April 6, 2025 • 34 mins
Delving into the world of the MICHELIN Guide ahead of the April 17th ceremony in Orlando, Florida, this episode offers expert predictions based on my perspective after accumulating 317 Michelin stars from dining at restaurants worldwide.
• Breaking down Michelin's rating system and what "very good in its category" truly means
• Analyzing differences between US and European Michelin standards
• Predicting potential stars for newcomers Itamae, Kojin, and Recoveco
• Spotlighting Ômo by Jônt in Orlando as Florida's best tasting menu and worthy of two stars
• Discussing how Fort Lauderdale, St. Pete, and Palm Beach will fare in their Michelin debut
• Examining common Michelin misconceptions, including why "Michelin-starred chef" isn't a real term
• Evaluating which current stars might lose their status and which Bib Gourmands could be promoted
• Highlighting notable omissions from this year's additions list
Tune in for the follow-up episode after the April 17th ceremony for reaction and analysis of the results.
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Brenda
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brenda Popritkin (00:08):
Welcome to the Michelin Guide Perspective and
Predictions episode, along-awaited episode.
Today, I will do a deep diveinto the world of the Michelin
Guide, specifically when itcomes to Florida and the
upcoming ceremony on April 17thin Orlando, florida as I see it.
Thank you so much for trustingme year after year and for your
support.
If you're new around here,hello, my name is Brenda and I
(00:30):
am the owner and editor of theWhet Palette, writer for the
blog, host of this podcast andcreator to all corresponding
social media accounts, which isa lot.
Who am I exactly?
Well, the short answer is I ama Michelin and Miami dining
enthusiast.
My perspective comes from themany Michelin restaurants I have
dined in the US and abroad.
(00:51):
Spoiler alert, that totals now317 stars and that's a whole lot
of miles and calories.
That count includes 11 of the14 US three-starred locations.
It does not make me an expert,but I do have a lot of
perspective when it comes tocomparing other cities to Miami.
I use the Michelin Guide asjust that a guide, and so,
(01:14):
should you People take it waytoo serious, it's a great
starting point when planning agastronomic trip.
I enjoy the journey, even whendisagreeing sometimes with the
guide selections.
It happens more often than not.
Following the guide has led meto exceptional meals of a
lifetime that were worth thatspecial journey.
And forgive my notes for thoseof you watching, I have 31 pages
(01:37):
of things I need to discussBefore diving in.
I want to provide more historyfor those who are new to the
Michelin Guide and to the whetpalette Since 2014,.
Way before launching thispodcast, I closely always looked
at the city's potential if wewere to ever have a guide, and
every couple of years I wrote anarticle about the Michelin
(01:58):
Guide Miami and studied ourpotential for one.
I always had faith it wouldhappen in Miami, so I was not
surprised at all when it wasconfirmed that it would launch
here, and you can find all ofthose articles on my website,
thewhetpalettecom.
If you want more Michelincoverage in podcast form,
episodes 3, 13, 26, 29, 44, and45 will offer more detailed,
(02:22):
deep, geeky dives into thistopic.
There you will find more scoopinto the Michelin Guide, facts
and tidbits you might not knowand that I will not be covering
again today.
The episode's already long asit is, or it's going to be long.
I have covered all threeFlorida ceremonies so far 22, 23
, and 24.
(02:42):
This year, the Michelin Guideheads to Orlando on April 17th.
It seems to be a complicatedand unpredictable year For one.
As I predicted before, thiswill be the first year that the
guide includes Fort Lauderdale,st Pete and Palm Beach.
Next year, the Michelin Guidehas also announced that it will
finally do the entire state ofFlorida.
(03:03):
That should be fun.
Also announced that it willfinally do the entire state of
Florida.
That should be fun.
Some disclaimers before I begin.
It should be apparent I keep itvery real.
Sometimes that means I'm notthe most PC person.
Owning a blog for the past 12years and this podcast in its
fourth season, which is allabout my dining experiences,
(03:24):
chosen and paid for by me, meansI can steer my content as I
please without owing anyoneanything freedom to just be.
It's refreshing.
Although I analyze the MichelinGuide and their choices, I am
NOT affiliated with them in anyway.
I also do not have all theanswers other than quotes I will
share directly from theMichelin Guide website and facts
(03:44):
I have researched.
Everything I will discuss is myopinion based on my experience
dining at Michelin-starredrestaurants throughout the US
and Europe.
The last thing is this Justbecause I say a place doesn't or
shouldn't have a star, or it'slisted or should be listed in
the guide doesn't mean I don'tlike the restaurant.
It simply means what I saidthat I don't think it should be
listed in the guide doesn't meanI don't like the restaurant.
(04:05):
It simply means what I saidthat I don't think it should be
in the guide anymore, or there'sprobably a reason for that.
Maybe I don't think it fits thecategory any longer, for
example, or it has lost itsspark.
It happens.
It might be that the placestill it's something I still
love, but for Michelin purposesit might not be a suitable fit
any longer.
There's no vendetta or hiddenreason behind any of it.
(04:27):
Okay, I don't have time forthat.
I am pretty transparent when itcomes to my opinions.
I always have been love it orhate it.
This is me.
This is why it's important thatI pay my bill when I try a new
restaurant and not becomeinfluenced otherwise to go off
hype of a media, the hype of amedia dine, for example.
Okay, let's begin.
The ratings explained Can'tstart without understanding what
(04:51):
the ratings are.
The Michelin Guide statesrestaurants may receive zero to
three stars for the quality ofthe food, based on quality of
the ingredients used, mastery ofthe flavor and cooking
techniques, the personality ofthe chef in his cuisine, value
for money and consistencybetween visits.
Keyword consistency One Star isa very good restaurant in its
(05:15):
category.
This, in particular, isimportant to note for this
episode and I always, alwaystalk about this.
The US and Europe vary greatlywhen it comes to what one star
looks like and, as I say everyyear, the US one stars are the
wild, wild west and anythinggoes.
It's primarily different inEurope, but the phrase in its
(05:37):
category is all we need to know.
It would help if Michelin woulddisclose what categories those
are, but they don't.
However, in Miami, for example,Boia De and Tambourine Room are
not in the same category, butthey both have a star In
Michelin's terms.
They combine many differenttypes of restaurants and award
them within their mysteriouscategories.
(05:59):
Something else that isimportant to note is that even
within each star, there's muchwiggle room, so there's space to
move.
It's invisible, but some are atthe bottom of that star, with a
few that are almost straddlingthe line between a one star and
a two, yet at the end of the day, they are both the one star.
So remember, within itscategory.
(06:22):
It's that little key phrasethat they add.
Two stars excellent cooking andworth a detour.
Three stars exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.
A bib gourmand is great qualitycooking at a great price and
that price used to be, I think,specified at like $49, I think,
(06:43):
and it hasn't really beenupdated that I know of, and I
don't really think theydiscussed that.
The twos and threes in the USare very uniform in style.
You can almost chart out thesimilarities, which is
interesting, right?
I think it's because of thatthat a lot of chefs try to
imitate what they thinkinspectors want and they mold
their restaurants after thosepatterns.
(07:04):
Sometimes, I have to say thatit works and sometimes it does
not.
The Michelin Guide also givesout some special awards.
We do have some of these inFlorida, but not all of them yet
.
The Green Star Restaurantsidentify restaurants at the
forefront of the industry whenit comes to their practices
regarding sustainable gastronomy, which they awarded to Los
(07:24):
Felix and Krus last ceremony.
But not Stubborn Seed, which isFord's Farm, and not Ghee,
which is Rancho Patel, for somereason, and I will talk about
that again in a little bit.
