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Forbes
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Michelin Announces 2025 Stars For Florida: Five New Entries Including A New Two-Starred Restaurant
Sorekara in Orlando, which features a tasting menu highlighting Japan's 72 micro season, was awarded two stars by the 2025 Michelin Florida Guide Michelin announced its 2025 stars for Florida—Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and new this year— Greater Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater— at a ceremony held at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney Resort. For its fourth edition, 31 restaurants were awarded stars: 15 in Miami, nine in Orlando, five in Tampa, and one each in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. Four new restaurants were awarded one Michelin star this year: Chef's Counter at MAASS in Fort Lauderdale; Itamae Ao in Miami; Konro in West Palm Beach; and Ômo by Jônt in Orlando. Itamae AO in Miami, a Japanese-Peruvian omakase concept headed by chef-owner Nando Chang, received a Michelin star this year Ômo by Jônt in Orlando led by chef-owner Ryan Ratino and director of operations Jhonatan Cano, was awarded a Michelin star this year. They offer three tasting menus of their Japanese-French cuisine, to cater to different price points and preferences. Their sister restaurant, Chef's Counter at MAASS, is the sole recipient of a Michelin star in Fort Lauderdale. And after four years, Florida finally adds another two-Michelin-starred restaurant to its roster with Sorekara in Orlando joining L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Miami at the top. This year's Michelin green star award, which highlights a restaurant at the forefront of sustainable practices, went to two Miami restaurants: Entrenos, whose initiatives include sourcing produce locally and sustainably and repurposing food waste into sauces and vinegars; and Stubborn Seed, where ingredients are sourced from chef Jeremy Ford's 5.5-acre farm, and composting program. Entrenos in Miami was awarded a Michelin green star for its sourcing and repurposing initiatives Thirty-six restaurants received a Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes great food at a great value, with seven new entries this year: Heritage in Fort Lauderdale; Bánh Mì Boy, Coro, Smokemade Meats + Eats, and UniGirl in Orlando; and Aioli and Palm Beach Meats in West Palm Beach. New Bib Gourmand recipient Palm Beach Meats in West Palm Beach, which in addition to specializing in wagyu from Japan, Australia, and the US, also serves specialty Filipino dishes like wagyu lumpia and wagyu beef tapa, owing to chef-owner Eric San Pedro's heritage. In addition to the Bib Gourmand and Stars awards, Michelin also announced four Special Awards, highlighting the skillful professionals from the industry: Jacqueline Pirolo of Macchialina in Miami (Sommelier Award); Tyler Wolff of Ponte in Tampa (Exceptional Cocktails Award); Austin Joseph of Sorekara in Orlando (Outstanding Service Award); and Juan Camilo Liscano of Palma in Miami (Young Chef Award). 'Florida has proven to be an international culinary destination, with the expansion to three new cities and five restaurants being welcomed into the Michelin Star family in this year's selection,' said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guides, in a statement. 'Our anonymous inspectors continued to be delighted by Florida's culinary community, and we congratulate all of the chefs and restaurants being honored in this year's selection.' Here are the 2025 Michelin stars and Bib Gourmands for Florida:
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
For first time in South Florida history, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach restaurants earn Michelin stars
