1 00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you should Know, a production of I 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,119 Speaker 1: and there's Charles w Chuck Bryant. Jerry's out there lurking 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: like an Internet weirdo, and this is stuff you should know. Yeah, 5 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: I've got a question for you. Okay, have you ever 6 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: been to a Michelin starred restaurant? Yes, I don't know 7 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: if I have or not. Surely you have, I don't know. 8 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 1: I mean I've never sought one out, sure, but I 9 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 1: may have accidentally done it. Uh, yeah, it's possible. Um, 10 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: there's there's a decent there's enough one star restaurants out 11 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: there that that is entirely possible. You've been to one 12 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: one star? Um? Actually, I've been to a three three 13 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: starred restaurant once. Yes. Well it was for a very 14 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: special occasions in my engagement. UM. I contacted our friend Hodgeman, 15 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: who was kind enough to contact his friend Adam Sacks, 16 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 1: who was a restaurant critic, UM, who pulled some strings 17 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,560 Speaker 1: to get me reservations at Danielle in New York City. 18 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: And it was a three star restaurant. It was amazing. 19 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 1: It was just totally amazing. Yeah, I think, I mean, 20 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: I went to Atlanta's not on and you'll you know, 21 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: we'll go over all this in this episode, but Atlanta 22 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: is not covered under the Michelin Guide, but plains why 23 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: back Inalia doesn't have a star. Yeah, back Inalia or 24 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:43,839 Speaker 1: Staple House, I could see having a star. I haven't 25 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: been there. Staple Houses the best meal I've ever had 26 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: in my life. What kind of food. It's a tasting menu. Um, 27 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: just like wings, mostly wings, ribs, other things you can taste. 28 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: This sounds pretty good. Uh, it's very renowned Uh in 29 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: Atlanta and around the world, Like people fly to Atlanta 30 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: to go to Stable House. It's that good, and it's 31 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: it's really something else. It's the best meal I've ever had. 32 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,239 Speaker 1: And from the food to the service and the ambiance, 33 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: it was just It's a five star night, regardless of 34 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: what Michelin says. That's what my Yelp review is. But 35 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:27,519 Speaker 1: doesn't that say everything about Michelin That the highest honor 36 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: you can get his three stars. It's like everybody else 37 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: is going with four or five. Michelin's like three tops, 38 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: you know. Yeah, But as as you'll see, this was 39 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: their star rating came out long before the Internet existed exactly. 40 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: Um and so you you might be like, Michelin, I've 41 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: never heard of that guy. But there's a tire company 42 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: called Michelan out there, and we are here to tell 43 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: you that they are one and the same company. That 44 00:02:55,040 --> 00:03:00,519 Speaker 1: the tire manufacturer is also the publisher of the world's 45 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: most renowned restaurant guide of all time. Yeah, and and 46 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: once we explain it, it's like it's one of those 47 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: things that at the same time you say, oh, well, 48 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: now I guess it makes sense, but also still very weird. 49 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: It is, but it is part of this guid Yeah, 50 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: there's tire cartoon, tire man. If you're like, oh, you know, 51 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: this is pretty haughty stuff. No, one of their symbols 52 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: is the Michelin man licking his lips and making the 53 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: okay symbol. So let's all maintain a little bit of 54 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: perspective here, Okay. Yeah, absolutely so. Um So with the 55 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: with the the connection to the tired company, I think 56 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: it's a pretty satisfying explanation. But all the way back 57 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: in what was it the nineteenth century, for sure, I 58 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: believe eight nine, um Andre and Eduard Michelin started making 59 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: tires and this is you know, they're making bicycle time 60 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: tis I believe at first, Um, but they ended up 61 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: making tires for just about everything, including trains. I did 62 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: not know that there were tires for trains, but rubber 63 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: tires for trains. UM just had no idea that that 64 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: ever existed. Maybe it's one of those things where they 65 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: tried it and it failed spectacularly, but it's still worth remarking. 66 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: I don't know if they're still around or not, but 67 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 1: these guys started making tires at a really good time 68 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: because UM, around that time, Uh, in addition to bikes, 69 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 1: you also started to need tires for your car, and 70 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 1: the Michelin brothers were there for it. Apparently France was 71 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: like one of the early hot spots of um, the 72 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: auto manufacturing world around the turn of the last century. Yeah, 73 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: they built more cars than anyone else between eighteen ninety 74 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,480 Speaker 1: and sort of the mid to late nineteen forties, and 75 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: they sold a ton of tires, and um, the Michelin 76 00:04:55,120 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: man himself debuted in eight which is pretty remar parkable, 77 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: and there was I think, uh, I think it was 78 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 1: Dave Ru's right, Yeah, I believe so. Yeah, Dave can 79 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 1: point you and if you're in a place where you 80 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 1: can look this up on the internet. Um, just type 81 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 1: in bibendum b I b E N d U M, 82 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 1: which was the original name of the Michelin Man, which 83 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:25,119 Speaker 1: comes from a Latin toast attributed to Horace uh Nun's sbendum. 84 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:27,840 Speaker 1: Now is the time to drink and just look up 85 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: the poster. Type in bibendum poster and you'll see what 86 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 1: is exactly a very creepy poster of an early Michelin 87 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: entire man. It's um it is very creepy and sort 88 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,320 Speaker 1: of it is it's like, what is wrong with all 89 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:46,600 Speaker 1: the people at the table. There's something terribly wrong with everybody. 