All of Colorado’s Fancy Michelin-Star Restaurants Have This in Common

Sure, it's awesome that Colorado is a part of the fancy Michelin Guide, which only started to include American restaurants in 2005, but do you know what its origin is? Restaurants from Denver to Aspen are included, but how "Important" is the listing? Think about it: These are recommended restaurants that you may want to go out of your way to enjoy. That right there is the "hook, line, and sinker."

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Maybe like you, I'm all for restaurants being recognized for great food, atmosphere, service, attitude, etc. Maybe like me, you weren't aware of how Colorado's Michelin Star-rated restaurants, are part of a scheme. You work hard for your money; when you go out for a fancy dinner, you want it to count. With that, you may travel a bit further to find "just the right place." That is not to say that restaurants that get rated by the Michelin Guide and/or receive a "star" rating from Michelin don't deserve their ranking,  it just all seems tainted, to me.

WHAT'S THE ORIGIN OF THE MICHELIN STAR RATING SYSTEM?

This whole thing dates back to the early 1900s when the two Michelin brothers who started the Michelin Tire company were looking for a way to sell more tires. They decided to put together a guide to restaurants, hotels, mechanics, gas stations, and such. A guide of things you might want to check out while driving your car. They were trying to get more cars on the road, wearing down their tires, and thus, more Michelin tires were needed.

Ooh, look dear: 'A wonderful 4-course meal with superior wine options..'

Honey, that's 300 miles from here.

Guess we'll need to finally buy that car we've been talking about...

Here we are, over 120 years later, helping Michelin sell more tires. Again, not to say that the restaurants featured aren't wonderful, but maybe think about "tires" when it comes setting out to enjoy one of those recommended spots.