Hmmph. I guess they conclude they don’t want to do an LA only book but somehow want to include LA in the mix.
Wow, the food world is really focussed on California this year!
I can’t think of suitable candidates given Michelin quirks, but I’d like to see something included north of the Bay Area / wine country. Perhaps the cheaper rent and potential Michelin status will be an encouragement to restauranteurs.
I think Michelin is interested in selling their books to tourists, so they are going to focus on major metropolitan areas where tourists go- major cities, wine countries, Disneyland, etc.
Tahoe may have a chance if there is anything good to eat up there, but its so seasonal.
Seems like a peculiar choice to me, if the goal is making money. Having a northern california and a southern california book means two sales to any vacationer doing both, and the current one sale if they’re doing one or the other. Two books would seem like all upside.
I like the “someone promised there would never be an LA book” thesis better.
They’re being subsidized by state/country tourism boards. That’s probably a better deal than relying on the 3 people that are actually buying the guide rather than looking up their ratings for free online. Plus, selling a set of tires is a much better way to make money than trying to sell 100 guide books.
*I’m looking up the Michelin SF guide on Amazon. It has one customer review.
Very true, I saw a documentary on that, if a country or a state stops subsidising, the guide would stop, I think this is the case in Las Vegas. Some Asian countries are so eager to be on the Michelin map, they practically pay the Michelin and ask them to publish a guide to boost tourism… (Example given, was Singapore)
So those states included in the CA guide are those states that have enough good restaurants to be rated have participated in the funding.
Michelin refuses the countries that have the money but the restaurants standard is not yet up to level.
Fascinating. LA must have said “no”, but at some point, Michelin can’t ignore all the LA restaurants. Sounds about right.
