1. If the sky is the limit, a connoisseur for fine food and wine will take the time and effort
and seek out the best dining options a city has to offer. For those who rely on the
expert opinions of critiques, restaurant guides and even hotel concierge desks, it is
not uncommon to be pointed to fine dining, award-winning establishments that
serve exquisite meals at corresponding prices. And the success of these restaurants
is primarily the responsibility of their executive chefs and culinary teams.
With the countless number of restaurants spanning hundred of cities and countries,
serving a multitude of cuisines from casual to fine dining, authentic French food to
world fusion, to classify a restaurant and its chef as the best can be next to
impossible. And for this reason, groups of critics and inspectors have been created
to set parameters and attempt to give a structure on the assessment of restaurants
and chefs.
Even with these guidelines, it is inevitable that differences of opinion arise from those
giving the ratings as well as those being rated. This could be due to questionable
standards, issues of fairness, limited scope and coverage. That is why it is important
to find out the credibility of groups giving judgements on what is the best (and what
is the worst.)
The professional inspectors of respected publications like the Michelin Guide, a
hundred-year old publication confers one to three stars to deserving restaurants in
Europe, the U.S. and Asia. Other titles like the Zagat Guide, Time Out and Tatler Best
Dining are less formal and include establishments other than fine-dining restaurants.
Culinary magazines released weekly or monthly sometimes feature profiles for
established and rising personalities making waves for the current period.
Chefs that emerge victorious in culinary competitions whether these are organized
by food sponsors or TV networks gain instant celebrity status as they could have
literally bested hundreds or thousands of contestants. The fame they get, aside from
the prizes they are awarded, could be the jump off point to the start of a great
culinary career. The recognition is something that cannot be taken away and
should be built up on.

2. Unlike a restaurant which stays put in a given location until it closes or moves, chefs
are employees (or occasionally business owners) who can move to another
establishment. And like a skilled hairdresser, a chef’s loyal patrons will sometimes
follow wherever he or she goes, excited to try out the new culinary creations in a
different setting.