What's in a star?

In the early 1900’s the original Michelin guide had recommendations for motorists (tires, mechanics etc.). Later, Édouard and André Michelin included suggestions of food places for drivers. Those became so successful over the ages, that the Michelin guide is now only dealing with food, listing deserving fine food establishments that have been evaluated by anonymous inspectors, awarding the restaurants one, two, or three highly coveted stars. The food is evaluated based on the quality of ingredients, chef’s mastery of culinary techniques, taste, consistency of excellent dining, and I believe creativity plays a role. It must, since the offerings always seem to look like little pieces of art and present unexpected and unique combinations of ingredients. Interestingly, there are now additional categories such as Bib Gourmand (for "exceptionally good food at moderate prices") and Green Stars (for excellence in sustainable gastronomy).

One start apparently denotes very good cooking and recommends visiting the establishment “if it is on your path”. Well, one was on our path during the trip in Provence. With our biking group, dressed appropriately for the occasion (these are not the places you go to in shorts and flip flops), we attended a tasting menu at a Michelin-star restaurant Le Saint Estève.

The offerings were as follows:

Pre-appetizer (amuse-bouche):

Shrimp tartar with bisque

Appetizer:

“Carabineros” shrimps in a bouillabaisse way

With saffron potato and candied fennel

Main course:

Scorpion fish with artichoke and febette from Provence, spelt risotto and basil

OR

Roasted beef with textures around potatoes

OR

Risotto primavera with seasonal green vegetable

Dessert:

Cheese plate

OR

Traditional rum baba Chantilly

OR

Sorbet an ice cream

See the photos of the dishes to get a sense of the artistic presentation. We were sitting at a table with a gorgeous view of a mountain, each dish was a joy to look at, and the flavours and textures were beautifully balanced, unique, and truly exquisite. It was a memorable culinary experience.