90 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: But apparently be Bendam is still his name in Europe, 91 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: or Bibbs affectionately. But um so the be bendum debuted 92 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: a little actually before the time of the guide. The 93 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:03,039 Speaker 1: guide for made its appearance in nineteen hundred. And the 94 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 1: reason why the guide ever existed as far as the 95 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: Michelin Company's concerns, because they're the Michelin brothers were looking 96 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: for a way to um sell more tires by getting 97 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:17,479 Speaker 1: people to drive more, and they figured, well, if we 98 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 1: make a guide book saying hey, you gotta check out 99 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:24,919 Speaker 1: this place in Leone or Burgundy or Champagne Um or 100 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: sparkling Wine, like all these different places in France. Um. 101 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,479 Speaker 1: Then they'll actually go out and take road trips to 102 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: these places. And that was the origin of the Michelin Guide, 103 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,279 Speaker 1: was to tell people about all these different spots and 104 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: to make you know, to let you know about them, 105 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: and maybe you should go check this out. Yeah. So 106 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: um it was first given away for free when it debuted. Um, they, 107 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: like he said, we're just sort of listing restaurants where 108 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: you could go. But eventually in ninety six they started 109 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: recommending restaurants and uh, in nineteen thirty one is where 110 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: the star system was finally debuted, which is one star 111 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: a very good restaurant in its category, two stars excellent 112 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: cooking worth a detour, or three stars exceptional cuisine worth 113 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: a special journey. And uh, I really think they missed 114 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: a big opportunity by not rating these one to four tires. Uh. 115 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: Instead they did one to three stars. But as Day 116 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: points out, if you'll notice, what they're saying is, hey, 117 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: this restaurant, you should really drive to your Michelin tires 118 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: a lot, right, Yeah, maybe lay some rubber and do 119 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 1: some donuts on the way totally. So that language is 120 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 1: still in use today. Like those are the current explanation 121 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 1: for stars as well, even though the point isn't to 122 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 1: get you to use up your tires, Uma, but they 123 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: do still signify the same thing, where like a three 124 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: star restaurant to the to the Michelin the editors of 125 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 1: the Michelin Guide is it's with a trip in and 126 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 1: of itself, like it's worth getting in a plane and 127 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: flying to a different country to eat this meal at 128 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: this restaurant and then getting on a plane and flying back. 129 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: That's basically what a three star Michelin rating means. That's right. Um. 130 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: The first one outside of France was in Belgium in 131 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: nineteen o four. Uh, and then it kind of spread 132 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 1: through Europe with other guides North Africa. Um. They did 133 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 1: publish an English language version in nineteen o nine, but 134 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 1: it was just for France. Still. Um, America didn't get 135 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:34,679 Speaker 1: its first guide and this is very surprising to me 136 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 1: until two thousand five when they started their guide to 137 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 1: New York City, because you know, they were like the 138 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: only good food in Americas in New York. Yeah, yeah, 139 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: and not only that, only good French restaurants are in 140 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: are what is in New York, in New York and 141 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: in America. You know, they took a lot of flak 142 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,439 Speaker 1: for that first one. UM. In its defense, they didn't 143 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:00,160 Speaker 1: they hadn't put together a team of American inspect or. 144 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: They had they had used some of their existing European 145 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: inspectors to go over and they have no idea what 146 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: they're doing aside from French cuisine apparently, so they did 147 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: just basically put an American guide book out to the 148 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: best fresh French restaurants in New York. That was the 149 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: first American guide. But they have since as we'll see, 150 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: like really kind of um kept pace a lot more 151 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: since then. Yeah, they've tried to. Uh. The modern guide 152 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:30,199 Speaker 1: has more than forty restaurants in thirty four countries here 153 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: in the States. You have New York. Uh, they cover 154 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: the state of California, and then the cities of Chicago 155 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 1: and Washington, d C. And that's all as far as 156 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: the US goes so far. Uh. And they sell these 157 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 1: things now they sold um they've sold thirty million of 158 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: them over the last hundred years. Uh. And then next 159 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: year they are going to hit in Moscow. Um. They 160 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 1: have them for Tokyo, Hong Kong, uh, sort of other 161 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: places all over the world. Now, like you said, because 162 00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: they're trying to I think shed and we'll talk more 163 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:01,679 Speaker 1: about this, but shed a little bit more of that 164 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: stag snooty only French kind of thing, right, which is 165 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: why they're releasing a guide book on Topeka next year 166 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: as well. So, um, if you uh, if you open 167 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,439 Speaker 1: up one of these Michelin guides or go online, that's 168 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 1: all online as well too. Um. When you when you 169 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 1: hear about three stars, like that must be you know, 170 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,439 Speaker 1: a tremendous amount of detail explaining why and all that. 171 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 1: That is not how a Michelin guides work. There's a 172 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:35,080 Speaker 1: tremendous amount of work and effort and thought that's put 173 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: into um, the kind of rating or symbol that a 174 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,920 Speaker 1: restaurant gets in the Michelin guide. But the guide itself 175 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: is basically like just trust us. Here's one star or 176 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: two stars or three stars or no stars. Here's a 177 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:51,080 Speaker 1: little right up about the restaurant, what you can expect, um, 178 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 1: the chef and what the chef's known for. And in 179 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: a couple of paragraphs they they make or break a 180 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:02,319 Speaker 1: restaurant around the world old. Yeah, and they have UM 181 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: very I mean, if you don't know anything about it 182 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:06,200 Speaker 1: and you just pop it open, like you said that, 183 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:08,960 Speaker 1: you could get confused by all the weird symbols that 184 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 1: it uses to convey their qualities. UM. We'll get into 185 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 1: some of those in a minute. But UM, the star is, 186 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:18,679 Speaker 1: you know, obviously the highest honor you can get. UM. 187 00:11:18,760 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: The criteria, there are five criteria to judge um these 188 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 1: restaurants for stars. It's not it's only about the food. 189 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 1: It's not the decord, it's not the service or the 190 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: ambiance or where it is. It's literally just the food 191 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: on the plate. Uh. And these five criteria, which are 192 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:40,840 Speaker 1: quality of the ingredients, mastery of flavor and the cooking techniques, UH, 193 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 1: personality of the chef, UM, the harmony of flavors, and 194 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 1: then the consistency between the visits. UM. I also saw 195 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: value for money? Is that not one? I didn't see 196 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 1: that anywhere except in this thing that we were given. 