Also, chef Mentor, young ChefService Award, sommelier Award,
exceptional Cocktail and PastryChef Award.
(07:46):
We might see some of those thisyear, finally.
So let's start with basicquestions.
Based on the current list, do Ithink Michelin will rank anyone
up?
No, should they?
Yes, considering that this isthe Florida guide within that US
bubble that I discussed, I wentthrough the list of the 31 bibs
to see if any could or shouldbe bumped up to one star.
(08:09):
Based on that, a lot of thesewon't come as a surprise if you
have been following me for awhile.
But Zitz Sum would be a greatcandidate to move up from a bib
to a star.
I can't think of a restaurantthat has been working any harder
pre, during and post MichelinGuide.
It's more about just being theguide at Zitz.
(08:30):
It's just what they do.
They always keep moving andinnovating.
And in Michelin's own wordsabout Zitz Sum, from their
online point of view, they saythe cooking is original and
gutsy and makes delicious sense.
Well then, it makes sense tomove them up, doesn't it?
I also said this before, but Iwould still bump up Brasserie
(08:51):
Laurel, who is currentlyrecommended.
These are all recommended, LaMar and Fiola from recommended
to one star from the list of theMichelin recommended
restaurants.
Without a star or a bib.
It does not make sense to methat those restaurants are just
recommended.
These all have successfultasting menus.
They have worked tirelessly andconsistently to provide
(09:14):
beautiful experiences overall.
La Mar even debuted Amano byOka, which is a new tasting menu
experience there, food that ismemorable and well-executed.
They have also been consistentfor years in Miami years and in
Miami math, if you don't know,one year equals at least three
regular years.
They are all well thought outand executed.
(09:36):
Concepts with cool vibes,excellent service and delicious
food, distinguished for sure.
I would also rank upMacchialina to a bib.
Right now they remain in limboon the recommended list of what
Michelin now calls good cookingunder the bib.
But somehow Lucali does qualifyas a bib, but Macchialina
doesn't.
(09:56):
I'm not sure I understand that.
One and this is where a lot ofcriticism comes in, not just me,
it's something I hear all thetime Ranking from one to a two
or two to a three.
Will Michelin rank a restaurantfrom one to a two?
Maybe Should they?
(10:17):
Yes, maybe my answer on thischanged this year.
Why Remember when I talkedabout stars having some sort of
an invisible wiggle room earlier?
I actually think Ogawa iscurrently straddling the line
between one and two.
Is it too soon to upgrade them,perhaps, but they are headed in
(10:39):
that direction for sure.
So is the new addition, omo,which I will discuss in a bit.
That's it, though, just thosetwo.
So I think Ogawa is headed thatway.
I don't know if they might wantto upgrade them this year as
well with Omo, or if they mightjust want to do Omo and finally
introduce a new two-star to ourlist.
(11:01):
What have I found common in theUS?
Two stars that we lack in SouthFlorida, although it is
improving greatly.
Service, although the MichelinGuide states that they only rate
the food, the pattern exists.
Sorry, not sorry, it's there.
There's no casual service at atwo or three star ever Ever.
(11:24):
The restaurant can be casual,but the service always remains
proper, not formal, but properand highly performative.
You can never see the staffsweat.
It's almost like an actingclass.
They always keep character.
They always communicate witheach other as a team, using hand
signals, head nods and tricks,so that the guests usually never
(11:47):
hear the things that are beingsaid.
Someone is cold?
Oops, a Pashmina just magicallyappears.
You want sparkling water?
How did the person pouringappear within seconds and know
to pour without hearing it?
The magic of service.
Also, most restaurants researchwho is dining and keep notes
for guests when they return.
(12:09):
And those are some of thesimilarities.
Of course there are exceptions,like Momofuku Ko in New York,
which closed a couple of yearsago, by the way.
They were casual overall in allaspects but held on to a two
stars for a very long time.
But I am discussing thesimilarities of the twos I have
experienced and because of that,I don't see anyone else in
Miami moving up to a two andcertainly not a three.
(12:30):
We don't have a candidate for athree yet.
Robuchon, la Tellier deRobuchon is our only two-star
right now and I don't foreseethem being moved up to a three.
They have been consistent withevery one of my visits, except
maybe one time.
I've been a lot, so there'sthat, but they're not likely to
(12:50):
go up to a three.
But they are not like any threein the US.
I love them, but I don't seethem moving up.
I see all of the current oneskeeping their stars Ariete,
Stubborn, Seed, Cote, Shingo,EntreNos, Tambourine and The
Surf Club.
Do I think any restaurant willlose a star?
(13:10):
No, do I think any restaurantshould lose a star?
Yes, maybe.
Perhaps.
I want to point outspecifically, especially this
year again, that just because Isay a restaurant could or should
be downgraded, it doesn't meanI despise them or I don't like
their food.
There's also a differencebetween what I think will happen
and what I think should happen.
(13:31):
I had the blessing ofexperiencing one in three stars
in Italy and Spain recently, andwhile the ones there could
easily be United States twos.
When I'm discussing restaurantshere, I'm thinking of an
established pattern set forth bythe Michelin Guide in the US,
specifically in Miami.
Whether they know that they'redoing a pattern or not, they
probably do, but not Milan, notSan Sebastian.
(13:54):
You just cannot deny thepattern.
There's a pattern, it's not anopinion, it's a fact and,
regardless of what is said, itjust does not compare to Europe.
I know they aim to, but Miamiright now does not compare to
Europe.
Now that there are morerestaurants listed and we are
going into the fourth season, Iwould not be surprised if some
restaurants are downgraded torecommended, but I don't really
(14:16):
think Michelin will drop any ofthem.
One of the biggest criticisms ofthe guide that I hear all the
time is just how all over theplace they are.
In the past you never saw ultracasual establishment in
establishments in the one starcategory.
I have failed to find any inSpain and Italy so far, and I
already said how some of theEurope ones could easily be two
(14:38):
stars in the US.
So it is what it is.
When you consider that one, theguide has made it a point to
add even barbecue spots in Texasand a taco stand in Mexico as a
star, then you know anythinggoes but two.
I also remember the phrase Imentioned earlier in its
category right.
So I suppose the taco stand isin its category and so are the
(14:59):
barbecue joints.
Boia De Le Jardiniere and LosFelix and probably El Cielo seem
to stand out to me and many asthe current most controversial
restaurants on the list.
For the most part I think therest are well accepted as one
stars, but those are the onesthat always come up in
conversation.
I have talked about Los Felixplenty before.
(15:21):
For starters, last year theMichelin Guide tripled down on
Los Felix by awarding them agreen star, and have spoken to
part of the team there and Ihave to say I appreciate their
candor and willingness to speakto me after I have been harsh on
them in the past when referringto the star.
They do seem to be superdedicated to the restaurants,
the way they source and specialattention to what is on the
(15:44):
plate.
I don't think the food isterrible at all.
I just don't think it's pricedaccordingly and at the level
that I perceive to be Michelinlevel, everything with them is
about the amount and variety ofcorn sourced.
It seems like that one part oftheir operation is particularly
impressive to Michelin.
The guide finally updated theirdescription of them, citing
(16:06):
anyone can throw together a fishtaco, but few are willing to
source grouper from Key West.
That's a lot to unpack.
Miami has come a long way.
We have many restaurantssourcing local seafood and
preparing it creatively.
Also, los felix has never saidthat they're a mexican
restaurant, which is how theguide has categorized them.
(16:26):
I mean, I understand if you'rethem not arguing the point with
the guy, just let it be.
But interestingly enough, theyare more than that, given their
very global approach andinspiration.
Mexican inspired, sure, but notMexican.
