelin-approved restaurants can be found on their official website. Although the recommended restaurants are not ranked by any specific logo and do not receive stars, they are still notable places to dine, according to the Michelin Guide. You can search the selection of suggested restaurants by city, cuisine and prices on its website.
Jacqueline Pinedo is a reporter on The Bee’s service journalism team. She previously interned at the Los Angeles Times and completed her master’s degree at the University of Southern California.
Pepsi Taps Into ‘Dirty Soda’ TikTok Trend With Lindsay Lohan Drinking Pepsi Milk
Topline
Pepsi tapped into a TikTok trend with a new campaign featuring actor Lindsay Lohan promoting “pilk,” or “dirty milk” an uncommon combination of soda and milk that’s been baffling consumers on TikTok in recent months — though its roots go back decades.
Pepsi launched a campaign featuring Lindsay Lohan for “pilk,” the combination of soda and milk.
Key Facts
Pepsi launched the Christmas-themed campaign on Thursday with the hashtag #PilkandCookies.
The ad features Lohan, who is working on a Hollywood comeback with her Netflix rom-com Falling for Christmas, in which the former child actor is making her first lead performance in nearly 10 years following legal trouble around multiple DUIs.
In a statement Thursday morning, Pepsi Chief Marketing Officer Todd Kaplan said the idea behind the ad campaign comes as a response to the “dirty soda” TikTok trend—a mix of milk and Pepsi repopularized last year by GenZ singer Olivia Rodrigo, who posted herself drinking the concoction.
The drink, however, is far from new—with Laverne on Laverne & Shirley drinking milk Coke as a comfort drink during the show’s run in the 1980s, and some restaurants and ice cream stands referring to the mix of Coke and vanilla ice cream as a “brown cow.”
Kaplan called the combination a longtime “secret hack among Pepsi fans,” saying the campaign is “a great way to unapologetically celebrate the holidays with a new and delicious way to enjoy Pepsi.”
Surprising Fact
In addition to “pilk and cookies,” Pepsi also introduced the “naughty & ice”—a mix of milk, heavy cream, vanilla creamer and Pepsi, as well as several other variations, including the “chocolate extreme,” the “cherry on top,” the “snow fl(oat)” and the “nutty cracker.”
KeyBackground
Pepsi is not the first major brand to capitalize on a social media trend. Last Year, Starbucks introduced the iced matcha latte with chai and the “pink drink remixed” (Starbucks’ strawberry-acai pink drink with vanilla cold foam)—two off-menu drinks popularized on social media—allowing customers to order the drink through a links on Facebook and Instagram. In September, Dunkin Donuts unveiled the “Charli,” a cold brew with three pumps of caramel swirl named after Gen Z TikTok star Charli D’Amelio.
Tangent
TikTok users have grown accustomed to finding trendy recipes and strange food challenges on the platform, although some of those challenges have been called out as dangerous, including the “NyQuil chicken” trend this summer, which prompted the Food and Drug Administration to issue a statement , warning it can harm people who eat it and “even cause death.” The viral Tide Pod challenge that dared people to consume laundry detergent also became viral, and led to a warning from the American Association of Poison Control Centers over concerns it could cause seizures and death.
Further Reading
Pepsi wants you to drink soda mixed with milk this holiday season (CNN)
Pepsi® Invites Fans to Join the Naughty List This Holiday Season With “Pilk” And Cookies – A New “Dirty Soda” Holiday Tradition (Yahoo Finance)
LIST: Festive food and drinks to try this year in St. Louis
Check out these festive offerings from St. Louis-area restaurants, breweries and cafes while they last.
st. LOUIS — It’s officially the holiday season in St. Louis, and area restaurants and breweries are showing their holiday spirit with festive food and drinks.
5 On Your Side has made a list of local businesses with winter menu items. Try these seasonal offerings before they’re gone.
