Three restaurants have joined the Hall of Fame of French gastronomy by winning three stars in the latest Michelin Red Guide — a reward one chef found easy to describe: “This is joy.”
Jean-Michel Lorain, 45, said Thursday he regards his three stars as a vindication for his family-owned restaurant on the edge of the Burgundy region southeast of Paris.
The restaurant, La Cote Saint Jacques, was demoted to two-star status in 2001 during a major renovation program that forced the chef to spend too many hours out of the kitchen.
The other two restaurants to move into the three-star club are L’Esperance in Saint Pere-sous-Vezelay and Loges de l’Augergade in southwestern Puymerol.
All told, 27 restaurants now have three stars, a category that Michelin describes as “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey . . . One will pay accordingly!”
Alain Ducasse, perhaps France’s most famous chef, held on to his three stars at his grand Le Louis XV, in the Mediterranean principality of Monaco. Alain Passard’s Arpege in Paris’ elegant 7th district also remained at the three-star level.