Perhaps the most anticipated publishing of dining related information in the last several years, the Michelin guide has just released its star ratings for New York restaurants. Known as the gold standard for restaurant ratings in Europe, where its coveted stars have made or broken careers, businesses, and even lives, the Michelin Guide announced earlier this year that it would be publishing its first ever guide to New York.

Today its star ratings have been made public, and can be seen as the first serious competition to the reign of the New York Times food section, many of whose ratings are seriously challenged by the list that appears below. I’m not an expert on the NY dining scene, so my observations must be limited to musing on the seeming random mix of quality in the one star establishments. Comparing most of these places to my one star dining experiences in Paris is a bizarre task, as my meals in Paris are of a significantly higher standard than many of the New York one-star restaurants.

ONE STAR:

Annisa
Aureole
Babbo
BLT Fish
Café Boulud
Café Gray
Craft
Cru
Etats-Unis
Fiamma Osteria
Fleur de Sel
Gotham Bar and Grill
Gramercy Tavern
JoJo
Jewel Bako
La Goulue
Lever House
Lo Scalco
March
Nobu
Oceana
Peter Luger
Picholine
Saul
Scalini Fedeli
Spotted Pig
The Modern
Veritas
Vong
Wallsé
WD-50

TWO STARS:

Bouley
Daniel
Danube
Masa

THREE STARS:

Alain Ducasse
Jean-Georges
Le Bernardin
Per Se