With Michelin's announcement that Boston could be part of the Michelin Guide, restaurants are sizzling with excitement.     

"I feel like we're at that world stage and I think Michelin coming to Boston, again, reaffirms to the city and to restaurateurs that yes, we are ready to have the Michelin Guide here," said Eric Papachristos, who owns La Padrona, an old world Italian-style restaurant near Copley Square.

"Michelin coming here certainly pushes the envelope, so for us it's actually very exciting," said Papachristos.

Benefits of Michelin ratings

Owners said Michelin stars serve as a global benchmark in fine dining, bring immense notoriety and prestige to winning restaurants and attract tourists.

For the past 11 years, corporate chef Mitchell Randall has been running Oster Restaurant on Charles Street. On Sunday, he showcased a full spread of some of their Mediterranean seafood staples.

"The Michelin Guide coming is something we've all been looking forward to for a very long time," said Randall. "Great for the city and I think there's many restaurants in the city that deserve this exposure on the global level."

How does Michelin rank restaurants?

Owners said Michelin traditionally uses several criteria to evaluate restaurants, including quality of food, cooking techniques and hospitality. They also use anonymous inspectors who visit restaurants multiple times throughout the year.

Robert Sisca owns Bistro Du Bidi, which overlooks the Boston Public Garden. He used to work at a three Michelin star restaurant in New York. He said the key to success is staying true to who you are.

"Being here 16 years, you stay true to what the customers want, what the guests want," said Sisca. "If we get a star, amazing, but it's really about taking care of the community and cooking what the guests want. It's a very, very prestigious award to get."

Restaurants will be notified if they win later this year and awards will come out in November.

In:
• Food & Drink
• Boston
• Michelin Star