Update: Michelin has announced its expansion into Texas, with a coming Texas Michelin Guide slated to highlight the culinary gems in Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, and San Antonio.
We’ve gone on and on about how stellar the dining the scene is in Houston. From James Beard Award-winning restauranteurs, to its selection as the basis for Top Chef, to its continuous national recognition, Houston is home to some of the best food in the country. Despite this, Houston, nor Texas at large, has any official Michelin-star restaurants.
While Houston specifically does have a number of chefs with Michelin stars carried from outside the state, Michelin does not have a presence in Texas. What gives?
What is a Michelin star?
First off, yes: it’s that Michelin. The tire company launched their first Michelin guides back in 1900 in France as a means of driving automobile sales. Out-of-the-way restaurants – as well as hotels and mechanics at the time – with high ratings would encourage drivers to venture out more and thus, create more of a need for tires.
In 1926, the company introduced the Michelin Star ratings. Then, a Michelin Star restaurant was one that Michelin considered “a fine dining establishment.” Later on, the company would expand their rating system to three stars.
Today, it’s the most prestigious honor for chefs, or as celebrity-chef Gordon Ramsay put it: “the Oscars of the restaurant industry.”
“All we are saying is ‘these are the restaurants with the best food, where you will enjoy the most outstanding culinary experiences.'”
Presently, the Michelin Guide has a three-star rating system. One star is given to restaurants with high-quality ingredients in which distinct flavors are well prepared consistently. Two stars are given when the chef can convey their skill and personality through refined and inspired crafted dishes.
Three stars is the Michelin Guide’s highest honor. This award is reserved for those chefs of the highest caliber, whose cooking is an art form with future-classic dishes.
What are the criteria for a Michelin-star restaurant?
According to the official Michelin Guide website, there are five criteria taken into consideration:
- ingredients quality
- harmony of flavors
- technique mastery
- expression of chef personality through their cuisine
- menu consistency over time
Michelin inspectors re-assess Michelin-star restaurants throughout the seasons to ensure that consistency is withheld. The website states that there is no mathematical formula, meaning some restaurants are traditional, whereas others are innovative; some are fancy, others are informal.
Note: restaurants will exceptional decor, service, nor formality of a restaurant have any bearing on their Michelin rating. For the Michelin Guide, the food on the plate is all that matters.
Where are there Michelin-star restaurants?
The Michelin guide is present in 44 European, Asian, North and South American countries. The highest concentration of Michelin-star restaurants are located in France (625), Japan (414), Italy (380), Germany (328), and Spain (248).
It wasn’t until 2006 – a century after launching its guide – that Michelin began to cover the United States. Michelin began with New York, where there are presently 39 Michelin-star restaurants. Over the years, Michelin expanded into Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Chicago.
The last time Michelin expanded its guide was in late 2022, when Michelin reached the likes of Estonia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.
How does Michelin select destinations for its guide?
Per its website, Michelin states that expansions of its guide are predicated simply on their merit of the cuisine. However, it’s not that simple.
It’s no secret that cities are constantly submitting bids to Michelin to bring its guide to their cities. The presence of Michelin-star restaurants is, after all, great for tourism. Most recently, the Israeli Tourism Ministry announced a $1.6 million deal to bring Michelin to the country in 2023.
Executive vice president of Michelin Guides, Claire Dorland Clauzel told the Washington Post back in 2017, that it’s more or less commonplace for city/country tourism boards to sponsor local guides:
“Some countries and some governments that want to… attract tourism, they are very interested in having a guide, and so they sponsor a guide to have the ability to communicate around their gastronomic landscape.”
That said, Clauzel maintains that the decision whether or not to move into a new area is not as simple as receiving a generous commission. Meaning that say a town like Lubbock submits a bid into the millions, Michelin still wouldn’t likely see to covering the town.
Why doesn’t Michelin cover Texas?
As stated, the Michelin Guide only covers four states in the US. As for why the guide isn’t present in Texas is more up to conjecture. As to whether or not state or local governments could submit bids to bring Michelin to the south is also not entirely cut and dry.
“You have to have first the right gastronomic landscape,” Clauzel stated in the Washington Post article cited above. “We cannot do the Michelin Guide with 10 restaurants. This is the first condition.”
What would it take for Michelin to cover Texas?
The official website maintains that the scope of the Michelin Guide widens every year. Perhaps the Michelin Inspectors will get hip to the growing national recognition of the culinary scene in Texas. Or, maybe the state will shell out lump sums to bring Michelin to the south.
With that in mind, we only assume that it’s a matter of time before it reaches the Lonestar State. As to when that will be, who’s to say. Otherwise, it just means shorter lines for the rest of us.
See also: 16 elevated rooftop bars and restaurants in Houston