This Is What Houston Chefs Are Saying About Texas’s Inaugural Michelin Guide

With 31 restaurants recognized, most Houston chefs and restauranteurs agree that Texas’s inaugural Michelin Guide Ceremony was an exciting win for Space City

The night brimmed with excitement following Texas’s inaugural Michelin Guide Ceremony, where more than 30 Houston restaurants were recognized. Six restaurants, including Tatemó, March, Corkscrew BBQ, and Le Jardinier, were awarded one Michelin star, while 18 restaurants received Bib Gourmands, which highlight good food at a good value, and seven others were given Michelin recognition as a recommended restaurant. The months preceding the ceremony were shrouded in mystery, with Michelin employees anonymously roaming the state for the best food to recommend to travelers, and for many Houston ceremony attendees, the big reveal did not disappoint.

While some industry members say certain choices surprised them, most chefs and restaurateurs who attended the ceremony told Eater that the tire company did Houston justice — and that the reveal was a promising start to the city’s burgeoning relationship with the Michelin international star rating system. Here’s what Houston chefs and restaurateurs had to say.

Annie Mulligan

Chef Nicolás G. “Nico” Baizan de Aldecoa, Maven Coffee + Cocktails

“There were some of us that were thinking that Michelin was going to come to Texas — and even I had this fear that they were going to change their style of critiquing in a lot of ways. There were things I was surprised about, personally, but I think they kept the standard where it was supposed to be, which they haven’t done in other cities. Here, they kept their standard.”

Chef Thomas & Elizabeth Bille, Belly of the Beast (Bib Gourmand)

“It’s not something we were aiming for, but it’s such an honor to be here.”

Chef Mayank Istwal, Musaafer (one Michelin star)

“It feels surreal. This award is for the restaurant’s team because they work super hard, from the dishwasher to the servers to the managers to the front-of-the-house staff — everybody. Also, this award is also for the 1.5 billion people back in India because we’re presenting them. We’re the only restaurant that celebrates all 55 cuisines and all 29 states under one roof. It’s a special restaurant. … Houstonians have supported us since day one. We opened in the middle of the pandemic, and we were not sure what was going to happen, but people came out and supported us. So, this is a thank you to all Houstonians.”

Annie Mulligan

Chef Marcos Juarez, Hidden Omakase (Michelin recommendation)

“Being the only sushi restaurant in Texas to get a Michelin recommendation is such an exciting honor for Hidden Omakase. It’s a huge accomplishment not just for our team but for the Texas food scene as a whole. We’re proud to be recognized for doing what we lovet.”

Cherif Mbodji, partner and director of operations at Bludorn (Michelin recommendation)

“Texas did great. We didn’t know what to expect, and this thing can go so many ways, but I think Texas really had a great showing. We ended up exactly where we thought we would be. Maybe someday [we’ll get a star], but right now, I think this is where we need to be. The restaurants that were recognized tonight are so deserving of it. The barbecue spots were the cherry on top. I was also surprised to see a steakhouse [Pappas Bros. Steakhouse] in the mix!”

Annie Mulligan

Chef Felipe Riccio, chef/partner of Goodnight Hospitality restaurants March (one Michelin star) and Rosie Cannonball (Bib Gourmand)

“It was an exciting night for the city and the state. It was great to see so many great restaurants, chefs, sommeliers, and restaurant teams get recognized. This is not only exciting and helpful to restaurants, it’s also awesome to see. We were super pumped to be there no matter what happened, but with both Rosie Cannonball being recognized and March getting its first star, it’s unbelievable. It really is.

“Of course, there are surprises, good and bad. It’s hard. It’s a daunting task for the Michelin inspectors. It’s four very large, very diverse cities, and speaking just of Houston — the largest and most diverse city in Texas and the country, it’s a major task. It’s going to take time. They did a good job. It’s going to grow, and I feel this way about Rosie, March, and the Marigold Club — it’s fuel to the fire of what we can do. It’s only up from here.”

Annie Mulligan

Chef G (Benchawan Jabthong Painter) and Graham Painter, Street to Kitchen (Bib Gourmand)

Chef G: “I’m so happy that so many Houston restaurants got the star and that the ceremony is Houston for its first year. It’s a big deal.”

Graham: “I’m excited because we’ve watched what Michelin has done for the food scene in Bangkok and Mexico City, and it just gets better and better and better.”

Annie Mulligan

Chef Chris Williams, Late August (Michelin recommendation)

“Where’s Hugo Ortega? Hugo is Houston. He is Houston’s sustained excellence, so I would have expected him [to be recognized]. I was surprised by that, but outside of that, this was produced extremely well. They had us all at the edge of our seats.”

Annie Mulligan

Robin Wong, Terry Wong, and Quy Hong, Blood Bros. BBQ (Bib Gourmand)

Robin: “I’m speechless in a good way because we walked in thinking, Oh, we’ll get a recommendation. So when we didn’t go up for that first round, we’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, we might get a Bib.’ They rated us even higher, which we didn’t expect at all. We didn’t even expect to be here. We still can’t believe it.”