197 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: Did you see that elsewhere? Now? I saw that that 198 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: would make much more sense for the bib rmand, which 199 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: we'll talk about. Yeah. I mean this was taken Uh. 200 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: I got mine from an interview within actual New Yorker. Okay, yeah, 201 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:11,839 Speaker 1: I missed that part. So um, when you put all 202 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: those criteria together, and again, like you said, it's just 203 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 1: they're just talking about the food. But they're talking about 204 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:22,960 Speaker 1: the food too, the point where a three star rating 205 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:29,319 Speaker 1: means that that restaurant puts out consistently, over time, technically 206 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:36,440 Speaker 1: scientifically perfect food no matter what you order, and no 207 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:38,400 Speaker 1: matter what time of day, no matter what day of 208 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: the year, no matter who you are, you're going to 209 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:44,560 Speaker 1: go in and get a perfect meal every time. That's 210 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 1: what a three star rating is. And there's a lot 211 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: of criticism of those criteria, as we'll see, but it 212 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 1: really is a remarkable, a remarkable thing that they're they're 213 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: basically saying, like, this is a perfect meal no matter 214 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 1: what you order. That's that's kind of hard to find 215 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:05,239 Speaker 1: in other industries. You're not just like well like, um, 216 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 1: you know this is a this is a perfect shoe 217 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: that I'm wearing. You know, if it fits this This 218 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: is weird. You know, five boxes of criteria that are 219 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: being checked off no matter what what shoe model, shoe, 220 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 1: the shoe is going to be perfect, no matter what 221 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:25,559 Speaker 1: that's You don't find that everywhere else. You know that 222 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 1: I really love that symbol or that analogy. Thank you. 223 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:34,079 Speaker 1: Uh So, there are only a hundred three stars worldwide. 224 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: There are four hundred and fifty nine two stars and 225 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:41,440 Speaker 1: two thousand, four d and eighty six one star restaurants. 226 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:47,239 Speaker 1: A man, very famous man um chef name Elaine Dukasa. 227 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: How do you pronounce that? I think it's Ellen. I 228 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: think there's so much French in here that I'm gonna murder. 229 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: But um, he has the He has thirty six restaurants 230 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 1: in between them, twenty Michelin stars, including three three star restaurants, 231 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:08,559 Speaker 1: which is quite an accomplishment. Um And I think we 232 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 1: should take a break maybe, and then we'll talk about 233 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: some of those more weird symbols in the guide. Does 234 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: that sound good? Lallah learn it's too with Joshua John. So, 235 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: the Michelin Guide is most well known for the stars 236 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: that it gives, right, um and, we should say, even 237 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 1: being mentioned in the Michelin Guide, it's not like a 238 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: comprehensive listing of restaurants in It's like, these are the 239 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 1: most noteworthy restaurants in New York and then the starred 240 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: ones are the best of the most noteworthy. Um So, 241 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: just being in there is is an honor um, but 242 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: they I guess it's kind of like recognition that there 243 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 1: are some restaurants out there there are still really good 244 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: and that you should still go check out. They just 245 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: don't necessarily check the boxes of the five criteria of 246 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: the perfect meal every single time, but it's still definitely 247 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 1: worth checking out. They came up with other criteria and 248 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 1: they found um. The first one, I believe, which it 249 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 1: came out in nineteen, was the Bib Gourmond that we 250 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: we mentioned a minute ago. Um and Bib being again 251 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: Bi Bendam or the Michelin Man. Yeah, this is like 252 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 1: his faves totally, as evidenced by him licking his lips. 253 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: Give me the okay symbol? Yeah, so um, you're right. 254 00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: It started in the fifties as uh. The original symbol 255 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 1: is a little red are which stood for our E 256 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: p a s French for meal. I'm not going to 257 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: pronounce it, but it's basically Gorman means good little restaurant, 258 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: and it actually comes out it's it's in, it's the 259 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 1: regular guy, but it also comes out as its own 260 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: separate guide, Um, the Bib Gourman Guide after the Michelin Guide, 261 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:29,560 Speaker 1: is published, and these are good quality, good value cooking. 262 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: And the idea is that you can go to a 263 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 1: bib Gourman restaurant and you can get what they say 264 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 1: is a three course meal. I also saw one of 265 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: the inspectors say like a main course, a dessert, and 266 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 1: a glass of wine, but like kind of like three 267 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: things for about forty dollars per person, which they consider 268 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: a good value. And that is if you're talking like 269 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: really really good stuff. Um and three thousand three six 270 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 1: restaurants right now are listed as bib Gourmand's. Yeah, so 271 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: it's a kind of like anybody can pick that up 272 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: and be like, let's see where we're gonna go to 273 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:07,680 Speaker 1: dinner tonight. Basically, you know, um, forty dollars. You could 274 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: you can drop forty dollars a person at like um 275 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: out back pretty easily. So that that is pretty that 276 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 1: is pretty remarkable that they I guarantee it's eleven or 277 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 1: twelve bucks. You think, sure, let's look right now you talk. 278 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,159 Speaker 1: I'm gonna look up how much a bloomen onion is. 279 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: I gotta say, I haven't been to an outback steakhouse since, uh, 280 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: I don't know, probably two decades but um, that bloomin 281 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:37,640 Speaker 1: onion is bloom and delicious. Uh yeah, yeah, for sure 282 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: and delicious. You made a joke while we were on 283 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:42,800 Speaker 1: UM on the road the other day about how we 284 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: should go to out Back and I was like, yeah, 285 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: blue an onion would be pretty good. But it turns 286 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:48,639 Speaker 1: out it was just a joke and we didn't end 287 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:53,919 Speaker 1: up there. Mm hmm. How's that for an anecdote? It's 288 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:55,760 Speaker 1: good until the part where you didn't go and get 289 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:58,440 Speaker 1: one of those bluemen onions on your road trip, right, 290 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 1: so you can get yourself bluemn onion for eight dollars 291 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 1: and nine cents I stay corrected, all right? That sounds 292 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:09,359 Speaker 1: about right with tax though you're approaching ten. Yeah, and 293 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:12,679 Speaker 1: if you want a regular size cheese fries it's eleven bucks. 