Houston’s food scene has been on the rise for years now, but things are about to heat up even more with the Michelin Guide’s expansion to Texas, which was announced in July after months of rumors. This means the restaurants that locals already love might get some official recognition for their efforts in offering great food and service.

Texas is the 11th destination in North America for the guide, and Michelin inspectors are already on the hunt to find the best of the best in cities across the state. So of course, with all the buzz around the announcement, Houston-area chefs and diners can’t wait to see the places that will be included in the first guide.

Texas is known for its barbecue joints, fusion cuisine, steak houses, and beloved Tex-Mex restaurants, to name a few. But what are the anonymous inspectors really looking for? A Michelin Star (one, two, or three) will be given to restaurants that offer exceptional cooking and meet various criteria, which include the ingredients’ quality, the harmony of flavors, technique, the expression of the chef’s personality through their cuisine, and consistency.

The guide also awards Bib Gourmand for more casual destinations, which Michelin-watchers believe might be Texas’s strength, as well as a Green Star for sustainability.

Excitement

Kirthan Shenoy, executive chef and co-owner of Auden—who previously worked at a Michelin restaurant in New York City—believes the guidebook will be a true representation of what the city has to offer in terms of diversity. He adds that Michelin coming to Texas could help Houston when it comes to tourism.

“It creates excitement,” Shenoy says. “It can help Houston be a destination. You know, you hear people saying they love going to Chicago, New York, or San Francisco for the weekend, and I think eventually, Houston can be that city.”

Chef Jassi Brinda of Amrina echoes the sentiment that the Michelin Guide will not only boost the dining scene, which boasts a melting pot of different restaurants, but tourism as well. Regardless of Michelin though, he says it doesn’t change what restaurants in Houston and Texas are already accomplishing.

“I think entire Houston and entire Texas should be proud of what they are doing,” Brinda says. “It’s all about consistency. And you know, if we all are consistent and get recognized, it will be a great opportunity to boost the motivation of the team.”

Amrina is already focused on sustainability and locally sourced ingredients, and Brinda says they will continue these efforts. Ryan Snyder, managing partner of Katami, says the restaurant won’t be changing anything either. Rather, they see the Michelin Guide expansion as an external motivation to put a pep in its step and give a renewed focus to the consistency of the restaurant.

However, just like the others, Snyder believes Houston might be taken more seriously in the culinary world with Michelin stars.

“I think it’s really good for the hospitality industry to be recognized on a larger scale,” Snyder says. “People that have never been to Houston or maybe thought about coming but didn’t necessarily have enough reason to come, might take a culinary tour down here and check out some of the Michelin star restaurants.”

Chef Evelyn Garcia of Jun says the food scene in Houston has been changing for a while, and as it changes, chefs and restaurants are catering to people who have maybe moved to Houston from cities that do have Michelin Guide restaurants.

Both Snyder and Felipe Riccio, chef-partner for Goodnight Hospitality (which encompasses March, Rosie Cannonball, the Marigold Club, and Montrose Cheese and Wine), mentioned that the Michelin Guide’s expansion could lead to an increase in talent retention and acquisition. Riccio adds that with the city’s large size, it will take a while for the inspectors to find the hidden local gems.

“I think there’s a lot of unique places here in Houston that I’m excited for the Michelin inspectors to get to see and hopefully recognize,” Riccio says.

Victoria Elizondo, chef-owner of Cochinita & Co. in the East End, says while she doesn’t expect a Michelin star, she’s still excited for the guide to come to Texas because it means more eyes on Houston and its restaurant scene. She notes that people visiting the city probably won’t be dining at Michelin restaurants for all three meals, so it creates an opportunity for other Houston restaurants to be discovered.

Drawbacks

Shenoy says polarization can occur anytime a platform like Michelin comes into play. The goal of the guidebook is to identify places that are worth visiting as either a detour or destination dining spot. This could create animosity, which he notes is just part of human nature.

“Not everyone can be prom queen,” Shenoy says.

From his experience, he says that sometimes a restaurant will open with the goal of getting a star, putting in the hard work during the first year to get everything right and impress an inspector. Shenoy says he’s gone through this in the past: The restaurant he helped open didn’t get a star, and slowly, staff began leaving the restaurant. He says the experience was almost demoralizing.

Snyder says some people in Houston might “chase stars,” only cooking and operating restaurants in ways that will gain them recognition from Michelin.

Ben Berg, founder and CEO of Berg Hospitality, which includes fan favorites like B&B Butchers and BB Lemon, says that there’s also a money aspect. Officials from Houston First said the city is paying $90,000 a year for three years to have Houston included in the guide, offsetting some of the costs of the inspectors, who have to find the best of the best among the city’s more than 11,000 restaurants. This is not unusual: Visit Florida promised $1.5 million to bring Michelin to the state in 2021.

Regardless, Berg says any type of accolade is good and will result in even more representation for Houston.

Anything can happen

Snyder thinks it will be interesting to see how the awards are given, considering all that Texas has to offer. He wonders whether the awards will just be given to high-end restaurants, or if they’ll also find some hidden-gem barbecue spots or other outposts that are unique to Texas or its various cities.

Brinda says the first year will be a study in how the inspectors work in Texas, especially since the state is not just focused on fine dining. For instance, he points to the Michelin Guide giving a star to a taqueria in Mexico. So, anything can happen.

For Garcia, she says that given Houston’s diversity and many mom-and-pop restaurants, she’s excited to see what will be on the first Texas guide.

“We are so diverse, and there are so many different styles of restaurants here, so I’m interested to see what the inspectors are looking into or enjoyed in Houston,” Garcia says.