Quest underway to get Minnesota restaurants into the Michelin Guide
The Michelin star is a stamp of culinary excellence sought after by chefs and foodies alike. But how does a restaurant receive one? And could it happen in Minnesota?
Even for chefs like Adam Ritter who have worked at Michelin-recognized restaurants, it's unclear how to secure one. It's an honor shrouded in a bit of mystery
"I don't think anybody really, totally understands," said Ritter, chef and co-owner of Minneapolis' Bûcheron. "I would hope we get one star, I would hope so. I mean, that would be a big goal of ours."
Twin Cities food critic Stephanie March says Bûcheron has the "it" factor Michelin looks for.
"It's the cohesiveness of the menu and I think of the value of the menu. And if it does push a boundary, you know, if it's a cutting edge and if it's really excellent. Is it worth a drive?" March said.
She says a business never knows when a Michelin inspector is coming.
"Inspectors do visit a restaurant multiple times and multiple ways. Like they'll come at night, they'll come in the morning, they'll come during lunch, during peak hours, when it's slow. And it may be different inspectors who do that," March said. "It's just supposed to be your average, every-day diner," March said.
What is clear is that someone has to sponsor Michelin's trips to town to be considered.
"And it can't be the restaurants who pay, it has to be the city or the tourism board who pays," March said.
The Minneapolis Downtown Council is leading the effort to try to bring in tourism boards for other cities like Duluth, Rochester, St. Paul and Bloomington to help fund it.
Leaders of the group say it could cost hundreds of thousands over a few years, but that it would boost tourism, local business and attract talent.
"It does put us in a different category," March said. "It's a little bit of a bolster."
The exclusive club is slowly opening its doors. Traditionally reserved for major cities like New York and Los Angeles, it recently awarded stars in Atlanta and Denver.
And then there's the taco stand in Mexico City that recently earned its star, proving it doesn't take white tablecloths and coursed meals to truly shine.
"It seems to be evolving with the way that we are eating and the way we judge what is excellent," March said.
She named three Twin Cities restaurants that would all likely make the Michelin cut: Minneapolis' Kado no Mise and Demi, and St. Paul's Myrie.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why are there no Michelin-starred restaurants in New Mexico?
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – It's one of the top honors a restaurant can receive: being recognized by the Michelin Guide for its cuisine. Over 1,500 U.S. eateries are published in the guide, and 260 have earned a coveted Michelin star. But why are none of those establishments in New Mexico? It turns out the Land of Enchantment joins a long list of states in the country that are not considered by Michelin Guides, and it's not because they lack top restaurants or food. As of 2025, Michelin inspectors only cover cities in seven states: New York, Chicago, California, Florida, Colorado, Texas, and Atlanta, and D.C. Los Ranchos De Albuquerque restaurant named 2025 James Beard award finalist That list will be expanding soon, as the Michelin Guide announced in April that it would include states in the South, including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Michelin is always looking to expand, but only after certain standards or criteria are achieved. 'To publish the Michelin Guide [in a specific area], we need first and foremost culinary potential,' Gwendal Poullennec, the international director of the Michelin Guide, told Bon Appetit in 2024. 'Today, I have inspectors scouting about 20 destinations where we do not yet have a restaurant selection, but that we are considering for future years. It's always a several-year process because we must see the openings and the consistency.' But it's more than just consistency or 'culinary potential' that brings a Michelin Guide to town. In recent years, Michelin has partnered with local and state tourism boards to help fund the creation of a new guide for that area — but only after the inspectors have deemed the local food scene to be worthy. In 2023, The New York Times reported that California's tourism board had paid Michelin $600,000 in 2019 to cover the cost of expanding its culinary inspections beyond the Bay Area and Napa Valley. Tourism groups in Florida, Atlanta, Colorado and Texas all reportedly agreed to similar financial partnerships. When asked about these newer financial partnerships, Poullennec, speaking with Bon Appetit in 2024, suggested that the Michelin's arrangements with these tourism boards (or, as he called them, 'destination marketing organizations' or DMOs) help to defray the editorial expenses involved with producing the guides. 'The involvement of DMOs in establishing new Guides does not have any influence on the Inspectors' judgments regarding the destination assessment, the restaurants in the selection, or award distinctions,' the inspector told Nexstar. 'DMO teams have no access to the Inspectors' work or the final selection until the list of selected restaurants is revealed by the MICHELIN Guide.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Eater
6 hours ago
- Eater
One of New York's Most Acclaimed Restaurant Groups Nabs Longtime Soho Bistro
