Michelin List Official: Masa, Adour, Momo Ko Confirmed

Michelin man Jean-Luc Naret has just completed his announcement of the make up of the '09 Michelin Guide to New York City, confirming our report last night. Masa, confirmed three stars. Gilt and Adour confirmed at two ("Someone we know very well, Mr. Alain Ducasse). Momofuku Ko, confirmed ("We have the same problems getting a reservation as you did"). At this point we should note the biggest upset here: the ousting of Babbo. Apparently the Red Guide doesn't swoon over Batali's staple restaurant the way the crowds do. Another somewhat surprising hammer drop: A Voce, which can't quite make that one star without Carmellini.

This is mostly a formality at this point, but the following release explains the guide, the new standings. Our full list here.

New York City (Oct. 6, 2008) – Michelin today released its selection of recommended hotels and restaurants in the MICHELIN guide New York City 2009. The new edition contains more than 80 new establishments and features 617 establishments in all, a number that includes 563 restaurants – representing 50 types of cuisine – and 54 Manhattan hotels.

Among the new Michelin stars awarded this year:

· Masa joins Jean-Georges, Le Bernardin and Per Se as a Michelin three-star selection

· Adour, Gilt and Momofuku Ko join the ranks of Michelin two-star restaurants

· Allen & Delancey, Alto, eighty one, Fiamma, Insieme, Kyo Ya and Public join the Michelin one-star selection.

The MICHELIN guide New York City 2009 features the Bib Gourmand category, which indicates Michelin inspectors’ favorites for good value. This year’s Bib Gourmands include 58 restaurants that serve a menu with two dishes and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less. The restaurants awarded this distinction can be identified by a red pictogram depicting the head of Bibendum®, the Michelin Man.

The MICHELIN guide New York City 2009 also includes 74 restaurants serving a meal (two dishes and a glass of wine or dessert) for $25 or less. In the selection, these establishments are indicated by the coins pictogram.

As a result, nearly 24 percent of the MICHELIN guide New York City selection is comprised of highly affordable restaurants. While the MICHELIN guide is known around the word for its stars, these restaurants only account for just 10 percent of the selection. With more than one million copies sold in approximately 100 countries, the MICHELIN guide has always built its success on the diversity of its selection and especially on small establishments offering a high-quality dining experience at an affordable price, of which the best are included in the “Our inspectors’ favorites for good value” category. Moreover, inclusion in the MICHELIN guide is, in itself, synonymous with quality, since only the best establishments in each comfort and price category are selected.

Also new for 2009, consumers will have the option to access the North American MICHELIN guide selections on their mobile phones through a licensing agreement with mobile application provider UBI UBI. The content for all four U.S. MICHELIN guides, which include New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, will be available by subscription beginning in October 2008. For more information, please visit www.ubiubi.mobi.

The MICHELIN guide New York City 2009 includes a total of 42 “starred” restaurants, of which four have received three Michelin stars, seven restaurants with two Michelin stars and 31 with one Michelin star. To ensure a consistent selection, the same five criteria are used for awarding Michelin stars in all countries: product quality, preparation and flavors, the cuisine’s personality, value for money and consistency.

One Michelin star means a very good cuisine in its category.

Two Michelin stars mean excellent cuisine, worth a detour.

Three Michelin stars mean exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.

The presentation of each hotel and restaurant in the MICHELIN guide New York City 2009 includes a description of the atmosphere, interior decoration, chef’s background, etc. These descriptions are intended solely to provide readers with additional information about the establishment.

Present in North America since late 2005, the MICHELIN guide has four city editions: the MICHELIN guide New York City, the MICHELIN guide San Francisco, Bay Area & the Wine Country, the MICHELIN guide Los Angeles and the MICHELIN guide Las Vegas.

In Europe, the collection currently comprises 21 MICHELIN guides, including English-language versions of the Michelin Guide France and the MICHELIN guide Paris. The MICHELIN guide’s Asian editions include the MICHELIN guide Tokyo, and the MICHELIN guide Hong Kong & Macao debuting in December 2008.

Thanks to a rigorous selection process that is applied independently and consistently around the world, 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.

The first guide in the 2009 collection to be released, the new MICHELIN guide New York City 2009, goes on sale on Tues., Oct. 7 for $16.95. Langenscheidt Publishing Group, premier publisher of map, travel, and language brands, is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Michelin Maps and Guides. For more information, please visit www.langenscheidt.com/michelin.

· BREAKING: Michelin '09 Star Picks Here! Now [~E~]For more stories from Eater, go to eater.com.

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