In a culinary coup for Broward and Palm Beach county dining, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach are officially gleaming in its first Michelin stars. The Florida Michelin Guide announced Thursday night that a pair of chef-tasting experiences, the Chef's Counter at MAASS in Fort Lauderdale and Konro in West Palm Beach, have earned one Michelin star apiece. Both restaurants picked up their accolades during a ceremony at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at the Walt Disney World Resort. The news comes after the Michelin Guide in February said it would expand its esteemed guide to three new regions — Greater Fort Lauderdale, the Palm Beaches and St. Pete/Clearwater — making South Florida eateries from Hallandale Beach to Jupiter eligible to be saluted. And boy, did South Florida eateries turn up for the occasion: All told, five Fort Lauderdale restaurants picked up Michelin accolades, while Palm Beach County spots earned nine awards. The international director of the Michelin Guides, Gwendal Poullennec, for one, is bullish about the Sunshine State's restaurant supremacy. 'Florida has proven to be an international culinary destination with the expansion to three new cities,' he said in a statement. 'Our anonymous inspectors continued to be delighted by Florida's culinary community, and we congratulate all of the chefs and restaurants being honored in this year's selection.' The French tire company's guide first rolled into Miami, Orlando and Tampa in 2022 after the state's tourism arm, Visit Florida, paid $1.5 million to rate eateries in those regions for a printed guide. Michelin's expansion in South Florida came after Broward and Palm Beach's tourism groups, Visit Lauderdale and Discover the Palm Beaches, chipped in an extra $90,000 each to be part of the guide. The intimate, 14-seat Chef's Counter at MAASS at the Four Seasons Hotel And Residences Fort Lauderdale is chef Ryan Ratino's ode to American cuisine accented with French techniques. Guide 'inspectors' — Michelin's moniker for the diners who visit and critique each eatery anonymously — praised the tasting menu handled by chef David Brito, especially its 'single-seared diver scallop over a truffle puree.' 'Designed as an upmarket riff on chicken noodle soup, it's finished with a velvety broth,' the guide wrote. 'A delicate bowl of koshihikari rice cooked in a donabe with maitake mushroom and a Comté foam is excellent from start to finish. Finally, kakigori with candied nuts and fresh raspberries is a delightful conclusion.' At Konro, led by chef Jacob Bickelhaupt and sommelier Nadia Bickelhaupt, their 10-seat chef's counter presents a ballet of Japanese A5 Wagyu, dry-ice smoke, delicate bouquets of microgreens and other surprising morsels paired with wines. They serve drumstick-sized cones of crackling chicken skin, stuffed with foie gras and cloudberry jam, which the guide dubbed a 'highlight.' 'The chef's creativity is displayed in dishes like barley risotto with enoki mushrooms, caramelized crispy fried onions, and black truffle shavings, served in a golden egg,' the guide continued. In another first for Fort Lauderdale's Heritage, an Italian-American restaurant in Flagler Village fronted by (literal) rockstar chef Rino Cerbone, picked up the region's first Bib Gourmand, Michelin lingo for eateries that feature 'great food at a great value.' Not to be outdone, West Palm Beach restaurants Aioli, chef Michael Hackman's celebrated bakery-cafe, and Palm Beach Meats, owner Eric and Meghan San Pedro's fast-casual butcher-retailer-restaurant, also picked up Bib Gourmands. Statewide, 31 Florida restaurants currently have Michelin stars, with Miami leading the state with 15, followed by nine in Orlando, five in Tampa and two Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. No restaurants lost a star this year. Below, find the full lineup of South Florida Michelin winners broken down by county. Michelin stars: Chef's Counter at MAASS, Fort Lauderdale, 1 star Bib Gourmand: Heritage Fort Lauderdale Recommended: Daniel's, A Florida Steakhouse, Fort Lauderdale Larb Thai-Isan, Fort Lauderdale Evelyn's, Fort Lauderdale Michelin stars: Konro, 1 star Bib Gourmands: Aioli, West Palm Beach Palm Beach Meats, West Palm Beach Recommended: Buccan, Palm Beach Moody Tongue Sushi, West Palm Beach Nicholson Muir Distinguished Meats, Boynton Beach Stage Kitchen & Bar, Palm Beach Gardens The Butcher's Club, Palm Beach Gardens Coolinary and The Parched Pig, Palm Beach Gardens For the full list of Michelin winners statewide, go to Phillip Valys can be reached at pvalys@ or X @philvalys.
