Move over little black book, there is a new guide in town - and it's wearing red.

The results for New York City's 2011 Michelin Guide were announced today, and 57 area restaurants earned one or more of the guide's highest honor - the Michelin star.

The Michelin Guide, or Le Guide Michelin, originated in France in 1900 and has since then offered its notes, recommendations and ratings on restaurants and hotels in select cities around the globe. It published its first New York City edition in 2005.

The guide's recommendations are put together by a team of "famously anonymous" inspectors, who all must undergo strict training and sign confidentiality agreements before they can file reports on their assigned establishments.

“When you become an inspector, it’s a bit like the Witness Protection Program - except the food is much better,” explained the French director of the Michelin Guides, Jean-Luc Naret.

The ratings for the guide are as follows:

Three stars – “Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey. One always eats here extremely well, sometimes superbly. Distinctive dishes are precisely executed, using superlative ingredients.”

Two stars – “Excellent cuisine, worth a detour. Skillfully and carefully crafted dishes of outstanding quality.”

One star - “A very good restaurant in its category. A place offering cuisine prepared to a consistently high standard.”

No New York restaurants dropped from their 2010 three- or two-star rating. Two restaurants, Perry Street and Insieme, lost their sole star from 2010 – while Chef Table at Brooklyn Fare entered the guide for the first time with not one, but two stars.

New York City also had more restaurants than any other city in the world in "The Bib Gourmand" category - where a meal (two dishes plus a glass of wine or dessert) must cost less than $40 before tax and gratuity. For the sake of space, the complete list of the 95 Bib Gourmand selections can be found online here.

"The fact that New York received so many this year - 95, which is a lot compared to the 65 of Paris and the 62 of London - it really shows that New York is well-responsive to the recession time,” said Naret.

And without further ado, the list:

Three Michelin stars
Daniel
Jean Georges
Le Bernardin
Masa
Per Se

Two Michelin stars
Alto
Chef Table at Brooklyn Fare (New)
Corton
Gilt
Gordon Ramsay at The London
Kajitsu (New)
Marea (New)
Momofuku Ko
Picholine
Soto (New)

One Michelin star
Adour
Aldea (New)
Annisa
Anthos (closed)
Aureole
A Voce Columbus
A Voce Madison (New)
Blue Hill
Bouley
The Breslin (New)
Café Boulud
Casa Mono
Convivio
Danny Brown Wine Bar & Kitchen (New)
Del Posto
Dovetail (New)
Dressler
Eleven Madison Park
Gotham Bar and Grill
Gramercy Tavern
Jewel Bako
Kyo Ya
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Laut (New)
Marc Forgione
Minetta Tavern
The Modern
Oceana
Peter Luger
Public
River Café
Rouge Tomate
Saul
Seäsonal
Shalezeh
SHO Shaun Hergatt
Spotted Pig
Sushi Azabu
Sushi of Gari
Veritas (currently closed)
Wallsé
wd~50

Previously - World's 50 best restaurants list released