"MICHELIN ITALY" GUIDE 2014 - NIKO ROMITO ("REALE" OF CASTEL DI SANGRO) JOINS THE TOP OF ITALIAN FOOD, WHICH NOW HAS 8 "THREE STARS". FORTY "TWO STARS" WITH 2 NEW ENTRIES, FOR A TOTAL OF 281 "STARS", (20 MORE THAN 2013)

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The Michelin Guide is the most coveted and feared by chefs around the world. But what is its history, and how does it really work? What criteria do they use to select the “three stars” and other excellences?

Rumors were becoming more and more insistent in the last few weeks, until they finally became true: the fabled “three stars” of the 2014 Michelin Italia Guide - the first edition curated by Sergio Lovrinovich, who has taken the place of Fausto Arrighi after 25 years of service - have been given to eight chefs. They are: Niko Romito, of the “Reale” in Castel di Sangro, near l’Aquila, crowning a dream year and joining the ranks of names such as Enrico Crippa of “Piazza Duomo” in Alba (Cuneo), “L’Osteria Francescana” of Massimo Bottura, in Modena, “Dal Pescatore” of Nadia Santini in Canneto Sull’Oglio, near Padua, Massimiliano Alajmo’s “Le Calandre” at Rubano (Padova), “Enoteca Pinchiorri” of Annie Feolde in Florence, “La Pergola” of Heinz Beck at the Rome Cavalieri Hilton Hotel and the Cerea brothers of “Da Vittorio” in Brusaporto, near Bergamo.
Good news for "two stars" too, with three new entries, "Villa Feltrinelli" of Stefano Baiocco on Lake Garda, the "Devero Restaurant" of Enrico Bartolini in Cavenago di Brianza (Monza Brianza) and the "Locanda Don Serafino" of Candiano Vincenzo, in Ragusa, which brings the total to 40 (one more than in 2013), while "Rossellinis" in Ravello (Salerno) was downgraded to one star. There are 33 new entries that were worthy of one star and 3 "promises" (for a total of 281 restaurants)- Angelo Sabatelli’s eponymous restaurant in Monopoli, Joseph Iannotti’s "Krèsios" in Telese Terme (Benevento) and Stefano Ghetta's "CHIMPL" in Vigo di Fassa (Trento). So, the 2013 edition record is already broken as there is one more "three stars" restaurant, one more "two-stars" and 20 more one star, which make Italy a world food reference along with France and Japan, with a 21% increase in the number of starred restaurants in the last 5 years. Lombardy confirmed its record for number of stars: 57 restaurants (2 "three stars", 6 "two stars" and 49 "one star"), but Piedmont is second with 38 restaurants (1 "three stars", 5 "two star" and 32 "one star") and Campania is in third place with 33 restaurants (5 "two stars" and 28 "one star"). The most dynamic regions, with 5 new starred restaurants are Veneto, fifth in the overall standings with 28 (1 "three stars", 4 "two stars" and 23 "one star") and Trentino is fourth with 30 (3 "two stars" and 27" one star ") 20 of them in the province of Bolzano (3 " two star " and 17 " one star ") and is has the most stars on the Peninsula.
Rome maintained its position following Bolzano, with 18 restaurants (1 "three stars ", 2 " two stars " and 15 " one star”) Naples is in third place with 17 (5 " two stars " and 12 " one star”) and top province for number of stars. In all, there are 329 Starred Restaurants where the talent is all young, a third of the chefs are 35 years old, and two are only 29 and 30. So, what is Italy’s global position in the Michelin guide? We need to consider two facts: the first is that almost half of the 107 three-star restaurants in the world are divided among two countries, Japan (32) and France (26); the second is that Italy does not have a true " gourmet capital “ like Paris, which alone has 10 "three stars ", 15 " two stars " and 60 "one star “, or Tokyo, the world capital of haute cuisine with an impressive 242 starred restaurants (a little less than Italy’s total), of which 14 are "three stars”.
Rome has only 18 starred restaurants and Milan, not even one "three stars" restaurant are both behind New York, which boasts 7 "three stars", 5 "two stars" and 54 “one star”, far behind London that counts 61 starred restaurants, (2 "three stars"), and Barcelona that has 4 "two stars" and 17 “one star. What distinguishes Italy and is its strength is the average level of excellence, all over the country, from North to South. It is true that even Germany has more "three stars" (ten restaurants) than Italy, but in terms of overall stars we are once again (and results get better and better) on the podium behind France and Japan (according to two separate guides which, added together in 2013 totaled a whopping 595 stars).


Focus - Here is the list of the Michelin Guide "starred" restaurants.
The best "3 stars" restaurants in Italy:
- Piazza Duomo, Alba (Cuneo), promoted to “3 stars” 2013
 - Dal Pescatore, Canneto sull’Oglio (Mantova) 
 - Le Calandre, Rubano (Padua) 
 - Enoteca Pinchiorri, Florence
 - La Pergola, Roma 
 - Da Vittorio, Brusaporto (Bergamo) 
 - Osteria Francescana, Modena 
 - Reale, Castel di Sangro (L’Aquila)

 “2 stars”
- Al Sorriso, Sorriso (Novara) 
 - L’Antica Osteria Cera, Campagna Lupia (Venice) 
 - “Agli Amici”, Godia (Udine) - “La Trota”, Rivodruti (Rieti) 
 - Antica Corona Reale - Da Renzo, Cervere (Cuneo) 
 - Villa Crespi, Orta S. Giulio (Novara) 
 - Combal.zero, Rivoli (Turin) 
 - Piccolo Lago, Verbania/Fondotoce (Verbanio-Cusio-Ossola) 
 - Miramonti L’Altro, Concesio (Brescia) 
 - Cracco, Milano
- Sadler, Milan
 - Il luogo di Aimo e Nadia, Milan
 - La Peca, Lonigo (Vicenza) 
 - Perbellini, Isola Rizza (Verona) 
 - Il Desco, Verona
 - St. Hubertus (Hotel Rosa Alpina), Alta Badia/San Cassiano (Bolzano) 
 - Jasmin, Chiusa (Bolzano) 
 - Trenkerstube (Hotel Castel), Tirolo (Bolzano) 
 - San Domenio, Imola (Bologna) 
 - Il Rigoletto, Reggiolo (Reggio Emilia) 
 - Bracali, Massa Marittima (Grosseto) 
 - Caino, Montemerano (Grosseto) 
 - Il Pellicano, Porto Ercole (Grosseto) 
 - Arnolfo, Colle di Val d’Elsa (Siena) 
 - Vissani, Baschi (Terni) 
 - Madonnina del Pescatore, Senigallia-Marzocca (Ancona) 
 - Uliassi, Senigallia (Ancona) 
 - Il Pagliaccio, Rome
 - Il Mosaico (Terme Manzi Hotel), Ischia/Casamicciola Terme (Napoli) 
 - Don Alfonso 1890, S. Agata sui due Golfi (Naples) 
 - Torre del Saracino, Vico Equense-Marina Equa (Naples) 
 - La Madia, Licata (Agrigento) 
 - Duomo, Ragusa - Ibla
- Principe Cerami, Taormina (Messina) 
 - L’Olivo - Hotel Capri Palace, Capri (Napoli) 
 - Quattro Passi, Massalubrense (Napoli) 
 - Oliver Glowig, Roma 
 - Villa Feltrinelli, Lago di Garda 
 - Devero Ristorante, Cavenago di Brianza (Monza e Brianza) 
 - Locanda Don Serafino, Ragusa