The Michelin Guide is the brainchild of Andre and Edouard Michelin, the same pair of brothers who started the Michelin tire company in 1889. Starting this business was a big gamble because, at the time, there were less than 3,000 cars in all of France. To encourage car and tire sales, Michelins published a travel guide containing maps and recommendations for room and board on road trips. The guide shifted his attention to fine dining restaurants in the 1920s, but as his reputation began to rise, he kept an extremely narrow field of vision. Today, there is no single Michelin Guide, but a series of guides compiled on a country-by-country basis and even by city.
According to Michelin, they publish guides for 37 countries and cities. Of these, 26 are located in Europe and eight are in Asia, with only three locations covered in the remaining three quadrants of the globe. Dubai has a Michelin guide, and in the Western Hemisphere, the United States and Brazil are given the honor. Beyond that, there is nothing. Africa, Oceania and most of the Americas are overlooked, including Peru. Despite this oversight, Astrid y Gastón remains one of the most acclaimed and respected restaurants in the world, proving that the bravo from Bibendum is completely overrated.