For Boia De, it's a tough onefor me to judge.
I do love the food there but asmuch as I still go and will
(16:48):
still go, I feel like it hasbeen coasting for a bit and
going off that initialexcitement of when it opened.
Miami also just has so manyoptions nowadays.
I do feel like it does notstand out as much as it once did
, and that's hard for me to say.
In the past I have talked aboutremoving El Cielo after a
mediocre experience I had in2018.
(17:08):
I haven't made my way back toEl Cielo yet.
I just can't bring myself topain that much on 2018.
I haven't made my way back toEl Cielo yet.
I just can't bring myself topain that much on a place I
didn't love the first time.
It's a tough pill to swallow togo see if they improved.
I am still waiting to receivefavorable feedback from anyone
visiting, so I remaindiscouraged from returning.
So if you're that diner who hasgone and loved it, let me know.
(17:31):
All I see is hype videos ofguests washing their hands with
chocolate, which I did.
I don't care to do it again andI have nothing to go on.
I just I don't want to dish out$600 for that experiment again
and again to wash my hands withchocolate.
Le Jardiniere is one whose foodI do enjoy, but I feel like
they haven't been consistent fora while, with a lot of kitchen
(17:53):
changes, and the menu is verylimited.
Michelin's new additions thisone should be interesting, so
let's discuss.
You have Kojin, Recoveco,Sunny's Vice Versa Sereia, Torno
Subito, Cotoa, Itamae AO, Palmaand Grand Central.
(18:14):
First, the facts Of last year'seight additions three got stars
Shingo, ogawa and Entrenos.
Of the eight additions in 2023,one got a star, which was
Tambourine Room.
This year, as of this recording, there are 10 new additions.
They have not yet posted ateaser addition list for Broward
, palm Beach and St Pete.
(18:35):
If they do, I might post awritten addendum on my blog of
my thoughts, because I can't goback to record this.
So how will that translate?
This year?
I would venture to say that,given so many other cities that
are being added and honored,this should be a year of low
stars for Miami.
But we do have three strongcontenders Itamai, cochin and
Recoveco and I'm not just sayingthat because I love them.
(18:59):
I mean I actually love all theadditions on the list except
Torno Subito.
More on that in a sec.
The only thing holding me backfrom being 100% certain that
they will get a star, that theywould get a star is that they
haven't been open for that longto be considered consistent,
which is usually a big quality.
Michelin goes for, as theyshould, if anything.
Itamai has been longer, openlonger and delivering their menu
(19:21):
on a pretty steady rhythm,while Kojin, although a 2.0
version, has starting fromscratch in a way, since it's a
new location, new, significantlylarger kitchen and new menu
items.
That said, the pattern herewith Michelin is wild.
They have given stars to placesthat have been open for mere
months before, like Entrenos,which was and still is a pop-up.
(19:44):
And all three of these arehomegrown concepts like Entrenos
, and that is something they dohave going for them.
Recoveco is another I would loveto see recognized.
The team is a breath of freshair, delivering modern and
elegant food, not holding to anystyle.
In particular and on purpose,they truly are basing it on
what's seasonal, but Chefs Tereand Nico's precision in
(20:07):
everything they do is incredibleto watch.
The plate might look simple,plated in the neatest way
possible, not a grain or anounce out of place.
Then you take a bite and wonderhow the hell they pack so much
flavor into that single bite.
Absolutely smitten with Recoeco, obviously.
So we shall see.
These are not in the bibpricing, which is also kind of a
(20:29):
blur.
It used to be, like I said,around $49, but I'm not sure
what that is nowadays.
Still, a bib is supposed to begreat quality cooking at a great
price, and these three are notin that bib range at all.
Palma, from the beginning,reminded me a lot of Entrenos.
I have visited three times andloved each one For a star.
(20:51):
I'm a little torn.
Do I love it?
Yes, as I said, but have alwayssaid that I thought from
tasting the food that I couldtell there's great skill has
gone into each dish and hispalate is there.
But I do feel like Chef JuanCamilo is holding back for some
reason, and I get it.
Miami is a tough animal andtasting menus can be
intimidating for some diners.
(21:11):
I feel like he can showcasemore creative dishes.
I mean, maybe I just want moreof his food too.
The portions are on the smallerside, which never bothers me.
That's pretty typical oftasting menus.
But all of that combined Ialways leave feeling like he has
more to give.
A couple of others on theaddition list, not on the bib
category, are Torno Subito andSereia.
(21:34):
Now I often talk about theMichelin Guide lineage and how
some restaurants I feel arefast-tracked to a star if the
chef has worked in a kitchenthat has earned a star before.
That's certainly true of LosFelix, entenos and even Boia De.
Both Torno and Sereia fall intothat category that I have come
up with.
Torno is Massimo Bottura's morecasual concept, one of them.
(21:58):
Anyway, I don't think it'sworth a star.
Will the Michelin Guide honorit the same they did in Dubai?
Should they?
I'm really against it.
I think the restaurant was allover the place when I went,
menu-wise, nothing was memorableto me.
So a star there just goes toone of those Michelin lineage
thing that does seem to matterto the guide.
(22:19):
So I guess we shall see.
Sereia is a little more complexto crack.
While Chef Henrique Sa Pessoahas a couple of stars in Spain,
his team is led here by localMiguel Macens, who has a rich
background, also working instart kitchens, talking giants
like the French Laundry, so theyknow what they're doing there.
(22:39):
Every dinner there has beenexceptional.
For me, when it comes down toconsistency again, every
experience there has beendifferent.
Every dinner there has beenexceptional.
So for me it comes down toconsistency.
Again, every experience therehas been different, each one.
For me it comes down toconsistency again, every
experience there has beendifferent, each one better than
the last, but it hasn't beensteady yet and that holds me
back.
I see it as Michelin rewardingthe smaller, homegrown concepts
(23:03):
over the large operations.
No-transcript Grand Centralthis one just mysteriously
closed, which is unfortunately.
It's a tiny place I think wouldhave benefited from just being
recognized and included in theguide.
I'm not sure what is going onthere and I hope they can make
it back.
Cotoa, I absolutely loved whenI went to the food Ecuadorian is
(23:28):
bright, colorful, beautiful anddelicious.
But they're located in a foodstall and this is a strong bib
contender, I think.
Then we have Sunny's and ViceVersa, two incredible spots.
I will go on a weekly basis ifI could.
I don't think these are in thestar category at all, so
possibly recommendations andvice versa with a possible bib
(23:50):
because of pricing.
Then we have Omo by Jont, whichis in Orlando, but I need to
talk about it because I think itshould be the next star, next
two star in Florida, two starsnext to Miami's existing
Robuchon.
Jont has two stars in DC, butreally on the verge of three
again that wiggle room, andessentially it's the same
(24:10):
restaurant, but in Orlando Omois Florida's best tasting menu
as far as I'm concerned, rightnow, hands down no questions
asked.
They host only 16 diners.
Nightly dinners last almost fourhours and takes place within
three gorgeous spaces.
Guests are welcome to a livingroom where they enjoy snacks and
opening sips.
(24:31):
Then they visit the main diningroom counter, overlooking the
kitchen.
The food is deeply inspired byJapanese cuisine with global
touches by a team that joyfullycolors outside the lines and
bends the rules in the very bestways.
The playlist is an unexpectedfun mix of classic hip-hop beats
.
Dinner ends in the pastryparlor to indulge in a selection
(24:53):
of decadent desserts.
Service remains professionaland the attention to detail is
impeccable.
Both Omo and Jont are by thesame hospitality group that also
brings us Maass in FortLauderdale, which is the only
restaurant I see getting a starthere, and we haven't discussed
the other counties yet, but Iwill shortly.
