NEW YORK -- The Michelin guide is coming to Las Vegas and Los Angeles, and that means local chowhounds better get ready for a culinary shake-up.

The French guide's exalted judges are notoriously stingy with their stars and are famous for snubbing acclaimed chefs.

When the company issued its first North American guide in New York two years ago, only four high-end Manhattan restaurants received Michelin's coveted three-star ratings. Among those awarded just two stars was Daniel, run by the renowned chef Daniel Boulud, who had received the highest ratings from other food critics.

The first Michelin guide to San Francisco came out last year, and the French Laundry, a wine country restaurant in Yountville in Napa Valley run by chef Thomas Keller, was the only eatery to get three stars. Only four restaurants got two stars, which was a surprise to some who consider the Bay Area a haven for foodies.

Michelin publishes guides in 21 European countries, New York and San Francisco. The company recently announced that its first Asian guide, to Tokyo, was in the works, and that both Japanese and European inspectors would be judging the city's chefs. For the U.S. guides, Americans are sent in along with Europeans. All Michelin inspectors work anonymously.

The Los Angeles guide will include hotel and restaurant ratings for Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Westwood, downtown, Santa Monica, Ventura Boulevard and Pasadena. The Vegas guide will include Las Vegas Boulevard, as well as downtown and areas east and west of the Strip. The guides will be released in November.

A decade ago, Vegas was known more for all-you-can-eat buffets in the casinos rather than gourmet cuisine. But the Bellagio megaresort, which opened in 1998, proved that high-end restaurants were viable in Sin City. Today the city is peppered with upscale eateries backed by celebrity chefs. The Mobil guide recently awarded five stars to two Vegas restaurants - Alex, at the Wynn resort, and Joel Robuchon, at The Mansion in MGM Grand hotel-casino.

The Los Angeles and Las Vegas books will be the first Michelin guides published under a new partnership between Michelin and Langenscheidt Publishing, which also publishes the Berlitz and Insight guides and Hammond maps. Details at http://www.michelinguide.com.