After months of anticipation, Texas’s restaurant owners and chefs can finally learn which local dining establishments will be awarded Michelin stars. The Michelin Guide, which runs the international restaurant star rating system, announced on Monday, September 30, that it has partnered with local tourism organization Houston First to host Texas’s inaugural Michelin Guide ceremony in Houston on November 11.
Texas’s guide, which will feature Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth, is set to be one of the largest inaugural statewide guides in the country.
Helmed by the French tire company Michelin, the guide typically rotates where its ceremonies have been held. Michael Heckman, the president and CEO of Houston First, said in a statement that the recent expansion to Texas presented “a unique opportunity to show the world the extraordinary sophistication and complexity of our state’s culinary scene.”
Venue details have not yet been revealed, but it wouldn’t be far-fetched to think the ceremony could be held at one of the three Houston hotels Michelin recognized with hotel keys earlier this year. Michelin gave one key to both local Hotel Zaza hotels in Memorial City and the Museum District, as well as Post Oak Hotel in Uptown.
Since Michelin’s announcement in July stating that it was already on the ground, Houston diners, chefs, and restaurant owners have speculated which restaurants will be awarded stars and how the Michelin Guide’s presence in Texas could influence the dining scene. While some chefs worry it could add unnecessary pressures and stifle creativity, others are excited about how it could further propel the dining scene’s notoriety. Many restaurants, including Le Jardiner, Tatemo, and BCN, are already seeing some benefit from mere predictions alone, with restaurant owners and chefs stating that reservations have skyrocketed.
Houston First paid a total of $270,000 — $90,000 a year for three years — to bring the Michelin Guide to the city, which allows full-time Michelin employees, also known as inspectors, to assess local restaurants and choose which of them deserve Michelin recognition. The ranking system involves one to three Michelin stars, highlighting restaurants serving exceptional cuisine. Restaurants can also receive a Green Star, which honors restaurants that are pioneers in sustainable gastronomy, and the Bib Gourmand designation, which recognizes restaurants that offer “good quality food for a good value.” Bibs are also commonly given to restaurants deemed “personal favorites” among inspectors when dining on their own time, according to Michelin.