Omo just even made the finalslist yesterday as the best new
(25:14):
restaurant for the James BeardAwards.
The sentiment across the boardis that these two are crystal
clear frontrunners, omo andMaass.
One glaring omission to theadditions is Elastika.
Shocked, actually.
Elastika is an opening I havebeen super excited about.
Chef Joe Anthony grew up inSouth Florida.
(25:35):
He spent the last 15 years inNew York City working at Daniel
the Modern and Gabriel Kreuther.
You know no big deal.
Anthony and his sous chefs havefunctional nutrition
certifications.
The menu is kept as clean aspossible while keeping it
interesting and creative.
The flours and the overallingredients used are meant to be
(25:55):
anti-inflammatory, easilydigested and good for you.
The breads are homemade withorganic einkorn flour and
heirloom grain with lower levelsof gluten.
Also, there are no heavy grainsor GMOs used.
But again, his cooking iselevated and the experience at
the gorgeous location isincredible.
I'm not sure what happenedthere and why it was skipped,
(26:18):
but they are so deserving andare bringing something very
different to South Florida, andI mean we still have a little
bit left.
Maybe they'll be at it, I don'tknow.
Fort Lauderdale, as I started toexplain, Maass is similar to
Omo when it comes to the chef'scounter, but it's still in a
hotel, so they offer tableservice a la carte, making it a
larger operation.
(26:39):
It would not make sense toreward Moss and Omo with one
star because they're not thesame Again, that wiggle room.
But the Omo experience offersmore and, given that John has
two stars in DC, omo should 100%be the next two in Florida and
then Maass at a one.
I'm not holding my breath formany other restaurants and for a
(27:00):
lot of deal to get a star.
I'm sorry, I just don't see it.
The longtime staples there areOK, but don't think qualify as
stars.
They might be a story.
This might be a story of a lotof recommended and bibbs, fort
Lauderdale and Palm Beach.
There are rumors of Daniel's,evelyn's and Heritage in Fort
Lauderdale Certainly restaurantseven I would recommend, but not
(27:23):
places that scream star to me.
Daniel's is by Chef DanielGattam of Fiola, who happens to
be very experienced in Michelinkitchens.
The menu has plenty of elevatedcourses, like the foie gras
creme brulee appetizer that Ilove.
It's beautiful.
It's a beautifulFlorida-centric restaurant
focusing on sourcing from theFlorida Keys and all the way up
(27:44):
to North Florida for their steak, for their cattle.
This could be even a green starat some point.
Does Michelin award stars tosteakhouses?
I'm not sure about that, and ifany of them would have one,
this would have a strong chance.
Will there be a wild card here?
I mean, the guide does love tothrow some curveballs that keep
(28:08):
us all arguing over it and medoing podcasts about it.
So I would never say no, but Idon't see it in Palm Beach.
Moving more north to Palm Beach,I see Conroe as the only
standout there.
Conroe is by chef JacobBicklehopped, formerly of 42
grams fame, who received twostars at the time.
If you haven't watched hisdocumentary you should that one
(28:29):
which caught 42 grams and then86, which is the last one that
followed after that.
Interesting history there andworth a watch.
Conroe is an incredible counterexperience and I absolutely
adore the experience there andI'm very excited for them.
There's bucon, which willprobably be recommended, and
(28:50):
stosh, which is a strong bib.
Cool culinary I haven't been to.
And nicholson muir I've heardrumblings about, I don't know.
Sorry, I can't help there.
I have not dined in, butresearching them I just I don't
see it.
Of course there's butcher'sclub, which is by jeremy ford,
again an upscale, upscalesteakhouse boasting a lot of
(29:10):
similar apps.
You see at his one michelin stardown in south beach.
Does it translate to a star forpalm beach though?
And again, that wholesteakhouse thing I'm not sure
the michelin guide is into.
I am extremely surprised to noteven see a recognition, uh, for
the catherine by chef tim andbaloo.
Going back to for lauderdale,His menu is a global mashup of
(29:33):
his experiences, and some of myfavorite courses there are from
his time at his namesakerestaurant, baloo, when it was
down in Miami.
Locally, that brings muchflavor to the Fort Lauderdale
area and it's, I think, adefinite oversight by the guide,
unless, of course, it's addedduring the next couple of weeks.
Like I said, we still have someweeks before the ceremony.
(29:54):
To summarize, I think Itami,kojin and Recoveco have the
strongest chances at a Michelinstar, especially Itami.
There's plenty of room for acouple of shockers from Michelin
.
Would it be a Michelin guidewithout some controversy?
So Omo for a two-star inOrlando, moss for a one-star and
(30:14):
for Lauderdale, conroe as aone-star in Palm Beach.
Green Stars would love to seeFord's Farm recognized and
Rancho Patel recognized.
The ceremony will take place inOrlando on April 17th.
I don't know if they will do alive video on YouTube like they
did last year, but you can signup for alerts on their channel
and Facebook account as of thisrecording.
(30:36):
They have not announced it onFacebook yet, though.
While we wait for the reveal,let's end with a look at some
fundamental Michelin guidelinesand facts that many aren't
familiar with or choose tooverlook.
Looking at you, miami.
If you listen to anythingclosely, this is it.
I have written and talked aboutthis before, but in case you
(30:57):
missed it, here it is again.
In the United States, theMichelin Guide is only published
in California, new York City,in Westchester County, chicago,
colorado, florida, georgia,texas and Washington DC.
Only restaurants in these areascan authentically claim to have
a starred restaurant.
The Michelin Guide justannounced a new South category
named the American South.
(31:18):
It will be bunched.
It will bunch together theexisting Atlanta guide and then
it will add Mississippi,tennessee, north South Carolina,
louisiana and Alabama.
Restaurants may receive zero tothree stars for the quality of
their food, based on fivecriteria.
I talked about this in thebeginning quality of the
ingredients used, mastery offlavor, cooking techniques, the
(31:40):
personality of the chef and hiscuisine, value for money and
consistency between visits.
Restaurant inspectors do notlook at the interior decor,
table setting or service qualitywhen awarding stars.
These are instead indicated bythe number of covers it receives
, represented by the fork andspoon symbol.
The cover symbol is for comfortand quality, and it ranges from
(32:02):
quite comfortable to luxury inthe traditional style.
That said, the online versionof the guide doesn't list the
covers.
I'm not sure why not.
There are guides in Europe thatare still printed and those do
have the covers.
There's no such thing as aMichelin-starred chef.
There is no such thing as aMichelin-starred chef Got it.
(32:25):
Having worked in aMichelin-starred restaurant or
even owning a string ofthree-starred establishment
doesn't make one aMichelin-starred chef, because
the term doesn't technicallyexist.
The Michelin Guide awards starsto restaurants based on the
quality of the food they serveand not to individuals.
Meals are often the collectiveeffort of an entire team and not
(32:48):
one man or woman alone.
Chefs can't take off with thestars, nor do the stars transfer
to another restaurant owned bythe same chef.
So if a chef who runs aMichelin star restaurant in
Spain opens a restaurant inItaly, it does not automatically
transfer or make it a Michelinstar restaurant.
Chefs can't technically return astar.
(33:10):
They can disagree, tantrum andannounce to the world that
they're returning a star.
But if the Michel tantrum andannounce to the world that
they're returning a star, but ifthe Michelin Guide wants you in
it, they keep you in it.
It's fully up to them not togive you a star the following
year.
It's not up to the chef.
End of story.
The Michelin Guide isn't onlyabout fine dining as established
and fancy restaurants.
Globally, stars have beenawarded to a wide spectrum of
(33:31):
restaurants made it this far.