294 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: So but you gotta get some extra sauce with that 295 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: bluemen onion, so that probably pushes it over ten unless 296 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: that's a freebe I don't know how they were gallon size? 297 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: Uh were you? Were you thinking the bluemen onion was 298 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,640 Speaker 1: going to make an appearance in this episode on Michelin 299 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 1: Stars and did not? Um? I give that four tires though? 300 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,879 Speaker 1: All right? So another symbol they have is the plate 301 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 1: to Michelin. How are you gonna pronounce that in French? Uh? 302 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: Las yet? Yeah? Las yet? That sounds about right. Uh. 303 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:48,879 Speaker 1: This is a symbol of a dinner plate flanked by 304 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 1: a knife and a fork. This debuted in and this 305 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:56,680 Speaker 1: is just good cooking. Uh it is not. It means 306 00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: it doesn't have a star. It's not a bib gourmon. 307 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,880 Speaker 1: But they call it quote simply good food. I'm not 308 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 1: entirely sure what the distinction is between the plate in 309 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: the bib gourmand rating it. I think it's money. Okay, 310 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: so this could still be expensive or is it cheaper 311 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:17,200 Speaker 1: than the bib gourmand. No, no, I think the bib 312 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,880 Speaker 1: gorman is specifically cheap, and the plate to Michelin can 313 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:23,720 Speaker 1: be pricey but just not good enough for a star, 314 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: just not good enough. It's like a substar rating. I 315 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 1: guess substar, but more expensive than forty bucks a person. Okay, 316 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 1: otherwise it would be a big gormant. They also one 317 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:37,760 Speaker 1: other way to kind of understand the bib gourmand is um. 318 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,639 Speaker 1: We'll talk about the inspectors a little bit um in 319 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:44,920 Speaker 1: a in a minute, but um, apparently the ratings are 320 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 1: they used a hive mind kind of thing where they'll 321 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: have different inspectors go to see what they think about 322 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: an inspector's rating of a restaurant, and then they kind 323 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:58,160 Speaker 1: of pull them all together and the average is what 324 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,399 Speaker 1: the what the restaurant gets. Um, that was one explanation 325 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 1: I saw, and by proxy, the bib Gourmand is say, 326 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:09,080 Speaker 1: like one inspectors like, if you happen to be talking 327 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:11,360 Speaker 1: to a Michelin inspectrum and said, what's your what's your 328 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:14,159 Speaker 1: real favorite restaurant in this town, they'd probably give you 329 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: a big Gourmand recommendation. Not necessarily everyone in the Michelin 330 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,400 Speaker 1: organization would would agree that it deserves a star three stars, 331 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:25,760 Speaker 1: But this one inspectors like, this is really honestly the 332 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:28,200 Speaker 1: best restaurant in town. Right, And then they would take 333 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: you into an alley and strangle you to death because 334 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:33,399 Speaker 1: you're not supposed to know who I am write exactly. 335 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:37,439 Speaker 1: You am so sorry, but you know too much like 336 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:41,879 Speaker 1: the talent to Mr Ripley at the end, Oh spoiler? 337 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 1: Uh was it? No? It doesn't matter? Okay? Uh. You 338 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:50,639 Speaker 1: have the Green Star, which debut just last year that 339 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 1: has restaurants and chefs who are practicing sustainable gastronomy UM, 340 00:20:55,880 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 1: sourcing locally, reducing waste, renewable energy in the restaurants. Uh. 341 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 1: Then you have the covert or covers uh. And that 342 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 1: is based I think. I mean, the food's got to 343 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: be good too, but it's really has to do with ambiance. 344 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 1: You can get one to five covers um, which means 345 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:16,240 Speaker 1: like if you really want to go to a like 346 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 1: a special, like a romantic dinner or something, you might 347 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:22,680 Speaker 1: want to look under the cover section. Yeah. And and 348 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:26,239 Speaker 1: to make it even more arcane and obscure that you 349 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: can have five covers, but if it's in black ink, 350 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:32,880 Speaker 1: it's not as good as a few covers in red ink. Yeah, 351 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: a little confusing. So if you have if there's a 352 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 1: place that has five covers in red ink, it's their 353 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 1: most charming, splendid um atmosphere of any restaurant they've ever encountered. Um. 354 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:46,359 Speaker 1: But yet it does surely it has to do. It 355 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 1: takes the food into account to they're not going to 356 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 1: send you like a slop bucket that's really charming, but 357 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:55,399 Speaker 1: they the whereas the stars are just the food. This 358 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: kind of takes into account the ambiance more. Yeah, and 359 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 1: then they started. You can see symbols for different specialties 360 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: in different regions, Like in Spain they'll have a little 361 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: toothpick and wine symbol for tapas like the best tapas places, 362 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:13,199 Speaker 1: and the UK and Ireland they'll have beer mugs for 363 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 1: the best pubs. If you see little grape symbols, that 364 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 1: means someone might have a really good wine list, or 365 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: a cocktail glass obviously for good cocktails, or a sake bottle, 366 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: stuff like that. So if you see all these little symbols, obviously, 367 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,560 Speaker 1: I'm sure there's a uh, what do you call it? 368 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 1: A legend? Yeah, legend It explains all this stuff. But 369 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 1: we're here to do that for you. Yeah, from what 370 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: I can tell, you have to be basically a trained 371 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 1: Michelin inspector to decipher some of this stuff once it 372 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: gets real deep. You know. Well, we've been seeing this 373 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 1: word inspector without explaining that, and people are probably going, 374 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:54,879 Speaker 1: why do they keep talking about detectives, But we're not 375 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: talking about detectives. We're talking about inspectors, which is their 376 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:02,719 Speaker 1: word for reviews. Yeah. Actually I don't even think they 377 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: call them that. They call them um anonymous restaurant. Oh no, 378 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:10,240 Speaker 1: they do call them inspectors. I'm sorry I misread um 379 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:13,239 Speaker 1: so well. And that makes a lot of sense too, 380 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:16,400 Speaker 1: because there is this definite haughtiness to this whole thing. 381 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:20,719 Speaker 1: But at the same time, from what Michelin has finally 382 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:24,680 Speaker 1: started to choose to reveal about its inspectors, UM, they 383 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 1: do seem to actually be worthy of such a kind 384 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: of haughty title. UM. They are typically trained in and 385 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,600 Speaker 1: having like real life experience in the hospitality industry, the 386 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:44,959 Speaker 1: restaurant industry, UM, hotel industry, UM. And they will train 387 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 1: uh and actually go through this kind of um vetting 388 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: process for about a year basically that also includes an 389 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,920 Speaker 1: apprenticeship because this is not the kind of thing where 390 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 1: you can be like, oh, these are the five criteria. 