California Now Podcast

Meet an anonymous Michelin inspector and learn how he helped anoint 90 California restaurants with coveted stars In an unprecedented move, California Now Podcast host Soterios Johnson does not introduce listeners to one of his guests during this episode. That’s because Johnson’s first interview is with a Michelin inspector—an anonymous restaurant critic who goes undercover to determine which establishments receive one, two, or three stars. It’s a fascinating look behind the scenes at a revered restaurant establishment, and the timing couldn’t be better since Michelin recently released its 2019 California Michelin Guide, the first statewide collection of restaurant reviews in its long history. Our guest—we call him “Mr. Inspector”—shares all sorts of insights about what it takes to make the grade, and why California is such a dynamic dining destination. Food is a focal point for his second guest, too. Aida Mollenkamp, the host of Food Network’s Ask Aida and the editorial director of Salt & Wind Travel, lea