Congratulations.
You truly are, miami andmichelin obsessed like me.
Thank you so much for tuning in.
Please take a second to ratethe podcast on apple or spotify,
if that's where you listen.
It helps local podcasts likemine break through the almighty
algorithm.
Okay, that's it for today.
Enjoy this series of michelinpodcast episodes and blog
(33:54):
articles from my passionateMiami palette, the wet palette.
I will be back with a follow upepisode once the results are in
.
Until then, ciao you.
Welcome to the Michelin Guide Perspective and
Predictions episode, along-awaited episode.
Today, I will do a deep diveinto the world of the Michelin
Guide, specifically when itcomes to Florida and the
upcoming ceremony on April 17thin Orlando, florida as I see it.
Thank you so much for trustingme year after year and for your
support.
If you're new around here,hello, my name is Brenda and I
(00:30):
am the owner and editor of theWhet Palette, writer for the
blog, host of this podcast andcreator to all corresponding
social media accounts, which isa lot.
Who am I exactly?
Well, the short answer is I ama Michelin and Miami dining
enthusiast.
My perspective comes from themany Michelin restaurants I have
dined in the US and abroad.
(00:51):
Spoiler alert, that totals now317 stars and that's a whole lot
of miles and calories.
That count includes 11 of the14 US three-starred locations.
It does not make me an expert,but I do have a lot of
perspective when it comes tocomparing other cities to Miami.
I use the Michelin Guide asjust that a guide, and so,
(01:14):
should you People take it waytoo serious, it's a great
starting point when planning agastronomic trip.
I enjoy the journey, even whendisagreeing sometimes with the
guide selections.
It happens more often than not.
Following the guide has led meto exceptional meals of a
lifetime that were worth thatspecial journey.
And forgive my notes for thoseof you watching, I have 31 pages
(01:37):
of things I need to discussBefore diving in.
I want to provide more historyfor those who are new to the
Michelin Guide and to the whetpalette Since 2014,.
Way before launching thispodcast, I closely always looked
at the city's potential if wewere to ever have a guide, and
every couple of years I wrote anarticle about the Michelin
(01:58):
Guide Miami and studied ourpotential for one.
I always had faith it wouldhappen in Miami, so I was not
surprised at all when it wasconfirmed that it would launch
here, and you can find all ofthose articles on my website,
thewhetpalettecom.
If you want more Michelincoverage in podcast form,
episodes 3, 13, 26, 29, 44, and45 will offer more detailed,
(02:22):
deep, geeky dives into thistopic.
There you will find more scoopinto the Michelin Guide, facts
and tidbits you might not knowand that I will not be covering
again today.
The episode's already long asit is, or it's going to be long.
I have covered all threeFlorida ceremonies so far 22, 23
, and 24.
(02:42):
This year, the Michelin Guideheads to Orlando on April 17th.
It seems to be a complicatedand unpredictable year For one.
As I predicted before, thiswill be the first year that the
guide includes Fort Lauderdale,st Pete and Palm Beach.
Next year, the Michelin Guidehas also announced that it will
finally do the entire state ofFlorida.
(03:03):
That should be fun.
Also announced that it willfinally do the entire state of
Florida.
That should be fun.
Some disclaimers before I begin.
It should be apparent I keep itvery real.
Sometimes that means I'm notthe most PC person.
Owning a blog for the past 12years and this podcast in its
fourth season, which is allabout my dining experiences,
(03:24):
chosen and paid for by me, meansI can steer my content as I
please without owing anyoneanything freedom to just be.
It's refreshing.
Although I analyze the MichelinGuide and their choices, I am
NOT affiliated with them in anyway.
I also do not have all theanswers other than quotes I will
share directly from theMichelin Guide website and facts
(03:44):
I have researched.
Everything I will discuss is myopinion based on my experience
dining at Michelin-starredrestaurants throughout the US
and Europe.
The last thing is this Justbecause I say a place doesn't or
shouldn't have a star, or it'slisted or should be listed in
the guide doesn't mean I don'tlike the restaurant.
It simply means what I saidthat I don't think it should be
listed in the guide doesn't meanI don't like the restaurant.
(04:05):
It simply means what I saidthat I don't think it should be
in the guide anymore, or there'sprobably a reason for that.
Maybe I don't think it fits thecategory any longer, for
example, or it has lost itsspark.
It happens.
It might be that the placestill it's something I still
love, but for Michelin purposesit might not be a suitable fit
any longer.
There's no vendetta or hiddenreason behind any of it.
(04:27):
Okay, I don't have time forthat.
I am pretty transparent when itcomes to my opinions.
I always have been love it orhate it.
This is me.
This is why it's important thatI pay my bill when I try a new
restaurant and not becomeinfluenced otherwise to go off
hype of a media, the hype of amedia dine, for example.
Okay, let's begin.
The ratings explained Can'tstart without understanding what
(04:51):
the ratings are.
The Michelin Guide statesrestaurants may receive zero to
three stars for the quality ofthe food, based on quality of
the ingredients used, mastery ofthe flavor and cooking
techniques, the personality ofthe chef in his cuisine, value
for money and consistencybetween visits.
Keyword consistency One Star isa very good restaurant in its
(05:15):
category.
This, in particular, isimportant to note for this
episode and I always, alwaystalk about this.
The US and Europe vary greatlywhen it comes to what one star
looks like and, as I say everyyear, the US one stars are the
wild, wild west and anythinggoes.
It's primarily different inEurope, but the phrase in its
(05:37):
category is all we need to know.
It would help if Michelin woulddisclose what categories those
are, but they don't.
However, in Miami, for example,Boia De and Tambourine Room are
not in the same category, butthey both have a star In
Michelin's terms.
They combine many differenttypes of restaurants and award
them within their mysteriouscategories.
(05:59):
Something else that isimportant to note is that even
within each star, there's muchwiggle room, so there's space to
move.
It's invisible, but some are atthe bottom of that star, with a
few that are almost straddlingthe line between a one star and
a two, yet at the end of the day, they are both the one star.
So remember, within itscategory.
(06:22):
It's that little key phrasethat they add.
Two stars excellent cooking andworth a detour.
Three stars exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.
A bib gourmand is great qualitycooking at a great price and
that price used to be, I think,specified at like $49, I think,
(06:43):
and it hasn't really beenupdated that I know of, and I
don't really think theydiscussed that.
The twos and threes in the USare very uniform in style.
You can almost chart out thesimilarities, which is
interesting, right?
I think it's because of thatthat a lot of chefs try to
imitate what they thinkinspectors want and they mold
their restaurants after thosepatterns.
(07:04):
Sometimes, I have to say thatit works and sometimes it does
not.
The Michelin Guide also givesout some special awards.
We do have some of these inFlorida, but not all of them yet
.
The Green Star Restaurantsidentify restaurants at the
forefront of the industry whenit comes to their practices
regarding sustainable gastronomy, which they awarded to Los
(07:24):
Felix and Krus last ceremony.
But not Stubborn Seed, which isFord's Farm, and not Ghee,
which is Rancho Patel, for somereason, and I will talk about
that again in a little bit.
Also, chef Mentor, young ChefService Award, sommelier Award,
exceptional Cocktail and PastryChef Award.
(07:46):
We might see some of those thisyear, finally.
So let's start with basicquestions.
Based on the current list, do Ithink Michelin will rank anyone
up?
No, should they?
Yes, considering that this isthe Florida guide within that US
bubble that I discussed, I wentthrough the list of the 31 bibs
to see if any could or shouldbe bumped up to one star.
(08:09):
Based on that, a lot of thesewon't come as a surprise if you
have been following me for awhile.
But Zitz Sum would be a greatcandidate to move up from a bib
to a star.
I can't think of a restaurantthat has been working any harder
pre, during and post MichelinGuide.
It's more about just being theguide at Zitz.
(08:30):
It's just what they do.
They always keep moving andinnovating.
And in Michelin's own wordsabout Zitz Sum, from their
online point of view, they saythe cooking is original and
gutsy and makes delicious sense.
Well then, it makes sense tomove them up, doesn't it?
I also said this before, but Iwould still bump up Brasserie
(08:51):
Laurel, who is currentlyrecommended.
These are all recommended, LaMar and Fiola from recommended
to one star from the list of theMichelin recommended
restaurants.
Without a star or a bib.
It does not make sense to methat those restaurants are just
recommended.
These all have successfultasting menus.
They have worked tirelessly andconsistently to provide
(09:14):
beautiful experiences overall.
La Mar even debuted Amano byOka, which is a new tasting menu
experience there, food that ismemorable and well-executed.
They have also been consistentfor years in Miami years and in
Miami math, if you don't know,one year equals at least three
regular years.
They are all well thought outand executed.
(09:36):
Concepts with cool vibes,excellent service and delicious
food, distinguished for sure.
I would also rank upMacchialina to a bib.
Right now they remain in limboon the recommended list of what
Michelin now calls good cookingunder the bib.
But somehow Lucali does qualifyas a bib, but Macchialina
doesn't.
(09:56):
I'm not sure I understand that.
One and this is where a lot ofcriticism comes in, not just me,
it's something I hear all thetime Ranking from one to a two
or two to a three.
Will Michelin rank a restaurantfrom one to a two?
Maybe Should they?
(10:17):
Yes, maybe my answer on thischanged this year.
Why Remember when I talkedabout stars having some sort of
an invisible wiggle room earlier?
I actually think Ogawa iscurrently straddling the line
between one and two.
Is it too soon to upgrade them,perhaps, but they are headed in
(10:39):
that direction for sure.
So is the new addition, omo,which I will discuss in a bit.
That's it, though, just thosetwo.
So I think Ogawa is headed thatway.
I don't know if they might wantto upgrade them this year as
well with Omo, or if they mightjust want to do Omo and finally
introduce a new two-star to ourlist.
(11:01):
What have I found common in theUS?
Two stars that we lack in SouthFlorida, although it is
improving greatly.
Service, although the MichelinGuide states that they only rate
the food, the pattern exists.
Sorry, not sorry, it's there.
There's no casual service at atwo or three star ever Ever.
(11:24):
The restaurant can be casual,but the service always remains
proper, not formal, but properand highly performative.
You can never see the staffsweat.
It's almost like an actingclass.
They always keep character.
They always communicate witheach other as a team, using hand
signals, head nods and tricks,so that the guests usually never
(11:47):
hear the things that are beingsaid.
Someone is cold?
Oops, a Pashmina just magicallyappears.
You want sparkling water?
How did the person pouringappear within seconds and know
to pour without hearing it?
The magic of service.
Also, most restaurants researchwho is dining and keep notes
for guests when they return.
(12:09):
And those are some of thesimilarities.
Of course there are exceptions,like Momofuku Ko in New York,
which closed a couple of yearsago, by the way.
They were casual overall in allaspects but held on to a two
stars for a very long time.
But I am discussing thesimilarities of the twos I have
experienced and because of that,I don't see anyone else in
Miami moving up to a two andcertainly not a three.
(12:30):
We don't have a candidate for athree yet.
Robuchon, la Tellier deRobuchon is our only two-star
right now and I don't foreseethem being moved up to a three.
They have been consistent withevery one of my visits, except
maybe one time.
I've been a lot, so there'sthat, but they're not likely to
(12:50):
go up to a three.
But they are not like any threein the US.
I love them, but I don't seethem moving up.
I see all of the current oneskeeping their stars Ariete,
Stubborn, Seed, Cote, Shingo,EntreNos, Tambourine and The
Surf Club.
Do I think any restaurant willlose a star?
(13:10):
No, do I think any restaurantshould lose a star?
Yes, maybe.
Perhaps.
I want to point outspecifically, especially this
year again, that just because Isay a restaurant could or should
be downgraded, it doesn't meanI despise them or I don't like
their food.
There's also a differencebetween what I think will happen
and what I think should happen.
(13:31):
I had the blessing ofexperiencing one in three stars
in Italy and Spain recently, andwhile the ones there could
easily be United States twos.
When I'm discussing restaurantshere, I'm thinking of an
established pattern set forth bythe Michelin Guide in the US,
specifically in Miami.
Whether they know that they'redoing a pattern or not, they
probably do, but not Milan, notSan Sebastian.
(13:54):
You just cannot deny thepattern.
There's a pattern, it's not anopinion, it's a fact and,
regardless of what is said, itjust does not compare to Europe.
I know they aim to, but Miamiright now does not compare to
Europe.
Now that there are morerestaurants listed and we are
going into the fourth season, Iwould not be surprised if some
restaurants are downgraded torecommended, but I don't really
(14:16):
think Michelin will drop any ofthem.
One of the biggest criticisms ofthe guide that I hear all the
time is just how all over theplace they are.
In the past you never saw ultracasual establishment in
establishments in the one starcategory.
I have failed to find any inSpain and Italy so far, and I
already said how some of theEurope ones could easily be two
(14:38):
stars in the US.
So it is what it is.
When you consider that one, theguide has made it a point to
add even barbecue spots in Texasand a taco stand in Mexico as a
star, then you know anythinggoes but two.
I also remember the phrase Imentioned earlier in its
category right.
So I suppose the taco stand isin its category and so are the
(14:59):
barbecue joints.
Boia De Le Jardiniere and LosFelix and probably El Cielo seem
to stand out to me and many asthe current most controversial
restaurants on the list.
For the most part I think therest are well accepted as one
stars, but those are the onesthat always come up in
conversation.
I have talked about Los Felixplenty before.
(15:21):
For starters, last year theMichelin Guide tripled down on
Los Felix by awarding them agreen star, and have spoken to
part of the team there and Ihave to say I appreciate their
candor and willingness to speakto me after I have been harsh on
them in the past when referringto the star.
They do seem to be superdedicated to the restaurants,
the way they source and specialattention to what is on the
(15:44):
plate.
I don't think the food isterrible at all.
I just don't think it's pricedaccordingly and at the level
that I perceive to be Michelinlevel, everything with them is
about the amount and variety ofcorn sourced.
It seems like that one part oftheir operation is particularly
impressive to Michelin.
The guide finally updated theirdescription of them, citing
(16:06):
anyone can throw together a fishtaco, but few are willing to
source grouper from Key West.
That's a lot to unpack.
Miami has come a long way.
We have many restaurantssourcing local seafood and
preparing it creatively.
Also, los felix has never saidthat they're a mexican
restaurant, which is how theguide has categorized them.
(16:26):
I mean, I understand if you'rethem not arguing the point with
the guy, just let it be.
But interestingly enough, theyare more than that, given their
very global approach andinspiration.
Mexican inspired, sure, but notMexican.
For Boia De, it's a tough onefor me to judge.
I do love the food there but asmuch as I still go and will
(16:48):
still go, I feel like it hasbeen coasting for a bit and
going off that initialexcitement of when it opened.
Miami also just has so manyoptions nowadays.
I do feel like it does notstand out as much as it once did
, and that's hard for me to say.
In the past I have talked aboutremoving El Cielo after a
mediocre experience I had in2018.
(17:08):
I haven't made my way back toEl Cielo yet.
I just can't bring myself topain that much on 2018.
