Michelin Guide France 2007, really out
Now Michelin news is really out. The official Press Release came out yesterday, pretty much confirming the news that was leaked by François Simon (and reported here) early this month. The only place that Simon was off was Hélène Darroze getting a third star, which turns out to not to be the case.
So, the official new three stars are the following:
L'Astrance, Pascal Barbot and Christophe Rohat
Le Meurice, Yannick Alléno
Le Pré Catelan, Frédéric Anton
Pic, Anne Sophie Pic
Lameloise, Jacques Lameloise (regained the third star they lost few years ago)
Jean-François Piège at Les Ambassadeurs, who missed the boat this time, was given a consolation price of being an 'espoir', a new-ish designation from Michelin, given to chefs who are showing great promises of breaking out of the two-star pack. Yannick was given his espoir two years ago.
A really big congratulations has to go out to Pascal Barbot, whose tiny L'Astrance is deserving of every bit of accolades he's got. And, to Michelin, who, in giving L'Astrance the third star they are due, is perhaps finally proving to us that the third star is truly about the food and the experience of eating it, rather than the silver or the gilded chairs. Gone are the days that the opulent old guards are guaranteed their continuous Three-Star rating just for being grand.
And not to be forgotten is Pascal's partner in crime Christophe Rohat, without whom L'Astrance would not be the darling restaurant it is today. Bravo to both of them. Bravo to all.
Oh, yes, and a Girl Power brava to Anne Sophie Pic, the 4th female chef in France in the world to have earned the 3 star rating. I have to make it to her restaurant one of these days.
If you want to read the entire press release, here it is.
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edited to clarify:
Anne Sophie Pic is the fourth French women to have earned the coveted three stars from Michelin: the first two were Eugénie
Brazier and Marie Bourgeois in 1933, then Marguerite Bise in 1951. There are five others three Michelin star female chefs outside of France at the moment: Elena Arzak (who technically hasn't gained her three stars as much as retaining the status after taking over from her father), Carme Ruscadella in Spain, Nadia Santini of Dal Pescatore, Luisa Marelli Valazza at Al Sorriso, and Annie Féolde at Enoteca Pinchiorri in Italy. Then there's Ghislaine Arabian (Belgian) who once had three stars but is not currently cooking professionally.