The fast-growing restaurant group, renamed for the late Jamal James Kent, has signed a lease in what had been SoHo's Bistro Les Amis for 28 years. The Substack newsletter Feed Me first reported the news on Jun 10. A source confirms to Eater that the project at 180 Spring Street, at Thompson Street, comes from Kent Hospitality's bar director, Harrison Ginsberg. It will steer toward a casual, neighborhood spot with a focus on drinks, a pivot from the corner bistro's French legacy. The group hasn't yet revealed a name. Bistro Les Amis, run by Roy Ibrahim, which closed at the end of May after nearly three decades in business, was a SoHo mainstay. It was known for its French onion soup, unfussy elegance, and late-night service. It opened in 1998, before the neighborhood was saturated with flagships and influencer-friendly cafes, and maintained a local following even as the surrounding retail landscape shifted. Over a decade after it opened, Time Out pointed to the 'worn cherry bar' as a perch for Spring Street locals in a place that was 'not exactly groundbreaking, but we'd happily linger on Les Amis' turf, however familiar.' Since Kent's death last year, the restaurants from Kent Hospitality group have shifted to reflect emerging leaders, with Michelin-starred Crown Shy overseen by Jassimran Singh, two-star Saga overseen by Charlie Mitchell, and World's 50 Best bar with a spectacular view, Overstory from Ginsberg. The group has continued to grow with Time and Tide in the Flatiron, with Top Chef winner Danny Garcia running the kitchen. The team's largest undertaking yet has been overseeing the operations for several hospitality projects inside the Financial District's glossy new department store, Printemps, including Maison Passerelle and Salon Vert — both overseen by James Beard winner Gregory Gourdet. They're also behind the newly opened Birdee, the Brooklyn bakery in the Domino development from Renata Ameni. Earlier this year, the Times reported that Billy Durney, of Hometown Bar-B-Que and Red Hook Tavern acclaim, has taken on investment from Kent Hospitality, and will open a restaurant with the group at 9 West 57th Street. It was formerly Cucina 8 ½ until it closed in January. Over in Soho, the as-yet-named project will lean on Ginsberg's professional cred, which gained momentum at Fidi's Irish-leaning cocktail destination, the Dead Rabbit. Before that, he helped open Crown Shy in 2019 and signed on to oversee cocktails for the restaurant group. He's now steering the Spring Street build-out, giving new life to one of SoHo's most enduring spaces. See More: Coming Attractions NYC Restaurant Openings
Forbes
6 hours ago
- Forbes
Sunbathing Is Not Why You Should Visit These 3 California Beaches In Summer
Forget beach towels and loungers! What if the real attraction is not how many people fit on the beach or where the nearest cocktail bar is? These beaches along the California coastline are worth a trip for a completely different reason than swimming and sunbathing. Here, the focus is on wildlife, not the people, soaking up the sun. From elephant seals and seabirds to migrating whales and resident orcas, these destinations offer front-row access to the Golden State's raw, untamed nature up close. Morro Bay is a coastal city in San Luis Obispo County on California's Central Coast. It is approximately 13 miles west of San Luis Obispo and about 200 miles north of Los Angeles. Start the morning kayaking in the Morro Bay Estuary, an 800-acre wetland with salt marshes and mudflats. It is home to over 250 species, like sea otters, harbor seals and wading birds. Paddle toward the sandspit and walk along the dunes for amazing views of the bay and Morro Rock. Kayaking in Morro Bay Estuary in California. getty Return to the Embarcadero and stop for a seafood lunch. Morro Bay's culinary scene is deeply rooted in its oyster farming heritage, dating back to 1932. Local farms cultivate Pacific Gold oysters in Morro Bay's nutrient-rich waters, later served fresh in restaurants like The Kicker's. Add visiting the Morro Bay State Park to hike through salt marshes and coastal trails or walking along the boardwalk through pygmy oaks and chaparral in Elfin Forest to the itinerary. End the day near Morro Rock to watch the sunset or spot sea lions, cormorants and pelicans living around it. Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is approx. 3 miles south of Carmel-by-the-Sea on California's Central Coast. California State Parks calls it "the crown jewel of the California State Park System." The Reserve stretches underwater and includes part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Its 70-foot-high kelp forest and marine wildlife, including lingcod, rockfish, harbor seals, sea otters, and sea stars, make the Reserve a famous diving and snorkeling location. Diving permits for Whalers and Bluefish Cove are limited to ten teams of two per day to protect the area. After diving, do not say goodbye to the area. Continue above water and explore Cypress Grove Trail and Bird Island Trail to spot sea otters, harbor seals, and California sea lions on the shore. Have dinner in Carmel-by-the-Sea, known for its fairytale cottages and storybook architecture, much of which was designed by Hugh Comstock in the 1920s. It boasts a vibrant culinary scene with 60 restaurants, including Michelin-starred Aubergine, offering an eight-course tasting menu. The town also has 18 wine-tasting rooms featuring selections from the vineyards of Monterey County. Point Reyes National Seashore is in Marin County, Northern California, about 40 miles northwest of San Francisco. It is a protected coastal area known for rugged cliffs, elephant seal colonies and whale watching spots directly along the shore. One of the best spots to observe elephant seals safely is the Elephant Seal Overlook, where visitors can marvel at the views of Drakes Bay. Elephant seals in Point Reyes National Seashore getty Visiting Point Reyes in spring coincides with the final weeks of elephant seal pupping season, meaning the highest number of pups on the beaches. However, in summer, male elephant seals return to shore for their annual molting season, shedding their outer layer of skin and fur. This process leaves them resting on the beach for weeks. National Park Service calls the Point Reyes Peninsula one of the best land-based whale watching on the West Coast. Elevated viewpoints like the Point Reyes Lighthouse, the end of the Chimney Rock Trail and the Tomales Point Trail provide ideal vantage points for spotting migrating humpback, blue and fin whales, or the resident minke whales and orcas. California's wildlife-rich coastline is just one example of how beaches can offer more than sun and surf. Seeing camels in Oman, cows in Scotland, or rabbits in Japan are only a few examples of how animals and people share the beach in perfect harmony.