I haven't made my way back toEl Cielo yet.
I just can't bring myself topain that much on a place I
didn't love the first time.
It's a tough pill to swallow togo see if they improved.
I am still waiting to receivefavorable feedback from anyone
visiting, so I remaindiscouraged from returning.
So if you're that diner who hasgone and loved it, let me know.
(17:31):
All I see is hype videos ofguests washing their hands with
chocolate, which I did.
I don't care to do it again andI have nothing to go on.
I just I don't want to dish out$600 for that experiment again
and again to wash my hands withchocolate.
Le Jardiniere is one whose foodI do enjoy, but I feel like
they haven't been consistent fora while, with a lot of kitchen
(17:53):
changes, and the menu is verylimited.
Michelin's new additions thisone should be interesting, so
let's discuss.
You have Kojin, Recoveco,Sunny's Vice Versa Sereia, Torno
Subito, Cotoa, Itamae AO, Palmaand Grand Central.
(18:14):
First, the facts Of last year'seight additions three got stars
Shingo, ogawa and Entrenos.
Of the eight additions in 2023,one got a star, which was
Tambourine Room.
This year, as of this recording, there are 10 new additions.
They have not yet posted ateaser addition list for Broward
, palm Beach and St Pete.
(18:35):
If they do, I might post awritten addendum on my blog of
my thoughts, because I can't goback to record this.
So how will that translate?
This year?
I would venture to say that,given so many other cities that
are being added and honored,this should be a year of low
stars for Miami.
But we do have three strongcontenders Itamai, cochin and
Recoveco and I'm not just sayingthat because I love them.
(18:59):
I mean I actually love all theadditions on the list except
Torno Subito.
More on that in a sec.
The only thing holding me backfrom being 100% certain that
they will get a star, that theywould get a star is that they
haven't been open for that longto be considered consistent,
which is usually a big quality.
Michelin goes for, as theyshould, if anything.
Itamai has been longer, openlonger and delivering their menu
(19:21):
on a pretty steady rhythm,while Kojin, although a 2.0
version, has starting fromscratch in a way, since it's a
new location, new, significantlylarger kitchen and new menu
items.
That said, the pattern herewith Michelin is wild.
They have given stars to placesthat have been open for mere
months before, like Entrenos,which was and still is a pop-up.
(19:44):
And all three of these arehomegrown concepts like Entrenos
, and that is something they dohave going for them.
Recoveco is another I would loveto see recognized.
The team is a breath of freshair, delivering modern and
elegant food, not holding to anystyle.
In particular and on purpose,they truly are basing it on
what's seasonal, but Chefs Tereand Nico's precision in
(20:07):
everything they do is incredibleto watch.
The plate might look simple,plated in the neatest way
possible, not a grain or anounce out of place.
Then you take a bite and wonderhow the hell they pack so much
flavor into that single bite.
Absolutely smitten with Recoeco, obviously.
So we shall see.
These are not in the bibpricing, which is also kind of a
(20:29):
blur.
It used to be, like I said,around $49, but I'm not sure
what that is nowadays.
Still, a bib is supposed to begreat quality cooking at a great
price, and these three are notin that bib range at all.
Palma, from the beginning,reminded me a lot of Entrenos.
I have visited three times andloved each one For a star.
(20:51):
I'm a little torn.
Do I love it?
Yes, as I said, but have alwayssaid that I thought from
tasting the food that I couldtell there's great skill has
gone into each dish and hispalate is there.
But I do feel like Chef JuanCamilo is holding back for some
reason, and I get it.
Miami is a tough animal andtasting menus can be
intimidating for some diners.
(21:11):
I feel like he can showcasemore creative dishes.
I mean, maybe I just want moreof his food too.
The portions are on the smallerside, which never bothers me.
That's pretty typical oftasting menus.
But all of that combined Ialways leave feeling like he has
more to give.
A couple of others on theaddition list, not on the bib
category, are Torno Subito andSereia.
(21:34):
Now I often talk about theMichelin Guide lineage and how
some restaurants I feel arefast-tracked to a star if the
chef has worked in a kitchenthat has earned a star before.
That's certainly true of LosFelix, entenos and even Boia De.
Both Torno and Sereia fall intothat category that I have come
up with.
Torno is Massimo Bottura's morecasual concept, one of them.
(21:58):
Anyway, I don't think it'sworth a star.
Will the Michelin Guide honorit the same they did in Dubai?
Should they?
I'm really against it.
I think the restaurant was allover the place when I went,
menu-wise, nothing was memorableto me.
So a star there just goes toone of those Michelin lineage
thing that does seem to matterto the guide.
(22:19):
So I guess we shall see.
Sereia is a little more complexto crack.
While Chef Henrique Sa Pessoahas a couple of stars in Spain,
his team is led here by localMiguel Macens, who has a rich
background, also working instart kitchens, talking giants
like the French Laundry, so theyknow what they're doing there.
(22:39):
Every dinner there has beenexceptional.
For me, when it comes down toconsistency again, every
experience there has beendifferent.
Every dinner there has beenexceptional.
So for me it comes down toconsistency.
Again, every experience therehas been different, each one.
For me it comes down toconsistency again, every
experience there has beendifferent, each one better than
the last, but it hasn't beensteady yet and that holds me
back.
I see it as Michelin rewardingthe smaller, homegrown concepts
(23:03):
over the large operations.
No-transcript Grand Centralthis one just mysteriously
closed, which is unfortunately.
It's a tiny place I think wouldhave benefited from just being
recognized and included in theguide.
I'm not sure what is going onthere and I hope they can make
it back.
Cotoa, I absolutely loved whenI went to the food Ecuadorian is
(23:28):
bright, colorful, beautiful anddelicious.
But they're located in a foodstall and this is a strong bib
contender, I think.
Then we have Sunny's and ViceVersa, two incredible spots.
I will go on a weekly basis ifI could.
I don't think these are in thestar category at all, so
possibly recommendations andvice versa with a possible bib
(23:50):
because of pricing.
Then we have Omo by Jont, whichis in Orlando, but I need to
talk about it because I think itshould be the next star, next
two star in Florida, two starsnext to Miami's existing
Robuchon.
Jont has two stars in DC, butreally on the verge of three
again that wiggle room, andessentially it's the same
(24:10):
restaurant, but in Orlando Omois Florida's best tasting menu
as far as I'm concerned, rightnow, hands down no questions
asked.
They host only 16 diners.
Nightly dinners last almost fourhours and takes place within
three gorgeous spaces.
Guests are welcome to a livingroom where they enjoy snacks and
opening sips.
(24:31):
Then they visit the main diningroom counter, overlooking the
kitchen.
The food is deeply inspired byJapanese cuisine with global
touches by a team that joyfullycolors outside the lines and
bends the rules in the very bestways.
The playlist is an unexpectedfun mix of classic hip-hop beats
.
Dinner ends in the pastryparlor to indulge in a selection
(24:53):
of decadent desserts.
Service remains professionaland the attention to detail is
impeccable.
Both Omo and Jont are by thesame hospitality group that also
brings us Maass in FortLauderdale, which is the only
restaurant I see getting a starthere, and we haven't discussed
the other counties yet, but Iwill shortly.
Omo just even made the finalslist yesterday as the best new
(25:14):
restaurant for the James BeardAwards.
The sentiment across the boardis that these two are crystal
clear frontrunners, omo andMaass.
One glaring omission to theadditions is Elastika.
Shocked, actually.
Elastika is an opening I havebeen super excited about.
Chef Joe Anthony grew up inSouth Florida.
(25:35):
He spent the last 15 years inNew York City working at Daniel
the Modern and Gabriel Kreuther.
