HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Most of us know Houston’s food scene is unmatched, and the critics seem to agree.
In a first for the Bayou City, six Houston restaurants received one Michelin Star as the world-renowned guide revealed its Texas selections Monday night at a ceremony at 713 Music Hall in downtown Houston.
The guide is like a who’s who of food.
Fans of Hulu’s “The Bear” might be familiar with Chefs Carmy Berzatto and Sydney Adamu’s obsession over earning a coveted étoile. “Emily in Paris” Chef Gabriel was also hungry to earn the distinction.
SEE ALSO: Houston’s Goodnight Hospitality and Tatemó could be awarded with Michelin Stars
But for these Houston restaurants, this is no mere pop culture reference.
The following have officially been marked by Michelin: BCN Taste and Tradition, CorkScrew BBQ, Le Jardinier, March, Musaafer, and Tatemó.
“The chefs I talked to last night that won the one star awards, obviously, they were happy about it and everyone was nervous, but they also feel a sense of validation for the hard work they put in their businesses and feel a sense of motivation for the process,” Houston Chronicle restaurant columnist Bao Ong told ABC13.
They weren’t the only award winners.
Several area spots got the “Bib Gourmand” award, which goes to restaurants that are memorable, delivering great taste and value on a budget. That includes Killens, Blood Brothers barbecue, and Belly of the Beast in Spring.
Overall, the state of Texas earned 15 Stars in the inaugural selection. Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio all can boast restaurants that earned one star.
Dating back to 1900 in France, the Michelin Guide comes to us from the same people behind the tires, and thus, explains the Michelin man’s appearance at the event.
One star is just the beginning. The guide awards two stars and three stars, with the latter being the highest for exceptional cooking.
The Michelin Stars are annual awards, with new stars given each year. Existing star restaurants are also reassessed.
That means, according to the guide, Stars can also be taken away, so it’s up to restaurants to keep up the high quality.
We first learned in July the Michelin Guide and its inspectors would be coming to five Texas cities, including Houston.
Inspectors are famously anonymous – and hold an incredible amount of power. These full-time employees, who are former restaurant and hospitality professionals, make the call on who gets a star.
Houston landed on Michelin’s radar, but at a cost.
As our partners at CultureMap reported over the summer, Houston First has a three-year contract with Michelin, paying $90,000 each year, or $270,000 total to have inspectors review restaurants.
Travel Texas, the state tourism board, is also working with Michelin, but the guide says contracts are private, so it’s unclear how much the state is paying.
Will the restaurants’ new distinction make it harder to book a reservation?
“We’re definitely keeping our eye on that and would not be surprised because I have seen that happen in other cities,” Ong said. “BCN has only 14 tables. Tatemó only has 10 tables. Some are difficult to get into as it is, and I can only imagine they’ll only get even busier since last night.”
By this being the Michelin Guide’s first year in Texas, and therefore Houston, there’s also room for growth when it comes to the types of restaurants who are recognized.
“Barbecue figured really prominently on Michelin’s initial Texas guide, and I hope they expand their scope to cover even other areas of the Houston region, whether it’s barbecue or Vietnamese. We have a great number of Nigerian restaurants here as well, so I’m definitely excited to see what Michelin does next year,” Ong said.
Any restaurant of any style and cuisine type can qualify for a star, the guide says.
