After months of speculation, the Michelin Guide announced its inaugural Texas selection of restaurants at a private awards ceremony in Houston on Monday night.
The respected guide from the French tire manufacturer doled out 15 one-star reviews statewide — and nearly half of them went to Houston restaurants.
BCN Taste & Tradition, CorkScrew BBQ, Le Jardinier, March, Musaafer and Tatemó — all featured in the Houston Chronicle’s recent Top 100 restaurants guide — garnered one star each.
No restaurants in Texas received more than a single star, which are recognized for “high-quality cooking” and are deemed “worth a stop.” Michelin also recognized 45 Texas establishments for a Bib Gourmand, and 57 were designated as Recommended restaurants. Houston’s strong showing continued with 15 Bib Gourmands and seven Recommended spots.
Michelin’s debut in the Lone Star State is a milestone for Houston restaurant scene, which has gained national and international attention in recent years.
“Texas deserves its place on the U.S. culinary map but also the world culinary map,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides. “We feel the potential.”
Michelin recognized a total of 117 restaurants across the state in and surrounding Houston, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio. Poullennec added that 26 cuisine types were reflected in the guide’s selection.
Austin led with seven one-starred restaurants, including three barbecue joints. Dallas and San Antonio each had a single one-starred spot. Two Austin restaurants, Dai Due and Emmer & Rye, were the only recipients of a Green Star recognizing sustainably-operated restaurants.
Barbecue, however, took center stage in general. Six of the 15 Bib Gourmands in Houston specialize in barbecue, from the globally inspired smoke meats at Blood Bros. BBQ in Bellaire to Truth Barbeque, which originally started in Brenham before opening a second location in the Heights area.
See here and here for the background, and here for a list of all the winners, including the Bib Gourmands. There are a couple of places I’ve been to on that latter list and a few more I’d like to try, but I’ll be honest, I’m too basic for most of them. I’m happy for the winners and for all of the attention this has brought to our state’s food scene. I look forward to future updates.
There was a ton of coverage for this, in Houston and in the other named cities, so here’s a roundup of related links. Happy eating!
Houston food critic Alison Cook on the winners.
The anonymous “Chief Inspector” speaks.
Houston CultureMap’s pregame guide and postgame analysis.
Austin roundup from the Statesman, Axios Austin, and the Austin Chronicle.
Dallas coverage from WFAA, Eater Dallas, the Dallas Observer, and Dallas CultureMap.
And the San Antonio Current, Texas Public Radio, the Fort Worth Report, Houston Public Media, the Houston Press, Houstonia, and Texas Monthly (and again and again). Hope that holds you for awhile.