Michelin guide launches in Toronto for the first time in Canada
The Michelin guide, the exclusive star rating system only handed to the most esteemed culinary establishments in the world, is finally coming to Canada.
The guidebook for Toronto was inaugurated at the Four Seasons Hotel by Mayor John Tory along with two Michelin-star studded chefs, Daniel Boulud and Alvin Leung, on Tuesday.
“It's something that has been a longtime coming,” Tory said. “With the rebirth of the city and following the pandemic, I think it's something that is really to be celebrated and of course, it does mark a celebration of our food and cuisine ecosystem here.”
The announcement is the answer to a question that has lingered in the country’s culinary scene – why does Canada have no Michelin star restaurants? The answer: there was no guide. Until now.
In the coming months, inspectors will be anonymously indulging and evaluating Toronto dining ahead of the city’s first round of stars set to be revealed in the fall.
The idea behind the guidebook dates back to 1889 when the Michelin brothers founded their still-standing tire company and created a little red guide for travellers to take on their journeys.
Fast forward 30 years, the guide’s restaurant section gained attraction and the brothers selected what they called “mystery diners” to visit and review restaurants. That element of secrecy still stands.
While acquiring a star immediately elevates the status of a restaurant, setting it in the world-class ranks sought out by tourists and locals willing to pay top dollar, the ranking system has also been criticized for its elitist perception of what is considered star-status.
The relationship between tourism boards and the Michelin guide has also been under question in recent years after reports surfaced of Michelin accepting US$600,000 from Tourism Australia to host a World’s 50 Best Restaurants in Melbourne along with US$1.8 million from South Korea’s tourism department to create a Seoul guide.
Yet, few industries have taken a harder blow by the pandemic than the tourism and restaurant sectors. With the glow of a Michelin star, both Toronto’s culinary and travel industries could receive newfound attention in a time of need.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.