The Texas Michelin Guide Ceremony Is Happening Tonight in Houston
Which restaurants will take home a star? Find out during the ceremony, which will be live-streamed starting at 6 p.m.
After months of anticipation, the Michelin Guide will finally award its coveted stars to Texas restaurants for the first time tonight.
Michelin, the tire company behind the international Michelin Guide restaurant rating system, will host the official ceremony for the inaugural Texas Michelin Guide in Houston on Monday, November 11, which will rank Texas restaurants based on the food they serve. The invite-only ceremony, hosted at 713 Music Hall in Downtown Houston, will begin at 6 p.m. and will be live-streamed.
How Michelin star and bib gourmand restaurants are chosen
Michelin inspectors, employees who have been on the ground since at least July, have reviewed and reportedly ranked restaurants based on the following criteria, all of which focus primarily on food:
- Quality products and ingredients
- Harmony of flavors
- Mastery of cooking techniques
- Voice and personality of the chef reflected in the cuisine
- Consistency of food and service between visits by the inspector
The Michelin Guide then ranks them with stars. One star, indicating “worth a stop,” will be awarded to restaurants that demonstrate high-quality cooking. Two stars, which suggests a restaurant “worth a detour,” will be given to restaurants that demonstrate excellent cooking, and three stars will be given to restaurants that serve exceptional cuisine worth a special journey. Michelin will also consider restaurants for Green Stars, which honor pioneers in sustainable gastronomy, and for Bib Gourmands, which honor restaurants that offer “good quality food for a good value” or at an affordable price, according to Michelin. It’s also possible that restaurants receive a Michelin “recommendation,” which includes a mention on their website.
The Michelin Guide announced that Texas would finally get a guide in July, and inspectors were considering restaurants in cities including Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and Fort Worth.
For weeks, chefs and diners have speculated about which restaurants will receive stars, with many noting restaurants like Le Jardinier, which already has a star at its New York and Miami locations, and March, a tasting menu restaurant in Montrose that explores a new region of the Mediterranean twice a year. Many have wondered whether this is the year an American barbecue joint will receive a Michelin star (which has not happened yet in the guide’s history), while others are still processing how stars — given or not — could affect the state’s culinary scene. The dining world in Texas will find out soon.
Tune into the live stream below:
