APCOM

It has been some weeks since the news spread: Gualtiero Marchesi, one of the world's most famous chefs, has decided to give up to the Michelin 'stars', which are awarded by the homonymous guide to a small number of restaurants which stand out for their quality. "The scores given by guides always spring from a personal opinion," he underlined. "In addition to this, they are often conferred by people who don't have any title to do it, because they don't know how to cook. Cuisine is an art, so is music, and in the same way, singing is not enough to define someone as an artist."

The gourmet critic and journalist of the newspaper 'Corriere della sera' Allan Bay replied to Marchesi's attacks yesterday in Milano's Rizzoli library, during the presentation of his new guide 'Il Mare in Tasca', which is dedicated to Italian fish restaurants. "The necessary elements to choose a restaurant are the price and the mark," he explained. "People must be told that price is not enough to judge. We need to sum up the overall assessment through a numerical score. Scores are awarded all over the world." Bay also made a cutting remark about Marchesi: "However, certain criticism should be laid when you do have stars, not after they have been removed."

Gualtiero Marchesi, who was born in Milano, opened a business again in his city after 15 years of absence in March, when he inaugurated 'Il Marchesino', a restaurant-coffee bar placed in the complex of the Teatro alla Scala.