Eater - 5 takeaways from Michelin’s Texas debut

Chefs, restaurateurs, and someone dressed as the Michelin Man celebrating on a stage as confetti falls from the ceiling, in front of a backdrop that says ''Michelin Guide Ceremony 2024 Texas+

Photo: Annie Mulligan

Earlier this week, Michelin wined and dined Texas chefs and the culinary elite from across the state at an inaugural ceremony in Houston celebrating its newly minted guide to the state. But amid the camera flashes and glasses of champagne, the event left all of its attendees with questions, unmet expectations, and of course, a burning desire to secure a coveted star next year. Here, Eater editors from across the state weigh in on the major takeaways from the famed tire company’s slightly infamous event that are sure to influence the future of dining in the state.

Independently owned restaurants still make magic

Michelin seemed to really love Austin. The fact that we got seven one-starred restaurants speaks to the higher level of attention and care Austin chefs give to the food that feeds the cities. Not to mention that Nixta Taqueria getting a Bib Gourmand and its co-owner and chef Edgar Rico snagging the Young Chef Award just proves that independently owned restaurants are where the city’s edible magic happens. — Nadia Chaudhury, Eater Austin editor

Where is the acknowledgment of Black excellence?

African-American-led institutions were noticeably missing among a wide-ranging selection of stellar restaurants across the state. Michelin’s lack of appreciation for Black restaurants is nothing new (it was only in 2022 that the revered organization granted a star to a Black chef in NYC — Charlie Mitchell — for the first time in its history), but in a state like Texas — the origin point of much of America’s southern cuisine and soul food — it’s frustrating to watch Black restaurants serving southern fare and cuisine from the African diaspora continue to be dismissed. Late August, Olamaie, the Jerk Shack, and Distant Relatives did receive accolades (though none, importantly, were the highest awards). But where were celebrated and equally outstanding restaurants like Austin’s Canje (one of the New York Times’s Best Restaurants in the country), Houston’s Gatlin’s BBQ (a pioneer in Texas’s craft barbecue resurrection), and Dallas’s Roots Southern Table (a particularly telling oversight and missed opportunity to credit one of the nation’s most talented Black woman chefs)?

It’s Michelin’s first year in Texas, and these certainly aren’t the only places where they have missed a step (see a near-disregard for Dallas restaurants). Still, much of Houston implores the organization to take steps to ensure it’s representing all of Texas — particularly those who helped craft the state’s celebrated foodways in the first place. — Kayla Stewart, Eater.com senior editor

Great expectations, greater disappointments
Dallas truly got its butt spanked when compared to the rest of Texas — for the city that considers itself the state’s most cosmopolitan to land only one Michelin star is... something. However, we did yank the Exceptional Cocktail Award away, and we will guard it feverishly. Although the Michelin Guide doesn’t pit the restaurants against each other in direct competition, there was an air of indignant competition hanging in the air that left me with the sense that the city will be out for blood next year. But the untold story here is the mystery of why Fort Worth was snubbed. Sure, the city earned three Michelin nods, but numerous favorites in the city, including Don Artemio, were fully ignored. Not even Goldee’s received a star for its barbecue. Michelin’s got some ‘splainin’ to do about that one. — Courtney E. Smith, Eater Dallas editor

Cater to who?

Considering, though, that a) Houston is the fourth-largest city in America (and poised to overtake Chicago), b) it is the most diverse in the country with countless restaurants embodying that, and c) that our city put up at least $270k for this review, it’s understandable that some people would feel the guide has fallen short. There could have been more stars, or simply more inclusion of Houston’s standout Creole, Cajun, Vietnamese, Tex-Mex, and soulful Black-owned restaurants, many of which are easily worth a trip.

Generally, the results here feel like the product of an overwhelming undertaking Michelin might not have been prepared for. Reviewing Texas restaurants in five of its major cities is a tall order; their definition of Bib, as outlined by some of the restaurants they chose, also seems a little hazy.. Maybe inspectors needed more time. Maybe this is just the beginning and we need to have more patience, but: need they be reminded that everything is bigger in Texas? Go big or go home, Michelin. — Brittany Britto Garley, Eater Houston editor

A city’s bread and butter still warrants celebration

I'm also personally happy with the relatively high number of food trucks that received recognition — because Austin runs on food trucks, truly. — NC

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