Toronto's restaurant scene could be getting some extra clout this week as the city's Michelin Guide ceremony looms.

Decreeing the creme-de-la-creme in the restaurant industry around the world ever since the turn of the 20th century, the Michelin Guide is widely regarded as the preeminent authority on fine dining.

After making its North American debut in 2005 with New York City, Toronto was officially recognized as the first-ever Canadian Michelin destination back in 2022, incentivizing the city's restaurant scene to achieve even higher levels of excellence.

Call me biased, but I think the incentive has worked.

The city is home to seemingly more exceptional restaurants than ever before, and more seem to crop up by the day, but do they have what it takes to earn a nod on Toronto's Michelin Guide?

On the evening of Sept. 18, we'll find out, as the city's third-annual Michelin Guide Ceremony honours the city's best eateries.

The Michelin system classifies restaurants on a number of different rankings, most notably the one- to three-star system which, according to Michelin identifies "establishments serving exceptional cuisine that’s rich in flavor, remarkably executed and infused with the personality of a talented chef."

There's also the Bib Gourmand, which recognizes restaurants serving good quality food at more affordable prices and the Green Star for restaurants that are leaders in the sustainable gastronomy landscape, as well as recommendations for other good restaurants that don't quite meet the crtiteria for a formal designation.

To date, the city's highest-ranking restaurant is Yorkville's Sushi Masaki Saito with two stars, followed by a number of one-star restaurants like Alo, Don Alfonso 1890 and Osteria Giulia.

Not only will the ceremony post the opportunity for restaurants that have opened in the past year to get their names on the list, but preexisting ones might just be able to ascend.

There's also the potential for heartbreak, as restaurants that exist on the list currently could potentially be booted off or see their rankings downgraded should they fail to maintain the quality that got them recognized in the first place.

Toronto is currently home to 14 Michelin-starred restaurants.