Top chef upset by loss of third star takes Michelin to court

PARIS (AP) - Chef Marc Veyrat, known for his black chapeau and his mountain cuisine, is taking the Michelin Guide to court to find out why he lost his third star this year - and how the publication that makes, and sometimes breaks, reputations in the world's prestigious kitchens could allegedly claim he used cheddar cheese in a recipe.

Veyrat has been fuming since La Maison des Bois, in a mountain village in France's Haute-Savoie region, lost its third star early this year.

Now he's taking action. A court date is set for Nov. 27.

In a statement, his lawyer, Emmanuel Ravanas, said Veyrat simply wants the "exact reasons" for Michelin's downgrade.

An indignant Veyrat, who uses only local products, says an inspector confused his emulsion with cheddar cheese "because it was yellow."