Beneath the stars, Michelin’s recommendations become murkier.

Chef Jonny Black is fanatical about sourcing. He’s been known to forage, to get to know local farmers, to watch produce ripen in the field and select just what he wants.

It pays off. Four years after a visit to Sierra Mar, where Black was cooking at the time, one of our party – then a teenager – vividly recalls each plate from that afternoon.

I shared that detail by phone with Chef Black and his wife Monique as the couple returned to Carmel from the Michelin awards ceremony in Oakland, which was held Tuesday, July 18. Chez Noir, the restaurant they opened last year to great acclaim, had received a Michelin Star, joining Aubergine – also in Carmel – as the county’s only starred restaurants. But the story of a teen longing to relive an experience seemed to matter more to the Blacks.

“It feels so good to know that people have those memories,” Monique Black says.

Not that they are cavalier about the award. A Michelin Star is an achievement. Accordingly, the guide’s team of anonymous critics give stars out sparingly. Just six restaurants in California earned three stars, Michelin’s highest honor. A dozen hold two stars and 69 received one.

For a diner, the difference between one and three stars can be hard to figure. Even Michelin’s distinction is rather fine – one star is a must if you are in the vicinity; three stars and your itinerary should be devoted to the place (Michelin is a tire company first, after all, and the origin of these awards is to promote travel).

Beneath the stars is where Michelin’s recommendations become murkier. The Bib Gourmand marks skilled cooking “at an affordable price,” while the Plate designation requires some explanation.

Actually, both could use some clarification, as both have been seen as either great honors or backhanded compliments, depending on one’s point of view. For decades, star-less, bib-less restaurants listed in the guide were unmarked. In 2018 Michelin added the “plate” next to these – worthy restaurants that did not earn a star.

In California, 526 restaurants received a plate. Fifteen are in Monterey County, including many standouts: The Sardine Factory, Coastal Kitchen, Montrio, Stokes Adobe, Casanova, Cultura, Lucia Restaurant and Sierra Mar, among others.

But some selections are puzzling by comparison. Does little Paprika Cafe really provide the same quality of ingredients, deft attention to technique, personality and flavor as Seventh & Dolores, Akaoni or Peppoli? And if so, shouldn’t it receive Bib Gourmand attention? After all, there’s just one dollar sign next to its listing, the mark of an inexpensive place.

It’s in these designations where Michelin loses some of its luster. There are two local Bib Gourmand restaurants in the guide – Yafa in Carmel and Maligne in Seaside. Chef Klaus Georis of Maligne shares the same meticulous attention to quality and detail as those of the county’s starred and near-starred restaurants. The price level is three dollar signs, the same as non-Bib Montrio and La Bicyclette. Yafa is more of an everyday place, at two dollar signs.

There’s geographic inconsistency, too. All the Monterey County restaurants included in the guide are on the Monterey Peninsula, Big Sur or Carmel Valley. There are no Salinas establishments – a shame for Villa Azteca, one of the top places in the county (and certainly on par with Montrio, Maligne and Lucia).

Michelin added the plate symbol in an effort to clear up confusion. In a press release at the time, the company explained, “The stars and Bib Gourmands often garner the most attention, but each restaurant that is included in the guide has been evaluated.” Inclusion in the guide, the statement continued, “endorses restaurants that guarantee a very good standard of a food and wine experience.”

Every restaurant – with a few exceptions – listed by Michelin is worthy of a special visit. But the exceptions and geographic omissions, along with the confusion about Bib and Plate designations, haven’t done the famed guide any favors.

But the Stars, well, those at least are clear. And bright. As Jonny Black says, “It’s nice that people notice.”