MICHELIN GUIDE GIVES COVETED 3 STARS TO JOEL ROBUCHON

The inaugural “Michelin Guide Las Vegas 2008” covering the best restaurants in Las Vegas will be published on Wednesday, Nov. 14, but a sneak peek at their website accidentally showed the results in advance before the intended announcement Monday at noon.

Internationally, the guide’s ratings are among the most influential around.

Just to be listed is considered an honor, with the 100-year-old guide rating restaurants 1, 2, and 3 stars. A guide to Los Angeles will also be released for the first time, and no L.A. restaurants received 3 stars.

In Las Vegas, however, there was one sole 3-star restaurant: Joel Robuchon at MGM Grand.

According to the guide, one star is “a very good restaurant in its category,” two stars is “excellent cooking and worth a detour,” and three stars is “exceptional cuisine and worth the journey.”

French restaurant Joel Robuchon (pictured above) contains a popular six-course tasting menu for $225 and a 16-course for $360.

Reservations, already hard to get at the last minute, will be even harder after the Michelin Guide is published. But you can do so at (702) 891-7925.