391 00:23:58,359 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 1: I totally understand this. It's a lot more nerve racking 392 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 1: than that. And also, if you ask me, the best 393 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:09,880 Speaker 1: way to lose love of food would be to become 394 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 1: a Michelin restaurant inspector because it sounds like a lot 395 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 1: of not fun work. Yes, I would much rather just go, uh, 396 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 1: you know, enjoy a meal at a restaurant than have 397 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 1: to review it any day of the week. Yeah, there's 398 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 1: a cool article I read from Forbes from twenty nineteen 399 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 1: by Carla Allen Do called the Secret Life of an 400 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:38,200 Speaker 1: Anonymous Michelin Restaurant Inspector, where they talked to this woman 401 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,200 Speaker 1: who was an inspector and they remain anonymous even when 402 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,239 Speaker 1: they're interviewed, which um, as we'll talk about in a bit, 403 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 1: is happening a little bit more over the past, like 404 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:50,600 Speaker 1: ten to twenty years. But um, you know, she talks 405 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:55,200 Speaker 1: about the rigors of the process, and you know how 406 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:57,399 Speaker 1: you know, some of them are trained Somalia. Some of 407 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,479 Speaker 1: them were chefs, but they were They're all all in 408 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:04,040 Speaker 1: the restaurant industry at some point. Uh. And they get 409 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:06,960 Speaker 1: there obviously their travel and hotel and their food all covered. 410 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:10,360 Speaker 1: I was trying to find the pay. I saw some 411 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 1: guesses that it was maybe close to a hundred thousand 412 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 1: dollars a year. Uh to eat about three hundred meals 413 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:21,679 Speaker 1: a year in these restaurants. UH. To not be allowed 414 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 1: to eat with your at least if you're reviewing the restaurant, 415 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 1: um too with a spouse or any other friend, like 416 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 1: you're supposed to be in there alone. Um, you gotta 417 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:34,040 Speaker 1: take these pictures, which um, you know people do that 418 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 1: a lot now any day, so that's not gonna make 419 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: you stand out. But uh, the thing that I saw 420 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:42,200 Speaker 1: was that the hardest part, at least from the point 421 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:45,720 Speaker 1: of view of this one inspector, was maintaining your anonymity, 422 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,320 Speaker 1: because I think they said you're allowed to tell your 423 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 1: closest family members, but really no one else. And in 424 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,919 Speaker 1: this day of social media, it's I don't know how 425 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 1: much of a social media presence you can even have. 426 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:00,719 Speaker 1: It would be a giveaway if you were, like, you know, 427 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:06,200 Speaker 1: in in New York. Again, these ten meals out this week, right, Uh, 428 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 1: you know, I'm in Paris, now, I'm in Los Angeles, now, 429 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: I'm in Chicago, I'm in Tokyo. Like people would kind 430 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:15,160 Speaker 1: of catch on. I think, yeah, you just yeah, I 431 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 1: think you're supposed to just be a lot more kind 432 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: of playing Jane or playing James. I guess I've never 433 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 1: heard of put that way, but I think I just 434 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 1: came upon something to where you're just kind of unremarkable 435 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: and not really noticeable. Um, but at the same time, 436 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,199 Speaker 1: you're not sticking out because you're so unnoticeable, and you 437 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,440 Speaker 1: just kind of have to live a life of anonimity, anonymity, 438 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:37,320 Speaker 1: not just at work, but in general, like you're saying, 439 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:40,720 Speaker 1: like it's a good grind, it sounds like a big grind, 440 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 1: like ten meals a day or ten meals a week, 441 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:49,280 Speaker 1: UM very frequently you know, launch and dinner and we're 442 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:52,639 Speaker 1: talking like, like you said, tasting menus or you know, 443 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: prefixed menus where they're eating like multiple course meals. UM. 444 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 1: I saw that that new worker interview with UM maxim 445 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:06,720 Speaker 1: or m is what they nicknamed her UM the Michelin Inspector, 446 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,639 Speaker 1: And I guess they order as many courses as the 447 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 1: restaurant offers, so if they have you know, soup, salad, appetizer, main, pasta, dessert, 448 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: like you would be expected to order a dish off 449 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 1: of each of those courses for lunch and then go 450 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:27,120 Speaker 1: do the same thing for dinner five days a week, 451 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 1: three weeks out of the month, all year long. It 452 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: does sound like a grind for sure. Yeah, for by yourself, 453 00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:37,520 Speaker 1: eating by yourself, it's it can be kind of liberating 454 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 1: in fun, but after a while that is one of 455 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:43,080 Speaker 1: the loneliest things you can possibly do. And the other 456 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:45,199 Speaker 1: thing too is if it's if it's frowned upon for 457 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:48,479 Speaker 1: you to bring a friend or a family member. Um, 458 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:51,800 Speaker 1: I guarantee it's frowned upon for you to just be 459 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: sitting at your phone. So you're just sitting there like 460 00:27:55,560 --> 00:28:00,359 Speaker 1: a total weirdo by yourself at dinner, paying a tench 461 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:04,720 Speaker 1: to the salt shaker. Basically is what you're what you're doing, 462 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:07,080 Speaker 1: m Yeah, enjoying your world class meal. It does not 463 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,160 Speaker 1: sound fun to me at all. I just rather it's 464 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:11,639 Speaker 1: just one of those things I'd just rather be at 465 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:14,399 Speaker 1: everyday person and just enjoyed on that level. Like I 466 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 1: feel bad for people who are so into making movies 467 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:19,640 Speaker 1: that they can't enjoy a movie anymore. It's the same 468 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 1: exact thing You're like, I just want to be a 469 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:23,960 Speaker 1: regular guy at a three star restaurants sitting there looking 470 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:26,960 Speaker 1: at my phone. Right. I want to be able to 471 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:29,919 Speaker 1: be on Twitter the whole time. All Right, I think 472 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 1: we should take another break and then we'll talk about this. 473 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:35,080 Speaker 1: All sounds rosy, but we'll talk about some of the 474 00:28:35,080 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 1: criticisms right after this with Joshua. All Right, So we've 475 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:15,400 Speaker 1: talked about the um kind of sun the prey, Well 476 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 1: did we sing praises? Well though they are definitely well 477 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:21,680 Speaker 1: trained and all that. But but the thing is with 478 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:26,080 Speaker 1: their inspectors, Michelin has always