Auguste Escoffier (1846 – 1935) was a French chef, restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional French cooking methods (Wikipedia). His masterwork Le Guide Culinaire (1903) is the reference work for classical French cuisine. I have a copy and have used many times to prepare some classical dishes and sauces. It is interesting just to read the intricate methods used to make these traditional dishes.
Le Guide Culinaire can be read in English at Archive.org.
Marie-Antoine Carême (1784 – 1833) was considered to be the beginning of haute cuisine in France. Carême is credited with creating the standard chef's hat, the creation of new sauces and dishes. He was first to classify sauces into groups. The four premier grande or "mother" sauces: Béchamel, Espagnole, Allemande, and Velouté. He added five petites sauces: Poivrade, Suprême, Tomate, Hollandaise and Mayonnaise. See the section on sauces here.
Without doubt the most influential restaurant guide in the world is the Michelin Guide. Achieving a star or three can bring renown and success, and the loss can be devastating. Published since 1900 it has become the guide for restaurant excellence, although it is challenged by the more recent Gault Millau guide. Michelin is considered more conservative in stressing the continuation of haute cuisine, whereas Gault Millau was inspired by the emergence of nouvelle cuisine in the 1960s (the guide began in 1965). Lesser known and regarded is the Frommer's guide, and the now virtually defunct Zagat guide.