You know no big deal.
Anthony and his sous chefs havefunctional nutrition
certifications.
The menu is kept as clean aspossible while keeping it
interesting and creative.
The flours and the overallingredients used are meant to be
(25:55):
anti-inflammatory, easilydigested and good for you.
The breads are homemade withorganic einkorn flour and
heirloom grain with lower levelsof gluten.
Also, there are no heavy grainsor GMOs used.
But again, his cooking iselevated and the experience at
the gorgeous location isincredible.
I'm not sure what happenedthere and why it was skipped,
(26:18):
but they are so deserving andare bringing something very
different to South Florida, andI mean we still have a little
bit left.
Maybe they'll be at it, I don'tknow.
Fort Lauderdale, as I started toexplain, Maass is similar to
Omo when it comes to the chef'scounter, but it's still in a
hotel, so they offer tableservice a la carte, making it a
larger operation.
(26:39):
It would not make sense toreward Moss and Omo with one
star because they're not thesame Again, that wiggle room.
But the Omo experience offersmore and, given that John has
two stars in DC, omo should 100%be the next two in Florida and
then Maass at a one.
I'm not holding my breath formany other restaurants and for a
(27:00):
lot of deal to get a star.
I'm sorry, I just don't see it.
The longtime staples there areOK, but don't think qualify as
stars.
They might be a story.
This might be a story of a lotof recommended and bibbs, fort
Lauderdale and Palm Beach.
There are rumors of Daniel's,evelyn's and Heritage in Fort
Lauderdale Certainly restaurantseven I would recommend, but not
(27:23):
places that scream star to me.
Daniel's is by Chef DanielGattam of Fiola, who happens to
be very experienced in Michelinkitchens.
The menu has plenty of elevatedcourses, like the foie gras
creme brulee appetizer that Ilove.
It's beautiful.
It's a beautifulFlorida-centric restaurant
focusing on sourcing from theFlorida Keys and all the way up
(27:44):
to North Florida for their steak, for their cattle.
This could be even a green starat some point.
Does Michelin award stars tosteakhouses?
I'm not sure about that, and ifany of them would have one,
this would have a strong chance.
Will there be a wild card here?
I mean, the guide does love tothrow some curveballs that keep
(28:08):
us all arguing over it and medoing podcasts about it.
So I would never say no, but Idon't see it in Palm Beach.
Moving more north to Palm Beach,I see Conroe as the only
standout there.
Conroe is by chef JacobBicklehopped, formerly of 42
grams fame, who received twostars at the time.
If you haven't watched hisdocumentary you should that one
(28:29):
which caught 42 grams and then86, which is the last one that
followed after that.
Interesting history there andworth a watch.
Conroe is an incredible counterexperience and I absolutely
adore the experience there andI'm very excited for them.
There's bucon, which willprobably be recommended, and
(28:50):
stosh, which is a strong bib.
Cool culinary I haven't been to.
And nicholson muir I've heardrumblings about, I don't know.
Sorry, I can't help there.
I have not dined in, butresearching them I just I don't
see it.
Of course there's butcher'sclub, which is by jeremy ford,
again an upscale, upscalesteakhouse boasting a lot of
(29:10):
similar apps.
You see at his one michelin stardown in south beach.
Does it translate to a star forpalm beach though?
And again, that wholesteakhouse thing I'm not sure
the michelin guide is into.
I am extremely surprised to noteven see a recognition, uh, for
the catherine by chef tim andbaloo.
Going back to for lauderdale,His menu is a global mashup of
(29:33):
his experiences, and some of myfavorite courses there are from
his time at his namesakerestaurant, baloo, when it was
down in Miami.
Locally, that brings muchflavor to the Fort Lauderdale
area and it's, I think, adefinite oversight by the guide,
unless, of course, it's addedduring the next couple of weeks.
Like I said, we still have someweeks before the ceremony.
(29:54):
To summarize, I think Itami,kojin and Recoveco have the
strongest chances at a Michelinstar, especially Itami.
There's plenty of room for acouple of shockers from Michelin
.
Would it be a Michelin guidewithout some controversy?
So Omo for a two-star inOrlando, moss for a one-star and
(30:14):
for Lauderdale, conroe as aone-star in Palm Beach.
Green Stars would love to seeFord's Farm recognized and
Rancho Patel recognized.
The ceremony will take place inOrlando on April 17th.
I don't know if they will do alive video on YouTube like they
did last year, but you can signup for alerts on their channel
and Facebook account as of thisrecording.
(30:36):
They have not announced it onFacebook yet, though.
While we wait for the reveal,let's end with a look at some
fundamental Michelin guidelinesand facts that many aren't
familiar with or choose tooverlook.
Looking at you, miami.
If you listen to anythingclosely, this is it.
I have written and talked aboutthis before, but in case you
(30:57):
missed it, here it is again.
In the United States, theMichelin Guide is only published
in California, new York City,in Westchester County, chicago,
colorado, florida, georgia,texas and Washington DC.
Only restaurants in these areascan authentically claim to have
a starred restaurant.
The Michelin Guide justannounced a new South category
named the American South.
(31:18):
It will be bunched.
It will bunch together theexisting Atlanta guide and then
it will add Mississippi,tennessee, north South Carolina,
louisiana and Alabama.
Restaurants may receive zero tothree stars for the quality of
their food, based on fivecriteria.
I talked about this in thebeginning quality of the
ingredients used, mastery offlavor, cooking techniques, the
(31:40):
personality of the chef and hiscuisine, value for money and
consistency between visits.
Restaurant inspectors do notlook at the interior decor,
table setting or service qualitywhen awarding stars.
These are instead indicated bythe number of covers it receives
, represented by the fork andspoon symbol.
The cover symbol is for comfortand quality, and it ranges from
(32:02):
quite comfortable to luxury inthe traditional style.
That said, the online versionof the guide doesn't list the
covers.
I'm not sure why not.
There are guides in Europe thatare still printed and those do
have the covers.
There's no such thing as aMichelin-starred chef.
There is no such thing as aMichelin-starred chef Got it.
(32:25):
Having worked in aMichelin-starred restaurant or
even owning a string ofthree-starred establishment
doesn't make one aMichelin-starred chef, because
the term doesn't technicallyexist.
The Michelin Guide awards starsto restaurants based on the
quality of the food they serveand not to individuals.
Meals are often the collectiveeffort of an entire team and not
(32:48):
one man or woman alone.
Chefs can't take off with thestars, nor do the stars transfer
to another restaurant owned bythe same chef.
So if a chef who runs aMichelin star restaurant in
Spain opens a restaurant inItaly, it does not automatically
transfer or make it a Michelinstar restaurant.
Chefs can't technically return astar.
(33:10):
They can disagree, tantrum andannounce to the world that
they're returning a star.
But if the Michel tantrum andannounce to the world that
they're returning a star, but ifthe Michelin Guide wants you in
it, they keep you in it.
It's fully up to them not togive you a star the following
year.
It's not up to the chef.
End of story.
The Michelin Guide isn't onlyabout fine dining as established
and fancy restaurants.
Globally, stars have beenawarded to a wide spectrum of
(33:31):
restaurants made it this far.
Congratulations.
You truly are, miami andmichelin obsessed like me.
Thank you so much for tuning in.
Please take a second to ratethe podcast on apple or spotify,
if that's where you listen.
It helps local podcasts likemine break through the almighty
algorithm.
Okay, that's it for today.
Enjoy this series of michelinpodcast episodes and blog
(33:54):
articles from my passionateMiami palette, the wet palette.
I will be back with a follow upepisode once the results are in
.
Until then, ciao you.
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