No, you didn’t read that wrong. Seemingly out of nowhere this morning, the following release dropped over on guide.michelin.com. As part of a regional expansion, under a new “Southwest” grouping, restaurants from Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona will shortly be under consideration from the famous food guide. Up for grabs, prestigious star ratings that can catapult a restaurant’s awareness to stratospheric levels.
At this point, it’s worth taking a moment to remember that food is everything when it comes to MICHELIN. Per their own guidance, it might surprise many that this is a singular consideration. In stark contrast to the James Beard Awards – ostensibly the major alternative to Michelin here in the States – neither service nor ambiance is listed as a consideration. That said, a restaurant with exceptional culinary sourcing is unlikely to fill your wine glass from a box.
When it comes to what’s on the plate, the level of craft and execution dictates who gets what. The guide’s star definitions reflect its origins as a tendril of the famous tire manufacturer – and a tool to get people on the road. Fact fans might know the original guide was provided free and alongside restaurant recs had handy hints on how to replace a tire.
Stars then reflect how would-be travelers should gauge a restaurant:
- One star – high-quality cooking, worth a stop
- Two star – excellent cooking, worth a detour
- Three star – exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey
Through my gluttonous years, I’ve been privileged to experience triple-starred cooking, and yes, it was worth the journey alone. Let that sink in when contemplating any local dining scene, Utah or otherwise. Would you load up the Delta app specifically for just one meal? If the very notion of dining-based travel is unfathomable, you get to stop reading now. That’s ok.
Other notable awards are bestowed by the guide, too, though they receive less fanfare. A Bib Gourmand selection befits restaurants that serve “good cuisine at reasonable prices”. Beyond those accolades, a Michelin-recommended title might also be doled out. According to Michelin’s Michael Ellis, it’s a “sign of a chef using quality ingredients that are well cooked; simply a good meal.” Meanwhile, a Michelin green star can also be awarded to those who are “at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practices.”
Inspectors, then, are a bunch of ex-industry pros, with Michelin footing their bill for travel and dining. Their task might see them hit the road for as many as two to three weeks per month, according to former taste tester Chris Walton. Those excursions will be unrelenting feats of metabolic endurance. Meal after meal, sometimes multiple restaurant bookings per evening. Heaven to some, perhaps.
Should an inspector think they’ve hit pay dirt excellence, they’ll tip off a colleague to confirm their find. Repeated visits will then follow, with inspectors dining solo or together (always anonymously) to build a complete picture, over multiple services and seasons. Final decisions are then made by group consensus. With all that in mind, would it even be possible for Utah to snag a single star?
In that fascinating interview with Walton, he highlights several necessary touchstones to climb the first rung on the ladder. The use of local products, presentation of dishes, and cooking craft are all core. Walton and others also speak to consistency as a critical component. Michelin-rated restaurants really can’t afford to have an off night. So what if the head chef is on vacation, and the dishwasher is stuck on the freeway? The best of the best are expected to produce perfectly without pause.
Take note, chefs.
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Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV. Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.
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This is great. I’m just so bummed, though that we’ve lost so many cool restaurants recently for them to consider like Stanza, Current, Tradition, and others. Well good luck to those they will be considering.
no restaurant in SLC is going to get even 1 star, dallas its opening year just had one restaurant (sushi omakase) get 1 star