AUSTIN, Texas — Texas restaurants hoping to earn a prestigious Michelin star are already taking reservations.
The Michelin Guide is coming to Texas for the first time and is expected to feature culinary gems in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio.
“The Texas culinary scene has proven to be an exhilarating one," Gwendal Poullennec, international director of The MICHELIN Guide, said. “Foodies and travel enthusiasts alike will find something to enjoy ... Texas is a perfect fit."
Five universal criteria will be used during the upcoming restaurant selection as staff go through a gauntlet of anonymous inspections throughout the year:
- The quality of products
- The harmony of flavors
- The mastery of cooking techniques
- The voice and personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine
- The consistency between each visit and throughout the menu
Initially published in France, Michelin published its first guide in 2005 for New York. It then added Washington, D.C., Chicago, California, Miami/Orlando/Tampa, Florida, Colorado, Atlanta, Toronto, Vancouver and, most recently, Mexico.
Michelin said that while the guide's selections remain fully independent, it is working with Travel Texas on marketing and promotional activities.