Life

Prestigious Michelin Red Guide, a reference in the world of high cuisine and a much-awaited event in France, a country where cuisine was raised to an art centuries ago, on Monday released its edition number 101, which includes, among 558 chosen restaurants, 9 located in Iparralde, or French Basque Country.

The recently inaugurated Hôtel Restaurant Briketenia&' || 'nbsp; in Guéthary, a town in the coast of Labourd, has obtained its first Michelin star. On the other hand, the Grand hôtel Loreamar in Saint Jean de Luz-Donibane Lohitzune, has lost one.

A total of 9 restaurants have received one star: Ithurria ostatua (Ainhoa), Le Moulin d''Alotz (Arcangues), Auberge du Cheval blanc (Bayonne-Baiona), Hotel du Palais and Les Rosiers (Biarritz), Table et Hotellerie des Frères Ibarboure (Bidart), Briketenia (Guéthary), L''Auberge basque (Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle), and L''Ferme Hegia (Hasparren).

France

In the Michelin Red Guide''s 2010 edition, 10 eating establishments in France gained two-star status, bringing the total in that category to 77.

One restaurant, La Maison de Marc Veyrat, on Lake Annecy in the Alpine foothills, lost its perch at the top (and all of its stars) with the departure a year ago of chef Marc Veyrat, always distinguishable by his large black hat.

At least one departure, chef Jean-Francois Piege of the Paris hotel Le Crillon''s restaurant, Les Ambassadeurs, took that luxury eatery off the two star list. The restaurant is currently closed. The Chateau les Crayeres in Reims suffered the same fate with the loss of chef Didier Elena, going from two stars to none.

Michelin, which uses anonymous tasters to see what''s cooking and score humble and luxury kitchens, punished three other two-star establishments, dropping them to one, including Helene Darroze on Paris'' Left Bank, whose chef of that name is one of the rare women to reach gastronomical renown.

In the one-star category, totaling 455 restaurants, Michelin added 47 new names.

Michelin''s 2010 French edition also awarded 555 restaurants (105 new to the list) with what it calls a Bib Gourmand, a sign of good value for money with meals costing no more than $35, $48, in Paris and $29 elsewhere in France.

Acclaim went to Goujon''s L''Auberge du Vieux Puits, a renovated wine cellar in the tiny village of Fontjoncouse, in the Corbieres region near Narbonne and some 60 kilometres (40 miles) from the walled medieval city of Carcassonne, is the standout winner in the annual classification. After winning its first star in 1997 and its second in 2001, it now has three.

Michelin, which celebrated its hundredth French edition last year, now has 25 guides and is present in 23 countries on six continents. Restaurants anointed with three stars usually have long waiting lists so eager diners will have to start making plans. Goujon, whose clients thus far are mainly European, said he only had a dip in reservations when the economic crisis spiked. And he said he does not intend to raise his prices. Menus run from $58 to $130.