Last week, chefs across the state of Texas were informed that they would learn whether or not their restaurants had earned one of Michelin’s coveted stars — ever heard of those? — in a decidedly different way than years prior. Before getting to how that actually happened, let’s look back at how Michelin made its entree into Texas just two years ago.
When the rumors began to swirl in 2024 that Michelin was courting Texas, the excitement from chefs and in-the-know diners was palpable. Texas has always felt a bit underrated in the world of dining, left out of a culinary conversation so dominated by opinions in New York and Los Angeles, and the arrival of the French tire company felt like a validation that there were, in fact, world-class restaurants in the Lone Star State. In November of that year, chefs from across the state converged in Houston to see the state’s first stars awarded, where they shared caviar bumps and cocktails as they earned that long-awaited recognition.
But this year, that recognition will come in a much more depressing form: an emailed press release. Instead of a lavish affair where they can be genuinely celebrated by their peers, chefs will get to enjoy the awe-inspiring experience of frantically scrolling through a list to see whether or not their name is on it. Quel luxe!
Back in 2024, the arrival of Michelin did feel like an inflection point for the state’s dining scene, at least in terms of the broader attention it might attract from far-flung critics and diners.
I’ve covered dining in Texas for more than a decade, specifically in its two largest cities of Dallas and Houston, and I’ve seen the work of some of the country’s most talented chefs go ignored because it wasn’t happening in “cooler” cities. I’ve seen major national “best of” lists make one or two token inclusions for the entire enormous state of Texas while the city of Los Angeles scores four or five spots. (No shade to L.A., home to so many great restaurants, but come on.)
There has, objectively, been some ignoring going on, but it’s not clear that Michelin’s arrival in Texas has actually done anything to meaningfully boost its profile outside of the state, even though local tourism boards are, apparently, thrilled with the results of their spending. The belief is that, at a minimum, earning a Michelin recommendation will bring more big-spending business travelers into their restaurants instead of just ordering delivery to their hotel room in between meetings. Whether or not that is actually true is more complicated — since the 2024 guide, eight Michelin-recommended restaurants in Texas have closed their doors.
Considering that, sending an email instead of hosting a ceremony seems like a bit of a slap in the face. If Michelin really was going to make its mark in Texas, shouldn’t it have at least had a physical presence here more than once? Even though the James Beard Foundation puts us through that horrible livestream where dozens of nominees are read aloud every single year, at least they still have a party — a whole weekend of parties! — to celebrate the people the Awards are honoring. Is it really an honor to receive an email? Or to be on a list that feels more out-of-touch with the actual world of dining as every year goes by?
In an emailed statement announcing the change, Michelin said that it has “evolved our approach and diversified the formats through which we unveil our annual restaurant selection,” essentially admitting that throwing a big party in Texas just isn’t worth the cash. That’s a pretty wild position to take when it’s known that Texas cities, including Dallas, Austin, and Houston, shelled out hundreds of thousands of tax dollars to woo Michelin here. Now they can’t even be bothered to call up a few sponsors to throw one measly party for the entire state?
It’s almost as if restaurants can’t rely on these outside organizations, which operate arbitrarily and with extreme opacity, to actually boost their businesses. And beyond that, what sense does it even make to build a restaurant culture around people who don’t even live in the city where you’re cooking. In my mind, we should pay Michelin about as much attention as they’re paying Texas and send ‘em an email letting them know where they can shove it.
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