Associated Press
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Florida keeps shining with a new Two Starred restaurant in expanded 2025 selection
ORLANDO, Fla, April 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The recently expanded MICHELIN Guide Florida selection has been revealed for 2025 and it features one new Two MICHELIN Star restaurant and four new One MICHELIN Star restaurants. The full selection was announced this evening at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at the Walt Disney World Resort. In total, 31 restaurants were awarded Stars by the anonymous Inspectors, with Sorekara in Orlando being the newest Two MICHELIN Starred restaurant. This year's selection also welcomed two new Green Stars in Miami with EntreNos and Stubborn Seed being recognized for their efforts in sustainable gastronomy. The full selection, including Bib Gourmands and recommended restaurants, totals 172 eateries spanning 39 cuisine types. 'Florida has proven to be an international culinary destination, with the expansion to three new cities and five restaurants being welcomed into the MICHELIN Star family in this year's selection,' said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. 'Our anonymous Inspectors continued to be delighted by Florida's culinary community, and we congratulate all of the chefs and restaurants being honored in this year's selection.' Here are the new MICHELIN Star restaurants, with Inspector notes from each (Inspectors' comments in full on the MICHELIN Guide website and mobile app ): Two MICHELIN Stars Sorekara (Orlando; Japanese cuisine) In a world of uniformity, Sorekara proudly forges its own path. This Baldwin Park restaurant is unlike anywhere else you've been, offering a surprising and delightful culinary journey that revels in turning expectations on their head. Chef/owner William Shen's tasting menu highlights Japan's 72 micro seasons with highly original dishes infused with a sense of whimsy (note the course designed to mimic a convenience store snack run or the 'nigiri'). Whether it's madai sporting a distinctive riff on tradition or a deeply savory bowl of kegani sourced from Hokkaido, there is an elegance and refinement threaded throughout the meal, which progresses through multiple rooms across several hours. Another hint that this is far from typical? Sorekara is open for one seating only a few nights a week. One MICHELIN Star Chef's Counter at MAASS (Fort Lauderdale; Contemporary cuisine) The Chef's Counter enjoys a prime spot inside the MAASS dining room at the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale, and this stylish perch facing the large, open kitchen offers a distinctive dining experience. Chef Ryan Ratino's tasting menu, in the hands of Chef David Brito, is a beautiful tribute to contemporary cooking with French techniques, Japanese ingredients, and a few Florida highlights. Ingredients take center stage in courses like the single seared diver scallop over a truffle puree. Designed as an upmarket riff on chicken noodle soup, it's finished with a velvety broth. A delicate bowl of koshihikari rice cooked in a donabe with maitake mushroom and a Comté foam is excellent from start to finish. Finally, kakigori with candied nuts and fresh raspberries is a delightful conclusion. Itamae Ao (Miami; Peruvian/Japanese cuisine) A restaurant within a restaurant, this 10-seat counter by Chef Nando Chang in Midtown looks to set a new standard for Nikkei cuisine in the region. Those familiar with the chef's past work in the Design District will take heart in how classic Peruvian-Japanese flavors as well as signature dishes have been reworked, reimagined and refined. Searing levels of acidity and spice figure prominently on this bold tasting menu, often in the form of leche de tigre. From lobster bisque with sweet potato gnocchi to creamy rice with Hokkaido scallops and parmesan, the cooking possesses style and substance in spades. Sourcing is a priority, with whole fish flown in from Japan, later to be broken down and occasionally strung up in dry-aging fridges along the wall. Konro (West Palm Beach; Contemporary cuisine) Chef Jacob Bickelhaupt and sommelier Nadia Bickelhaupt preside over this beautiful, and intimate, counter set within a mixed-use building in West Palm Beach. Bold cooking takes center stage here, where an affinity for rich, umami-packed dishes surprise diners. Meals begin with snacks; the foie gras mousse in a chicken-skin cone is a highlight. The chef's creativity is displayed in dishes like barley risotto with enoki mushrooms, caramelized crispy fried onions, and black truffle shavings, served in a golden egg. Binchotan grilled wagyu in a house-made soy sauce with a poached carrot dotted with celery root and brown butter purée evolves with each bite. A beautiful bowl of coconut and passion fruit sherbet with shortbread cookie crumble delivers a memorable ending. Ômo by Jônt (Orlando; Contemporary cuisine) Chef Ryan Ratino's lauded D.C. restaurant, Jônt, is more than just the inspiration for this offshoot. This Winter Park restaurant echoes that spirit and sensibility (think classic French techniques married with pristine Japanese ingredients), albeit with a few Florida touches. The space allows for discrete moments at each meal, while three tasting menus run the gamut from tightly edited and more affordable to loaded with luxury ingredients. No matter the selection, expect Chef Mike Commins' refined dishes punctuated by the seasons, as in