Even at 47, Jean-Luc Naret, director of the Michelin Guides, still spends most of his time on the road. This week, he's trucking through three days in San Francisco, then returning to his home in Paris, then heading to New York before departing a few days later for Tokyo. His life as the "pretty face" (in his words) of the 108-year-old guides is a busy one. At our most recent meeting at One Market restaurant (which proudly showcases its one-star Michelin rating at the entrance), this debonair globetrotter talks about Slanted Door, celebrity chefs, and his personal obsessions in the City by the Bay.

I thought Chicago was the Second City, but San Francisco was the second city to receive Michelin ratings. San Francisco was a natural choice after New York.

Why? What interests you about San Francisco’s food culture? What I like about San Francisco is that everyone is so passionate about food. Over dinner, they are discussing the food they ate last night and where they will be eating tomorrow. Here, movie stars are not the celebrities, the chefs are. Everything revolves around food, and you have access to fresh produce from great organic farms.

In year three of the Bay Area guides, what are you looking forward to? With the third Bay Area guidebook set to hit shelves in October, we are eager to see how the new restaurants match up. We are also waiting to see if the top restaurants keep their starred status, and how the movement of chefs will affect the ratings.

Let’s talk about the book itself. I understand that you don’t personally go out and rate any restaurants. Is that true? I am the pretty face in the company. People recognize me when I go out, and our inspectors dine anonymously with expenses paid for by Michelin.

How are ratings determined? The anonymous inspectors dine a minimum of two times, and as many as 10 times, to give our readers the experience of a regular diner, not that of a high-profile diner. They are rated based on five categories: choice of ingredients, how the flavors are kept, the personality of the chef, how the ingredients are cooked, and consistency. The restaurant, not the chef, earns the star.

If you had to entertain visitors in San Francisco, where would you take them? First thing I would do is drive across the Golden Gate Bridge and stop to enjoy the view from the North Bay. Then I would stop at that little Italian café