Three-Star Christians

Guy Martin (seen here), the chef at Paris restaurant, Le Grand VeFour, can’t be happy.

His restaurant, in business for 200 years with patrons including Napoleon and Victor Hugo, was denied Michelin’s third star, and demoted to two-star status.

The Michelin Guide accepts no advertising so that there is no possibility of a conflict of interest. It’s the most prestigious restaurant rating guide in France at least. Eateries are judged on the basis of the products and cooking as well as the style of the food, dependability and consistency. Anonymous inspectors dined at Le Grand VeFour, located at 17 rue de Beaujolais (which I found amusing), 10-12 times over a two year period and decided that the consistency just wasn’t there, not enough to warrant Three-Star status.

Hmmm.

I’m a preacher. So I’m wondering what kind of a Christian is a Three-Star Christian, and what would one need to do, or not do to, to lose a star … in one’s crown, as it were, to mix metaphors.

According to one report, chef "Martin's classic dishes include foie gras raviolis with truffle cream sauce, as well as hazelnut and milk chocolate pastry with caramel ice cream and a touch of sea salt."

That sounds good, and it probably looks good. And it'd probably cost me a year's pay to buy dinner for four with entrees like that.

But all that stuff didn't cut the mustard with Michelin's venerable inspectors. Mere presentation isn't everything.

Michelin’s rubrics include: products, cooking, style, dependability and consistency. That’s a five point sermon right there.