chawanmushi with an autumnal twist of braised sweet potato, kombu, and a brown butter sauce. Scallop prepared two ways demonstrates the kitchen's deft hand while chocolate and hazelnut kakigori is an elegant tribute. MICHELIN Green Star EntreNos (Miami; Contemporary cuisine) Initiatives: locally sourced produce and land-based protein; sustainably sourced seafood; dinnerware crafted by Miami-based artisan; organic and biodynamic wine program; food waste repurposed into vinegars and sauces. Stubborn Seed (Miami; Contemporary cuisine) Initiatives: ingredients sourced from Chef Jeremy Ford's 5.5-acre farm; composting program repurposes food waste to be collected and used at the farm; initiatives to reduce carbon footprint of restaurant; partnership with Compost for Life, a community compost program in the Miami Beach area. Bib Gourmand The MICHELIN Guide Inspectors gave 36 restaurants the Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value. The full list can be found below. Florida's 2025 Bib Gourmand restaurants MICHELIN Special Awards In addition to the Bib Gourmands and Stars, the Guide announced four Special Awards: The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony is presented with the support of Capital One. Hotels The restaurants join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay in Florida and throughout the world. Each hotel in the selection has been chosen by MICHELIN Guide experts for its extraordinary style, service and personality — with options for all budgets — and each can be booked directly through the MICHELIN Guide website and app. The selection for Florida features the state's most spectacular hotels, including the only private island resort in North America, Little Palm Island Resort & Spa (three MICHELIN Keys), the iconic White Elephant PalmBeach (one MICHELIN Key), or sustainability pioneers like the Hotel Greystone (one MICHELIN Key). The MICHELIN Guide is a benchmark in gastronomy. Now it's setting a new standard for hotels. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an unforgettable hotel. Florida's 2025 MICHELIN-Starred restaurants Florida's 2025 Recommended restaurants The MICHELIN Guide in North America Michelin announced its first North American Guide in 2005 for New York. Guides have also been added in Chicago (2011); Washington, D.C. (2017); California (San Francisco in 2007, statewide 2019); Florida (Greater Miami, Orlando and Tampa in 2022, adding Greater Fort Lauderdale, The Palm Beaches and St. Pete-Clearwater in 2025,statewide in 2026); Toronto (2022); Vancouver (2022); Colorado (2023); Atlanta (2023), Mexico (2024), Texas (2024), Quebec (2024) and the American South (2025). About the MICHELIN Guide Recognized globally for excellence and quality, the MICHELIN Guide offers a selection of world-class restaurants. The MICHELIN Guide remains a reliable companion for any traveler seeking an unforgettable meal and hospitality experience. The Guide was first published in France at the turn of the 20th century to encourage the development of car mobility as well as tire sales by giving practical advice to motorists. Progressively, the Guide has specialized in restaurant and hotel recommendations. Michelin's Inspectors still use the same criteria and manner of selection that were used by the Inspectors in the very beginning. The restaurant selections join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay around the world. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an amazing hotel. Thanks to the rigorous MICHELIN Guide selection process that is applied independently and consistently in more than 50 destinations, the MICHELIN Guide has become an international benchmark in fine dining. All restaurants in the Guide are recommended by Michelin's anonymous Inspectors, who are trained to apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin Inspectors for many decades throughout the world. This ensures a uniform, international standard of excellence. As a further guarantee of complete objectivity, Michelin Inspectors pay all their bills in full, and only the quality of the cuisine is evaluated. To fully assess the quality of a restaurant, the Inspectors apply five criteria defined by Michelin: product quality; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of flavors; the personality of the chef as reflected in the cuisine; and consistency over time and across the entire menu. These criteria guarantee a consistent and fair selection so a Starred restaurant has the same value regardless of whether it is in Paris, New York or anywhere else in the world. About Michelin North America, Inc. Michelin is building a world-leading manufacturer of life-changing composites and experiences. Pioneering engineered materials for more than 130 years, Michelin is uniquely positioned to make decisive contributions to human progress and to a more sustainable world. Drawing on its deep know-how in polymer composites, Michelin is constantly innovating to manufacture high- quality tires and components for critical applications in demanding fields as varied as mobility, construction, aeronautics, low-carbon energies and healthcare. The care placed in its products and deep customer knowledge inspire Michelin to offer the finest experiences. This spans from providing data- and AI-based connected solutions for professional fleets to recommending outstanding restaurants and hotels curated by the MICHELIN Guide. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America, Inc. has approximately 23,500 employees and operates 36 production facilities in the United States ( and Canada ( About Capital One At Capital One we're on a mission for our customers – bringing them best-in-class products, rewards, service, and experiences. Capital One is a diversified bank that offers products and services to individuals, small businesses and commercial clients. We use technology, innovation, and interaction to provide consumers with products and services to meet their needs. Through Capital One Dining and Capital One Entertainment, we provide our rewards cardholders with access to unforgettable experiences in the areas they're passionate about, including dining, music and sports. Learn more at and Name: Carly Grieff Email: [email protected] Job Title: Public Relations Manager