been the term is they're 479 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:29,800 Speaker 1: famously anonymous, like they really, like you were saying, go 480 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:34,080 Speaker 1: to great links to hide their their people, um and 481 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:36,880 Speaker 1: their their identities. And a lot of people are like, well, 482 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:39,160 Speaker 1: who are these people? Are they actually qualified? And that's 483 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 1: kind of caused a lot of controversy in itself. Yeah, 484 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 1: and I kind of more meant singing the praises of 485 00:29:44,080 --> 00:29:47,440 Speaker 1: the guide itself. But um, it's all become sort of 486 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 1: controversial over the years, and there's been a lot of 487 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:53,080 Speaker 1: criticism levied. Um, like you mentioned first of all of 488 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:55,560 Speaker 1: the inspectors. Uh, there have been some things that have 489 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: come out over the years. Uh. There was a book 490 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:02,200 Speaker 1: written by an inspect yere Um after they left the job, 491 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 1: called The Inspector Sits Down at the Table by Pascal Remy, 492 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 1: where Pascal said, they're not nearly enough of us. They're 493 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,720 Speaker 1: a way fewer. Um, we're not going to these restaurants 494 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:16,040 Speaker 1: as much as we should. There have been restaurants that said, hey, 495 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: I was knocked down a star, and I know for 496 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 1: a fact that no one even came into the restaurant 497 00:30:21,160 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: this past year. Uh, no inspector came into our restaurant, 498 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: So how do we get not back a star? Uh? 499 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 1: And there's kind of a general I think within the industry, 500 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:35,600 Speaker 1: there's a general feeling of this thing has too much 501 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:40,360 Speaker 1: importance over and too much hold over us as chefs 502 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 1: and as restaurateurs, and we're kind of beholden to this 503 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:49,560 Speaker 1: book to the point where people, Uh, I mean, there 504 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:51,640 Speaker 1: was there was one chef who took his own life, 505 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 1: Bernard French chef Bernard Lusseau, who lost a star. He 506 00:30:56,320 --> 00:31:00,200 Speaker 1: had famously said, if I ever lose my stars, will 507 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 1: kill myself and uh, in two thousand three that happened 508 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: and he he shot himself in the head with a shotgun. Uh. 509 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 1: He very much was suffering from depression. So we're not saying, 510 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 1: you know, this is all at the hands of the 511 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 1: Michelin Guide, but it just sort of hammers home the 512 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:21,880 Speaker 1: stress of trying to achieve and then maintain these stars. Yeah, 513 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: it's it goes both ways, right, Like, if you don't 514 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 1: have the stars yet and you're just starting out, you 515 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 1: want to get them or else people are gonna be like, well, 516 00:31:30,120 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 1: I thought you were like an up and coming superstar 517 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,480 Speaker 1: where your Michelin stars, but then once you get them, 518 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:39,520 Speaker 1: it's like it's just this albatross around your neck trying 519 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:42,520 Speaker 1: to keep them. Um. And the guy who's restaurant you 520 00:31:42,560 --> 00:31:46,240 Speaker 1: me and I went to for our engagement, Danielle um Boullard. 521 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 1: I believe um he actually took uh or sorry ballued Um. 522 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: He took a kind of a cool attitude to the 523 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 1: whole thing. He had three stars and he got knocked 524 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:03,440 Speaker 1: down to two after I had been there. Um. But 525 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 1: he he was basically like, look, you know, I mean, 526 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:09,680 Speaker 1: we make a lot of changes to our menu, and 527 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,320 Speaker 1: sometimes it's stuff that we want to lock in and 528 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 1: put on the menu. Anytimes it's us just messing around, 529 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:18,640 Speaker 1: but our customers seem to really like it. Um. And 530 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 1: so if if that means that we're not putting out 531 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 1: perfect food every single time, but we're being more creative 532 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:30,000 Speaker 1: and spontaneous, I'm okay with that. That was a very 533 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:34,479 Speaker 1: very rare attitude from what I saw. More likely, if 534 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 1: you lose a star, you openly weep, like Gordon Ramsey 535 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 1: did when one of his restaurants, The London in New 536 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,400 Speaker 1: York City. Um lost two stars. It had two stars 537 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: and it lost them both from one guy to the 538 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:49,360 Speaker 1: next and he wept. Apparently he won't talk about it 539 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:52,160 Speaker 1: if you ask him about it. Um. That is much 540 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 1: more the reaction to Michelin Stars than than Danielle's response, 541 00:32:56,680 --> 00:32:58,760 Speaker 1: which is kind of like, you know, I'll take it 542 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:01,480 Speaker 1: or leave it. It just kind of ruined your life 543 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 1: one way or the other. And I think a lot 544 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:06,480 Speaker 1: of people in the restaurant industry really resent that this 545 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:10,920 Speaker 1: anonymous group of people whose qualifications they're not even sure of, 546 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:14,479 Speaker 1: hold that kind of sway over their lives, over their 547 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 1: entire careers. You know. Yeah, Actually, now that I think 548 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:19,840 Speaker 1: of it, Emily and I stayed at the London one time, 549 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:22,479 Speaker 1: and I think we ate breakfast there. There you go 550 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: two stars. Yeah, I'm not sure when it was as 551 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:29,240 Speaker 1: far as his stars coming and going, but uh yeah, 552 00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:35,760 Speaker 1: so we ate there. Another sort of rarity was when 553 00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:41,640 Speaker 1: French chef Sebastian bra said, Hey, Michelin, guide, can you 554 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:44,720 Speaker 1: remove my stars and and take them out of there? 555 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 1: And and there's a couple of interesting quotes. He said, 556 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,360 Speaker 1: after twenty years under the banner of three stars, I 557 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:53,080 Speaker 1: wanted to find serenity, freedom and independence, but three Stars 558 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:55,520 Speaker 1: represented a form of permanent and growing tension for me 559 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:58,920 Speaker 1: and today I only want to be accountable to my customers, 560 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 1: so too much stress. And he was like, I want 561 00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:03,760 Speaker 1: to I want to experiment, and I want to try 562 00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:07,080 Speaker 1: different things, and I don't want to necessarily live my 563 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:09,480 Speaker 1: or spend the rest of my career just trying to 564 00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:13,400 Speaker 1: maintain these stars. And by all accounts, it was a 565 00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:18,440 Speaker 1: pretty liberating experience for him. Yeah yeah, yeah, so um 566 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:21,160 Speaker 1: that again, that also is very rare. For the most part, 567 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:23,319 Speaker 1: it's like your your career is about trying to get 568 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:27,560 Speaker 1: and then trying to keep those stars. Um, and just 569 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 1: the kind of the frustration that goes along with it 570 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:34,759 Speaker 1: has has made a lot of people level accusations toward 571 00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:39,439 Speaker 1: