MICHELIN Guide New York City 2011 Celebrates the Complete New York Dining Experience

NEW YORK, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The MICHELIN guide has delivered trusted recommendations to diners and travelers for more than 100 years. The MICHELIN Guide New York City 2011, announced today, represents the expansive variety of New York's culinary and hotel offerings. The guide takes a sweeping look at New York restaurants and hotels, celebrating the diversity of choice that defines New York City.

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The latest edition for New York includes 95 Bib Gourmand restaurants – more than any other city in the world. The Bib Gourmand category is known as the "inspectors' favorites," and delivers everyday excellence at a reasonable price. There were 21 new Bib Gourmand selections in the 2011 guide. The MICHELIN Guide New York City 2011 also features a broad range of quality restaurants under $25. There are 17 new under-$25 restaurants in the 2011 edition, and 127 in total.

Fifty-seven New York City restaurants earned one or more stars in the MICHELIN Guide New York City 2011. MICHELIN stars are the highest honor the guide can bestow. Having a star means that not only is a restaurant among the best in its city, but also in the world. It is a mark of consistent excellence across all categories and it is based solely on the quality of the food.

Only 86 restaurants in the world currently hold three stars. Of them, five are in New York City. In the MICHELIN Guide New York City 2011, five restaurants earned three stars, 10 restaurants earned two stars and 42 restaurants earned a single star. Ten new NYC restaurants earned stars over the past year. While "starred" restaurants have made the MICHELIN guide famous around the world, they account for just 10 percent of the total selection.

Inclusion in the MICHELIN guide is a sign of excellence no matter what the star tally or category. In fact, 715 restaurants were selected for inclusion this year. Among them, MICHELIN inspectors included 55 different types of cuisine. The MICHELIN Guide New York City 2011 also added 29 restaurants to its new "Small Plates" category. Restaurants in this category offer a unique menu, ambience and service.

MICHELIN has done as much to enhance mobility as any company in the world. The company patented the pneumatic, or air-filled, automobile tire in the late 1800s. This was a milestone moment in mobility; it permitted automobile owners to travel at great length in a single journey. Then, in an effort to prompt travelers to enjoy their newfound mobility, the company created guides – and detailed maps – to steer travelers on their way. To date, more than 1 million copies have been sold.

In the U.S., New York is one of only three cities where Michelin publishes a guide annually. The other two are San Francisco and Chicago. The MICHELIN Guide San Francisco 2011, the city's fifth edition, will be introduced Oct. 26. And this year, for the first time ever, MICHELIN will introduce a guide to Chicago restaurants and hotels. Results of the MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2011 will be announced on Nov. 17.

The MICHELIN Guide New York City 2011 offers a variety of features designed to reflect the unique tastes and interests of its readers, including:

• Foodie-focused neighborhood introductions covering local specialty spots, food-related sights, and food and wine events reflect the city's passionate and growing community of culinary enthusiasts.

The cocktail symbol continues to reflect the growing trend in cocktail culture and creativity observed in this area while recognizing establishments with particularly special programs.

The Bib Gourmand category, also known as "Inspectors' Favorites for Good Value," has been embraced by MICHELIN guide readers.  Featuring restaurants serving a meal (two dishes and a glass of wine or dessert) for $40 or less not including tax or gratuity, the 2011 New York City MICHELIN guide adds 21 new restaurants to this edition, for a total of 95 affordable, yet incredibly delicious dining options. The complete Bib Gourmand selection is available at www.facebook.com/MichelinGuides.

The 6th edition of the New York City MICHELIN guide also selects 127 restaurants offering a meal under $25.

The 2011 guide also continues the focused expansion of the selection in Brooklyn and Queens to reflect the abundant dining options in these boroughs.

"Michelin inspectors scour the city for the finest dining options, regardless of price point, decor or type of cuisine," said Jean-Luc Naret, director of the MICHELIN Guides. "This is a guide for everyone, and there are countless local options that consistently deliver excellent meals to their neighbors, night in and night out."

Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently around the 23 countries, the MICHELIN guide has become an international benchmark in gourmet dining. The selection is made by anonymous, professional inspectors who are Michelin employees and is based on the same working methods in all countries. They pay all their bills in full. To find out more about the MICHELIN guide inspectors and the history of the MICHELIN guide, visit www.famouslyanonymous.com. Our New York MICHELIN inspectors also share insider secrets on Twitter and @MichelinGuideNY.

The MICHELIN Guides have been present in North America since late 2005. The MICHELIN Guide New York City 2011 goes on sale Thursday, Oct. 7, at $18.99.  

Now representing 23 countries and three continents, the collection of 26 MICHELIN guides includes more than 45,000 addresses. Its team of highly trained inspectors visits establishments anonymously, applying Michelin's international standards for quality across many categories. In North America, MICHELIN guides for New York City and San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country are available. The MICHELIN Guide Chicago 2011 will be launched mid-November. The MICHELIN guide to Hong Kong and Macao was introduced in December 2008. A new MICHELIN guide was also recently launched in Japan, covering Kyoto and Osaka.

See attached for 2011 MICHELIN guide listing of starred establishments

SOURCE Michelin