Three-Michelin Star Chef Joins McDonald's

What do you do when you get three Michelin stars? Gualtiero Marchesi, the first chef in Italy to win three stars, decided to team up with McDonald's becase he wanted to work, "where young people were going to eat."

The man who made gold-leaf risotto the "ultimate foodie status symbol" in Milan has created two burgers and one dessert for the burger chain. There's the Vivace burger (Italian beef, bacon, spinach, marinated onions, and a mustard seed mayo) and the Adagio (salted ricotta, marinated eggplant strips, and tomatoes on a sliced almond bun). The dessert is a tiramisu called "Minuetto."

Of course, some foodies are sniffing their noses in disgust. "This simply leaves a sour taste in the mouth," said Roberto Burdese, president of the Italian Slow Food movement. He called it a "cyncial marketing ploy," which might be true, but it's also smart. And who knows, maybe it'll introduce french-fry eating youngsters to other dining options.

The Daily Byte is a regular column dedicated to covering interesting food news and trends across the country. Click here for previous columns.