4 Hands Brewing Company
This holiday season, 4 Hands Brewing Company is serving up a special adults-only hot cocoa on tap and bringing it to store shelves across the St. Louis area. The Imperial Hot Chocolate Milk Stout is an amped up version of the brewery’s Chocolate Milk Stout that’s infused with hot cocoa powder and marshmallows.
Andy’s Frozen Custard
Andy’s is serving up three holiday-inspired frozen treats this year:
- Andy Nog – This seasonal shake combines vanilla custard with rich eggnog.
- Santa Brownie – This treat mixes vanilla frozen custard with hot fudge and candy cane pieces and comes in the form of a Jackhammer or a sundae.
- Apple Pie – Ordered as a concrete, this treat combines a whole slice of apple pie with vanilla frozen custard. Ordered as a sundae, you’ll get a slice of apple pie topped with vanilla custard and crème caramel sauce.
Clementine’s Naughty or Nice Creamery
Clementine’s is celebrating the holidays with two new flavors and the return of two favorites:
- Peppermint Andy is a pink peppermint ice cream swirled with crushed peppermint candies and dark chocolate flakes. 50% of this flavor’s sales will be donated to Doorways, a St. Louis nonprofit that provides housing for those living with HIV and AIDS.
- Vegan Cranberry Walnuts is a coconut milk base with a tart cranberry compote, orange, cinnamon and candied walnuts.
- Hot Buttered Rum combines the spice of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg with the sweetness of brown sugar and dark rum for a flavor inspired by Colonial America.
- S’mores is a marshmallow ice cream mixed with house-made s’mores bars.
Dewey’s Pizza
The seasonal menu at Dewey’s Pizza includes a pizza and salad special:
- the Van Damme pizza features olive oil, minced garlic, mozzarella, fontina, oven-roasted Brussels sprouts tossed in a white truffle oil, dark beer caramelized red onions, bacon and shaved parmesan.
- the harvest salad includes toasted pumpkin seeds, figs, Boursin cheese, Applewood smoked bacon and apple cider vinaigrette on a bed of field greens.
RELATED: Holiday events in St. Louis for you and your family
Gateway Coffee Company
New to Bellerive Plaza in Creve Coeur, Gateway Coffee Company is offering holiday drink flavors ahead of its grand opening on Tuesday, Dec. 6. The seasonal flavors include peppermint and frosted gingerbread white mochas.
Goshen Coffee Roasters
Edwardsville-based Goshen Coffee Roasters, now with a location in Soulard, is offering up a winter menu that includes a peppermint latte and gingerbread white mocha in addition to chocolate mint scones, cranberry orange muffins, brown butter espresso brownies and snickerdoodle cookies.
Kaldi’s Coffee
Kaldi’s Coffee is serving up a long seasonal menu this year. For drinks, it offers a peppermint hot chocolate, a brown sugar rosemary latte, a gingersnap chai and a gingersnap latte. In terms of food, the coffee chain is offering red velvet and peppermint cookie sandwiches; walnut sticky rolls; molasses, sweet potato and cranberry scones; s’mores muffins; chocolate peppermint cake; vegan ginger cookies; and a huevos rancheros bowl.
Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria
Enjoy a warm bowl of Merry Christmas Chicken Noodle Soup at Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria. The soup uses house-made Christmas-tree-shaped noodles, chicken, parsnips, carrots, celery, onion, chicken broth, lemon, rosemary and an extra dash of extra virgin olive oil on top.
Do you know of other local places offering something special for the holiday season? Send us an e-mail.
Latte Lounge
Holiday coffee flavors at the Latte Lounge include caramel and hazelnut, brown sugar cinnamon, peppermint snow day, gingerbread, peppermint mocha and snickerdoodle.
Lion’s Choice
St. Louis-based food chain Lion’s Choice is also joining in on the holiday cheer for a limited time with a mushroom and Swiss roast beef sandwich, chicken and wild rice soup and a peppermint cookie crunch concrete.
O’Fallon Brewery
You’ve heard of milk and