Back in the bay area (I would even say the United States in general), restaurants rated with a Michelin star have become a bigger and bigger deal among friends. These are a small number of selected restaurants that have been awarded stars in the Michelin Red Guide. A restaurant can be given anywhere from 1 to 3 Michelin stars with 1 being the lowest on the scale and 3 being extraordinarily good. The funny thing is that this started with the tire manufacturer, Michelin. The guide was intended to boost tire sales by convincing the public to take road trips and burn through the tires of their cars (to buy more tires) while dining at these recommended establishments.