LOS ANGELES -- Chef Michael Bryant can’t contain his excitement. 

“I jumped up and down like a little school girl I was so excited,” he said.

That was his reaction when he heard the announcement that the Michelin Guide is returning to Los Angeles after a nine-year hiatus.

That means, as Executive Chef at Fellow in Westwood, this is his time to shine, or should we say -- his food’s time to sizzle.

"Now I’m at a level and state of being mentally where I believe my food is actually Michelin quality,” he said. 

But what exactly does Michelin mean? We talked to lifestyle writer Paul Zahn about the rich and surprising history of how the guide came about. 

“It was started in 1900 by the French tire company to act as a guide for people traveling around Europe for places for people to stop and visit. And then it quickly grew into the benchmark of fine dining, awarding places one, two, or three stars,” Zahn said. 

One star meant very good. Two meant “worthy of a detour,” and three meant it’s worth a “special journey.”

So how does Michelin and its team of anonymous inspectors evaluate restaurants? Chef Michael used to work at a one-star restaurant, so he spoke to that. 

“Requirements for a restaurant to get Michelin, there is textbook, cuisine, service, the wine list, the atmosphere… but in my eyes it's generated around the food,” he said. 

So he has to up the culinary ante.

“I have to elevate the food. We’re talking trips to the farmers market twice a week, elevating using local ingredients like farms and vegetables and truly showcasing the vegetables. No crazy technique for me. The flash in the pan those days are over. I’ve become very humble in my cuisine where I want to just concentrate all about the food,” he added. 

There’s another side to getting Michelin attention – and that’s attention: great PR, social media talk, reviews, word of mouth.

He says he aims for one star, so naturally I ask…why not three?

“This is not that type of restaurants. To get to a two or three star level, you’re talking separation of bar and dining room and kitchen, tasting rooms, proper service. Gang service when every single person at the table is delivered a plate at the same time," he noted. 

Three, two or one -- it’s all a chef’s dream.  

“I welcome them open with open arms. By all means L.A. deserves Michelin,” he said. 

Chef will keep his head down working for that star – hoping to once again dance like a schoolgirl if he gets it.