the Michelin Guide, um, including that you know, they hand 572 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 1: out like that. One guy's expose said that they hand 573 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:45,239 Speaker 1: out stars or maintain stars amongst some of their friends, 574 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 1: like very friendous French chefs. That is absolutely not fair. 575 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:52,040 Speaker 1: But and there are definitely plenty of people out there, 576 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:56,560 Speaker 1: um who just go to these restaurants so that they 577 00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:58,759 Speaker 1: can brag about having gone to this restaurant, and that 578 00:34:58,800 --> 00:35:03,160 Speaker 1: probably makes up a substantial part of the chef's clientell 579 00:35:03,239 --> 00:35:06,359 Speaker 1: or the restaurant's clientele, and I would guess if you're 580 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:10,120 Speaker 1: a chef in this area, you probably hate people like that, 581 00:35:10,239 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 1: even though you know they're coming to your restaurant. They're 582 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:15,840 Speaker 1: just being d bags. That's why they're there, is just 583 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:18,080 Speaker 1: show off what a d bag they are. Can we 584 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:21,040 Speaker 1: say that? Yeah? And I bet you half of those 585 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:23,880 Speaker 1: people say like, oh my god, what one of the 586 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:26,200 Speaker 1: best meals in half of them say I don't know 587 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:29,399 Speaker 1: why this thing is three stars right? Exactly exactly. Yeah. 588 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:32,360 Speaker 1: So there is that too it where people are like, 589 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:34,919 Speaker 1: there's too much sway, are these people even like being 590 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 1: fair about this? And then the star system attracts people 591 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:41,680 Speaker 1: who are just just there to say that they ate 592 00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:44,080 Speaker 1: at a restaurant and aren't actually enjoying the food. All 593 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:48,520 Speaker 1: that exists. But it really seems over the last century 594 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:52,880 Speaker 1: that the Michelin Guide has like it is legit Like 595 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:56,920 Speaker 1: if you go to a three starred restaurant, you're probably 596 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,919 Speaker 1: going to have the best meal that you've ever had 597 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:03,360 Speaker 1: in your entire life. Like that's probably true, and that 598 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:06,120 Speaker 1: in and of itself legitimizes it, or at least, you know, 599 00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:10,080 Speaker 1: lends credence to the idea that generally it's a legitimate 600 00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:17,000 Speaker 1: if not crushing um rating system. Yeah. Um, there's been 601 00:36:17,040 --> 00:36:20,800 Speaker 1: some other controversies over the years. In twenty nineteen, that 602 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 1: was a lawsuit filed by French chef Mark Verrat, who said, 603 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:31,279 Speaker 1: my restaurant and Maison de how do you pronounce that 604 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:35,320 Speaker 1: last part? Not boise Idaho, but I think boise boise, 605 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:39,239 Speaker 1: Maison de boise. Yes, all right, let's go with that. Uh. 606 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:44,120 Speaker 1: He was downgraded from three to two stars. He said, quote, 607 00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:47,359 Speaker 1: it's worse than the loss of my parents, which I'm 608 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:51,439 Speaker 1: sure his parents were like Marcy for that. Uh. And 609 00:36:51,719 --> 00:36:55,600 Speaker 1: apparently the word on the street was the inspector accused 610 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:59,560 Speaker 1: the kitchen of using just a very common English cheddar 611 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:03,600 Speaker 1: cheese in a souffle dish that he says he was 612 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:07,320 Speaker 1: sacar blue. He was really mad. He said, I demand 613 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:10,960 Speaker 1: to see that report. Michelin says, I don't know who 614 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:13,360 Speaker 1: you think you are, but you better watch it. You 615 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:16,080 Speaker 1: can lose all your stars, buddy, but you you can't 616 00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:18,759 Speaker 1: see our reports. He filed the lawsuit. It became known 617 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: as cheddar Gate, and then the case is thrown out 618 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:25,000 Speaker 1: when they couldn't produce evidence that actually hurt his business. 619 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:29,520 Speaker 1: It actually helped his business. Because all the publicity, so 620 00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:32,120 Speaker 1: that report thing actually struck me as surprising. I saw 621 00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:34,960 Speaker 1: that they will share their reports. I mean, you know, 622 00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:37,880 Speaker 1: really yeah, they won't They obviously it won't say what 623 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:40,319 Speaker 1: inspector came from or anything like that, but they that 624 00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:43,200 Speaker 1: restaurants who want to improve or get a starback or 625 00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:46,080 Speaker 1: whatever and want to know what happened, they will share 626 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:48,880 Speaker 1: the reports. So I didn't understand that maybe what I 627 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:53,120 Speaker 1: read was was wrong. But the Michelin Guide has responded 628 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:57,160 Speaker 1: to this kind of like criticism and bad publicity. Um 629 00:37:57,200 --> 00:38:03,240 Speaker 1: you know, the suicide of um what was his last name? Yeah, 630 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:07,720 Speaker 1: uh in two thousand three was really a dark cloud 631 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 1: that hung over the Michelin Guide. Um you know, the 632 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:13,600 Speaker 1: criticism for basically raiding the best French restaurants in New 633 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:16,959 Speaker 1: York and their first American guide, all this stuff really 634 00:38:17,040 --> 00:38:19,560 Speaker 1: amounted some bad press for the Michelin Guide and it 635 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:23,800 Speaker 1: kind of evolved in the twenty one century to become 636 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 1: a lot more um worldly, a lot less franco centric, 637 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:33,400 Speaker 1: a lot less stuffy, and to expand. And today actually 638 00:38:33,719 --> 00:38:37,560 Speaker 1: the country for the city with the largest number of 639 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:42,120 Speaker 1: Stars among its restaurants is in Paris. It's tokyo. How 640 00:38:42,120 --> 00:38:46,520 Speaker 1: about that right to say tokyo. I've been saying it wrong. Um, 641 00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:51,520 Speaker 1: he says tokyo. Yeah, I've been saying it wrong for 642 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:55,120 Speaker 1: almost fifty years. Yeah, I'm catching up to you. Forty 643 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:58,240 Speaker 1: four for me because that was my first word. Actually, yeah, 644 00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:01,640 Speaker 1: I've been saying tokyo since I was in the womb. 645 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:06,439 Speaker 1: So yeah, it's it's opened up to Asia. Um, it's 646 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:10,160 Speaker 1: expanded in the US market. Like we mentioned before, they 647 00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:12,960 Speaker 1: they awarded their first ever start to a hawker stall, 648 00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:17,640 Speaker 1: which is uh Singapore street food, which is really cool. Um. 649 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:21,080 Speaker 1: It was Hong Kong soya sauce, chicken, rice and noodle, 650 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:24,560 Speaker 1: which Man, that thing got a star and I just 651 00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:27,200 Speaker 1: want to go there right now and eat it. The 652 00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:31,880 Speaker 1: other thing I want to eat is in edition um 653 00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:35,440 Speaker 1: to Taipei, they had a take out only street stall 654 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:38,279 Speaker 1: that has one thing on the menu, which is a 655 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:41,520 Speaker 1: steam pork bun with ground peanuts and cilantro. They've been 656 00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:44,680 Speaker 1: serving this for sixty years and they gave that a 657 00:39:44,719 --> 00:39:52,400 Speaker 1: bib gourman um whatever metal or the licking lips and okay, 658 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:55,239 Speaker 1: licking lips. Guy, I want to eat that pork bun 659 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:58,720 Speaker 1: more than anything. I can think of. The thing is chuck. 