Miami Herald
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach restaurants earn Michelin stars for the first time
For the first time, restaurants in Broward and Palm Beach counties have earned Michelin stars. The Michelin Guide, which reviews and rates restaurants from around the world, announced in February that it was adding three more Florida cities to its guide this year: Fort Lauderdale, the Palm Beaches and St. Petersburg-Clearwater. It appears Fort Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches were ready for it. Chef's Counter at MAASS in Fort Lauderdale and Konro in West Palm Beach were announced as additions to the 2025 Michelin Guide at a ceremony Thursday at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at the Walt Disney World Resort. Both restaurants serve contemporary cuisine. Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, praised the growth of Florida's restaurant industry. 'Florida has proven to be an international culinary destination, with the expansion to three new cities and five restaurants being welcomed into the Michelin star family in this year's selection,' he said in a statement. 'Our anonymous inspectors continued to be delighted by Florida's culinary community.' MAASS, which is located in the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences, offers 'a distinctive dining experience,' according to the internationally famous guide. 'Chef Ryan Ratino's tasting menu, in the hands of Chef David Brito, is a beautiful tribute to contemporary cooking with French techniques, Japanese ingredients and a few Florida highlights. Ingredients take center stage in courses like the single seared diver scallop over a truffle puree.' The guide went on to praise the restaurant's 'upmarket' riff on chicken noodle soup and koshihikari rice cooked in a Japanese clay pot with maitake mushroom and topped with Comte foam. Konro, helmed by Chef Jacob Bickelhaupt and his wife and sommelier Nadia Bickelhaupt, also makes use of the counter concept. 'Bold cooking takes center stage here, where an affinity for rich, umami-packed dishes surprises diners,' according to the guide. 'Meals begin with snacks; the foie gras mousse in a chicken-skin cone is a highlight. The chef's creativity is displayed in dishes like barley risotto with enoki mushrooms, caramelized crispy fried onions and black truffle shavings, served with a golden egg.' The guide also praises Konro's Binchotan grilled wagyu. Other newly starred restaurants in Florida No restaurants from the other newcomer to the guide, Clearwater/St Petersburg, earned stars this year, and neither did Tampa. But another South Florida spot did: Itamae Ao, a Nikkei-style Peruvian-Japanese spot in Miami, earned its first Michelin star. Chef Nando Chang is also a nominee for a 2025 James Beard Award in the Best Chef: South category. Two Orlando restaurants earned stars, too. Sorekara Japanese restaurant became Florida's second spot to earn two stars (the first is L'Atelier du Joël Robuchon, which got its stars in 2022). Ryan Ratino of MAASS, who earned two stars for his restaurant Jônt in Washington, D.C., also earned a star for Ômo by Jônt in Winter Park. Talk about a good year. In the 2025 Michelin guide, 31 Florida restaurants have stars. Miami leads the state with 15, while Orlando has nine. Tampa has earned five, and Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach have one apiece. No restaurants in the state lost a star. Other Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach honors Fort Lauderdale also gained its first ever Bib Gourmand, a designation for restaurants that serve great food at a great value: Heritage, from chef/owner Rino Cerbone. The restaurant is known for pizza and pastas. There were a couple of Palm Beach restaurants added to the Bib Gourmand list, too: aioli and Palm Beach Meats, both from West Palm Beach. Four Orlando restaurants were added, too: Banh Mi Boy, Coro, Smokemade Meats + Eats and UniGirl. Florida has 36 Bib Gourmand-designated restaurants. The two newly added areas also saw several local restaurants added to Michelin's Recommended lists. The Fort Lauderdale Recommended restaurants are Daniel's, A Florida Steakhouse; the Mediterranean spot Evelyn's at the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences; and Larb Thai-Isan. In Palm Beach County, the following were added to the list of Recommended spots: Nicholson Muir Distinguished Meats in Boynton Beach; Buccan, known for American cuisine in Palm Beach; The Butcher's Club at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens and Coolinary and the Parched Pig, also in Palm Beach Gardens; and Moody Tongue Sushi and Stage Kitchen & Bar in West Palm Beach.