660 00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:02,680 Speaker 1: Is the thing that I hate almost as much as 661 00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:05,600 Speaker 1: waiting at a red light when there's no cars coming 662 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:09,240 Speaker 1: from the other direction, is standing in line for food. 663 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:14,239 Speaker 1: I hate that. I feel like such a chump, such 664 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:17,160 Speaker 1: a sucker, and after X number of minutes, it is 665 00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:20,000 Speaker 1: not worth it. It doesn't matter how good the food is, 666 00:40:20,239 --> 00:40:23,480 Speaker 1: it's not worth it. Because I also usually don't like 667 00:40:23,600 --> 00:40:26,960 Speaker 1: the people I'm standing in line with, you know, like 668 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:30,520 Speaker 1: a certain kind of like food fan or kinds that 669 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:32,320 Speaker 1: will stand in line for an hour and a half. 670 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:34,640 Speaker 1: They're They're also probably the ones that brag about the 671 00:40:34,719 --> 00:40:38,000 Speaker 1: number of stars or whatever. Um. So there's a lot 672 00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:41,800 Speaker 1: I don't like about that. And it turns out Michelin 673 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:47,800 Speaker 1: has has heard my concerns. And Jiro Sushi um, the 674 00:40:47,800 --> 00:40:52,200 Speaker 1: the the sushi place that that they did the documentary about. 675 00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:55,759 Speaker 1: After that documentary, you could not still to this day, 676 00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:57,759 Speaker 1: I think that documentary is from like two thousand nine 677 00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:02,200 Speaker 1: or ten. To this day, you cannot get into Juro's. 678 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:05,160 Speaker 1: It's a ten seat sushi bar that's probably the best 679 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:08,480 Speaker 1: sushi in the world, um, and you just can't get in. 680 00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:10,800 Speaker 1: It's sorry, t s. You have to basically be ahead 681 00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:13,480 Speaker 1: of state or a celebrity these days. And it was 682 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:18,400 Speaker 1: a ten seat, three star, three Michelin star sushi restaurant 683 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:23,439 Speaker 1: in a train station in Tokyo um and Michelin took 684 00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:27,760 Speaker 1: its stars back because they say, the guide is meant for, 685 00:41:28,040 --> 00:41:30,680 Speaker 1: you know, any person to be able to go to 686 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:33,960 Speaker 1: these restaurants, the restaurants they recommend anybody should be able 687 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,680 Speaker 1: to get into. Like, yes, some people are going to 688 00:41:36,719 --> 00:41:40,400 Speaker 1: spend a much more substantial portion of their annual salary 689 00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:43,000 Speaker 1: than other people, but you should be able to get 690 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:45,880 Speaker 1: into this place one way or another. And with Jero's 691 00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:47,879 Speaker 1: you just can't do that anymore. So they actually took 692 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:50,360 Speaker 1: their stars back. They said, Jero, we wish you the 693 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:52,239 Speaker 1: best of luck, not that you need it, but you 694 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:54,000 Speaker 1: don't need these stars and you can't really have them 695 00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:57,160 Speaker 1: because you can't the average person can't get a seat 696 00:41:57,200 --> 00:42:01,480 Speaker 1: in your place anymore. Yeah, you know what this episode 697 00:42:01,520 --> 00:42:06,200 Speaker 1: has really made me want to do eat eating a restaurant. Yes, dude, yes, 698 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:08,640 Speaker 1: this is very cruel to to put this one out 699 00:42:08,719 --> 00:42:11,319 Speaker 1: right now in retrospect, because all I want to do 700 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:14,480 Speaker 1: is eat in a restaurant. Man, so bad. Just a 701 00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:20,040 Speaker 1: good multi course meal, starting out with like Martinier drink, Yes, 702 00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:24,240 Speaker 1: a bluemen onion in there somewhere, maybe a side of ranch. 703 00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:27,680 Speaker 1: I mean, like, yes, I cannot wait. It will happen 704 00:42:27,719 --> 00:42:32,800 Speaker 1: again one day, man, I know for sure. Okay okay, uh, Well, 705 00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:36,040 Speaker 1: since Chuck said for sure, that means, of course, everybody, 706 00:42:36,080 --> 00:42:41,719 Speaker 1: it's time for listener mail. I'm gonna call this. And 707 00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:43,319 Speaker 1: we've gotten a few of these lately, but this one 708 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:46,400 Speaker 1: I tagged about a month ago from people who have 709 00:42:46,680 --> 00:42:50,160 Speaker 1: who finished their stuff. You should know Journey and listen 710 00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:54,600 Speaker 1: to all the episodes. Hey, everybody, I've done it. It 711 00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:57,440 Speaker 1: took me two years of listening anytime I was driving, 712 00:42:57,840 --> 00:42:59,160 Speaker 1: and I have to drive a lot for work, but 713 00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:01,359 Speaker 1: I finally gotten through the entire back catalog, going all 714 00:43:01,400 --> 00:43:06,280 Speaker 1: the way back to how Grassoline works. Those first episodes 715 00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:10,319 Speaker 1: were so not very good. I don't know what I'll 716 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:12,160 Speaker 1: do in between new episodes now, but I wanted to 717 00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:14,680 Speaker 1: say thanks for the many, many hours of learning and 718 00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:18,680 Speaker 1: laughing and what has to be hundreds of Simpson's references. 719 00:43:19,080 --> 00:43:23,040 Speaker 1: At least my favorite episode was either nuclear Semiotics or 720 00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:27,120 Speaker 1: the uh the at Loft Pass mystery. But but I 721 00:43:27,120 --> 00:43:30,359 Speaker 1: need to thank Josh for introducing me to Teddy the Beaver. 722 00:43:31,600 --> 00:43:35,400 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, Teddy the baby beaver. He's the one that 723 00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:37,480 Speaker 1: built like the damn at that in the doorway of 724 00:43:37,520 --> 00:43:41,400 Speaker 1: the bedroom. Right. Oh was that? I think? So? He 725 00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:44,680 Speaker 1: was so cute, so cute. The greatest moment in the show, however, 726 00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:48,680 Speaker 1: was during what I recall uh to be the Beagle 727 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:54,600 Speaker 1: Brigade episode, when Josh predicted COVID nineteen by talking about 728 00:43:54,600 --> 00:43:58,600 Speaker 1: someone's getting a disease by eating a bat. Yeah. A 729 00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:01,399 Speaker 1: lot of people say I predicted that. I called out 730 00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:03,600 Speaker 1: a magazine article that I read that predicted it. I 731 00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:06,560 Speaker 1: don't know if I particularly predicted it, but thank you 732 00:44:06,600 --> 00:44:10,120 Speaker 1: for that. And I don't even know if that's the 733 00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:12,640 Speaker 1: origin of COVID. Now, isn't that sort of a dispute? 734 00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:15,520 Speaker 1: I don't know. The last thing I heard was that 735 00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:17,520 Speaker 1: it was either a pangolin or a bat. I've heard 736 00:44:17,600 --> 00:44:20,680 Speaker 1: bat more than anything. You know what I'm saying, Well, 737 00:44:20,680 --> 00:44:24,279 Speaker 1: you're going to the wrong websites, buddy, so you need 738 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:29,800 Speaker 1: to find the truth. That's right. Oh God, cartoon sweat, 739 00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:34,000 Speaker 1: He says. Also, sorry, Chuck, but shark Nato can suck it. 740 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:36,239 Speaker 1: I wish you know, for sure, but my mind was 741 00:44:36,239 --> 00:44:38,839 Speaker 1: blown away when Josh said it. Thanks again for all 742 00:44:38,840 --> 00:44:40,319 Speaker 1: the hard work and I look forward to twelve more 743 00:44:40,440 --> 00:44:46,160 Speaker 1: years worth of episodes. And that is from Kyle in Phoenix, Arizona, 744 00:44:46,520 --> 00:44:48,680 Speaker 1: who I guess went to our live show there. He's 745 00:44:48,680 --> 00:44:51,160 Speaker 1: a great live show on Kellogg by the way, arm 746 00:44:51,200 --> 00:44:52,759 Speaker 1: of that Phoenix show. That was a good one. That 747 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:54,239 Speaker 1: was a good show. I think that's the one where 748 00:44:54,280 --> 00:44:58,560 Speaker 1: we got Lasso's. Oh it absolutely was. I still got 749 00:44:58,600 --> 00:45:01,319 Speaker 1: that thing, Kathy with a K. That's right, I love 750 00:45:01,400 --> 00:45:03,640 Speaker 1: that lasso. H. Well, if you want to get in 751 00:45:03,680 --> 00:45:07,279 Speaker 1: touch with us, you can send us a email to 752 00:45:08,080 --> 00:45:17,040 Speaker 1: Stuff podcast at iHeart radio dot com. Stuff you Should 753 00:45:17,040 --> 00:45:19,319 Speaker 1: Know is a production of I Heeart Radio. For more 754 00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:21,799 Speaker 1: podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 755 00:45:21,920 --> 00:45:24,520 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 756 00:45:26,880 --> 00:45:26,920 Speaker 1: H